Psalm 41: suffering and spiritual disturbances

Reading time: 0 min

Psalm 41 is considered a psalm of lamentation. However it begins and ends with praises, some scholars consider that this psalm of David is also a psalm of praise. The sacred words speak of the situation of a sufferer of physical and spiritual illnesses and asks for protection of God from his enemies. See the interpretation below.

The spiritual power of praise of psalm 41

Read the sacred words carefully and faithfully:

Receive all our tips by email!

Love Astrology? Subscribe Now and Receive Exclusive Content!

1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.
²The Lord protects and preserves them—
they are counted among the blessed in the land—
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
³The Lord sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness.

⁴I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
⁵My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?”
⁶When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
then he goes out and spreads it around.

⁷All my enemies whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
⁸“A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
⁹Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned against me.

¹⁰But may you have mercy on me, Lord;
raise me up, that I may repay them.
¹¹I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.
¹²Because of my integrity you uphold me
and set me in your presence forever.

¹³Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.

Psalm 41

Interpretation of psalm 41

In order for you to interpret the whole message of this mighty Psalm 41, the WeMystic Team made a detailed description of each passage of this Psalm, see below:

Verse 1

This is the same word that opens Psalm 1, which says that he who is charitable is blessed. It is a phrase of exaltation, of praise, for to bless God is to identify Him as the source of our blessings. The weak mentioned here does not refer to someone who does not have money, but to those who suffer from illness, unhappiness, problems that are not at fault. And so, the generous help and know that God will bless them for their gesture.

Verses 2 and 3

When the Psalmist says that you will be blessed on earth, it means that God will provide you with health, longevity, riches, harmony and spiritual vitality. God will not abandon him to his fate with his enemies, he will be restrained even in the bed of infirmity. The affliction in this Psalm 41 may be David’s most serious illness.

Verse 4

Within this Psalm one realizes the need of the Psalmist to ask God to sympathize with his soul, for he knows that those who sin must beg for divine forgiveness and redemption.

Verses 5 to 8

In these verses from Psalm 41, David lists the negative actions his enemies inflict against him. Among them, he talks about the pity of not being remembered. In ancient cultures, a person no longer remembered was like saying that they never existed. The righteous of Israel expected their names to last after their death.

Verse 9

In this passage we perceive David’s sorrow for being betrayed by someone he trusted so much. In the situation of Jesus and Judas, the fulfillment of this verse is striking, for they shared the last meal (“and ate of my bread”) and so Jesus quotes this verse in the book of Matthew 26. He observed how it was fulfilled with Judas, whom he trusted.

Verses 10 to 12

In the words of these verses we can find various interpretations and associations with biblical passages. David used those same words when he needed the cure of an illness that put him to bed. These words also foreshadow the resurrection of Jesus. But the psalmist is a righteous man and knows his integrity and so he entrusts his face to God. He is striving for eternal life in the presence of God.

Verse 13

Just as this psalm started with a blessing from God upon the righteous, it ends with a righteous one blessing the Lord. The word Amen seems here duplicated, as a way of strengthening his dignified: “so be it”. In repeating it he confirms his agreement with the praise of Psalm 41.

You may also like: