15 Let them be desolate H8074 for a reward H6118 of their shame H1322 that say H559 unto me, Aha, H1889 aha. H1889
Pour out H8210 thine indignation H2195 upon them, and let thy wrathful H2740 anger H639 take hold H5381 of them. Let their habitation H2918 be desolate; H8074 and let none dwell H3427 in their tents. H168
Let them be turned back H7725 for a reward H6118 of their shame H1322 that say, H559 Aha, H1889 aha. H1889 Let all those that seek H1245 thee rejoice H7797 and be glad H8055 in thee: and let such as love H157 thy salvation H3444 say H559 continually, H8548 Let God H430 be magnified. H1431
Set H6485 thou a wicked man H7563 over him: and let Satan H7854 stand H5975 at his right hand. H3225 When he shall be judged, H8199 let him be H3318 condemned: H7563 and let his prayer H8605 become sin. H2401 Let his days H3117 be few; H4592 and let another H312 take H3947 his office. H6486 Let his children H1121 be fatherless, H3490 and his wife H802 a widow. H490 Let his children H1121 be continually H5128 vagabonds, H5128 and beg: H7592 let them seek H1875 their bread also out of their desolate places. H2723 Let the extortioner H5383 catch H5367 all that he hath; and let the strangers H2114 spoil H962 his labour. H3018 Let there be none to extend H4900 mercy H2617 unto him: neither let there be any to favour H2603 his fatherless children. H3490 Let his posterity H319 be cut off; H3772 and in the generation H1755 following H312 let their name H8034 be blotted out. H4229 Let the iniquity H5771 of his fathers H1 be remembered H2142 with the LORD; H3068 and let not the sin H2403 of his mother H517 be blotted out. H4229 Let them be before the LORD H3068 continually, H8548 that he may cut off H3772 the memory H2143 of them from the earth. H776 Because that he remembered H2142 not to shew H6213 mercy, H2617 but persecuted H7291 the poor H6041 and needy H34 man, H376 that he might even slay H4191 the broken H3512 in heart. H3824 As he loved H157 cursing, H7045 so let it come H935 unto him: as he delighted H2654 not in blessing, H1293 so let it be far H7368 from him. As he clothed H3847 himself with cursing H7045 like as with his garment, H4055 so let it come H935 into his bowels H7130 like water, H4325 and like oil H8081 into his bones. H6106 Let it be unto him as the garment H899 which covereth H5844 him, and for a girdle H4206 wherewith he is girded H2296 continually. H8548 Let this be the reward H6468 of mine adversaries H7853 from the LORD, H3068 and of them that speak H1696 evil H7451 against my soul. H5315
For G3754 the days G2250 shall come G2240 upon G1909 thee, G4571 that G2532 thine G4675 enemies G2190 shall cast G4016 a trench G5482 about G4016 thee, G4671 and G2532 compass G4033 thee G4571 round, G4033 and G2532 keep G4912 thee G4571 in G4912 on every side, G3840 And G2532 shall lay G1474 thee G4571 even with the ground, G1474 and G2532 thy G4675 children G5043 within G1722 thee; G4671 and G2532 they shall G863 not G3756 leave G863 in G1722 thee G4671 one stone G3037 upon G1909 another; G3037 because G473 G3739 thou knewest G1097 not G3756 the time G2540 of thy G4675 visitation. G1984
But G1161 woe G3759 unto G1722 them that are with child, G1064 G2192 and G2532 to them that give suck, G2337 in G1722 those G1565 days! G2250 for G1063 there shall be G2071 great G3173 distress G318 in G1909 the land, G1093 and G2532 wrath G3709 upon G1722 this G5129 people. G2992 And G2532 they shall fall G4098 by the edge G4750 of the sword, G3162 and G2532 shall be led away captive G163 into G1519 all G3956 nations: G1484 and G2532 Jerusalem G2419 shall be G2071 trodden down G3961 of G5259 the Gentiles, G1484 until G891 the times G2540 of the Gentiles G1484 be fulfilled. G4137
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 40
Commentary on Psalms 40 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 40
Ps 40:1-17. In this Psalm a celebration of God's deliverance is followed by a profession of devotion to His service. Then follows a prayer for relief from imminent dangers, involving the overthrow of enemies and the rejoicing of sympathizing friends. In Heb 10:5, &c., Paul quotes Ps 40:6-8 as the words of Christ, offering Himself as a better sacrifice. Some suppose Paul thus accommodated David's words to express Christ's sentiments. But the value of his quotation would be thus destroyed, as it would have no force in his argument, unless regarded by his readers as the original sense of the passage in the Old Testament. Others suppose the Psalm describes David's feelings in suffering and joy; but the language quoted by Paul, in the sense given by him, could not apply to David in any of his relations, for as a type the language is not adapted to describe any event or condition of David's career, and as an individual representing the pious generally, neither he nor they could properly use it (see on Ps 40:7, below). The Psalm must be taken then, as the sixteenth, to express the feelings of Christ's human nature. The difficulties pertinent to this view will be considered as they occur.
1-3. The figures for deep distress are illustrated in Jeremiah's history (Jer 38:6-12). Patience and trust manifested in distress, deliverance in answer to prayer, and the blessed effect of it in eliciting praise from God's true worshippers, teach us that Christ's suffering is our example, and His deliverance our encouragement (Heb 5:7, 8; 12:3; 1Pe 4:12-16).
inclined—(the ear, Ps 17:6), as if to catch the faintest sigh.
3. a new song—(See on Ps 33:3).
fear, and … trust—revere with love and faith.
4. Blessed—(Ps 1:1; 2:12).
respecteth—literally, "turns towards," as an object of confidence.
turn aside—from true God and His law to falsehood in worship and conduct.
5. be reckoned up in order—(compare Ps 5:3; 33:14; Isa 44:7), too many to be set forth regularly. This is but one instance of many. The use of the plural accords with the union of Christ and His people. In suffering and triumph, they are one with Him.
6-8. In Paul's view this passage has more meaning than the mere expression of grateful devotion to God's service. He represents Christ as declaring that the sacrifices, whether vegetable or animal, general or special expiatory offerings, would not avail to meet the demands of God's law, and that He had come to render the required satisfaction, which he states was effected by "the offering of the body of Christ" [Heb 10:10], for that is the "will of God" which Christ came to fulfil or do, in order to effect man's redemption. We thus see that the contrast to the unsatisfactory character assigned the Old Testament offerings in Ps 40:6 is found in the compliance with God's law (compare Ps 40:7, 8). Of course, as Paul and other New Testament writers explain Christ's work, it consisted in more than being made under the law or obeying its precepts. It required an "obedience unto death" [Php 2:8], and that is the compliance here chiefly intended, and which makes the contrast with Ps 40:6 clear.
mine ears hast thou opened—Whether allusion is made to the custom of boring a servant's ear, in token of voluntary and perpetual enslavement (Ex 21:6), or that the opening of the ear, as in Isa 48:8; 50:5 (though by a different word in Hebrew) denotes obedience by the common figure of hearing for obeying, it is evident that the clause is designed to express a devotion to God's will as avowed more fully in Ps 40:8, and already explained. Paul, however, uses the words, "a body hast thou prepared me" [Heb 10:5], which are found in the Septuagint in the place of the words, "mine ears hast thou opened." He does not lay any stress on this clause, and his argument is complete without it. It is, perhaps, to be regarded rather as an interpretation or free translation by the Septuagint, than either an addition or attempt at verbal translation. The Septuagint translators may have had reference to Christ's vicarious sufferings as taught in other Scriptures, as in Isa 53:4-11; at all events, the sense is substantially the same, as a body was essential to the required obedience (compare Ro 7:4; 1Pe 2:24).
7. Then—in such case, without necessarily referring to order of time.
Lo, I come—I am prepared to do, &c.
in the volume of the book—roll of the book. Such rolls, resembling maps, are still used in the synagogues.
written of me—or on me, prescribed to me (2Ki 22:13). The first is the sense adopted by Paul. In either case, the Pentateuch, or law of Moses, is meant, and while it contains much respecting Christ directly, as Ge 3:15; 49:10; De 18:15, and, indirectly, in the Levitical ritual, there is nowhere any allusion to David.
9, 10. I have preached—literally, "announced good tidings." Christ's prophetical office is taught. He "preached" the great truths of God's government of sinners.
11. may be rendered as an assertion, that God will not withhold (Ps 16:1).
12. evils—inflicted by others.
iniquities—or penal afflictions, and sometimes calamities in the wide sense. This meaning of the word is very common (Ps 31:11; 38:4; compare Ge 4:13, Cain's punishment; Ge 19:15, that of Sodom; 1Sa 28:10, of the witch of En-dor; also 2Sa 16:12; Job 19:29; Isa 5:18; 53:11). This meaning of the word is also favored by the clause, "taken hold of me," which follows, which can be said appropriately of sufferings, but not of sins (compare Job 27:20; Ps 69:24). Thus, the difficulties in referring this Psalm to Christ, arising from the usual reading of this verse, are removed. Of the terrible afflictions, or sufferings, alluded to and endured for us, compare Lu 22:39-44, and the narrative of the scenes of Calvary.
my heart faileth me—(Mt 26:38), "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death."
cannot look up—literally, "I cannot see," not denoting the depression of conscious guilt, as Lu 18:13, but exhaustion from suffering, as dimness of eyes (compare Ps 6:7; 13:3; 38:10). The whole context thus sustains the sense assigned to iniquities.
13. (Compare Ps 22:19).
14, 15. The language is not necessarily imprecatory, but rather a confident expectation (Ps 5:11), though the former sense is not inconsistent with Christ's prayer for the forgiveness of His murderers, inasmuch as their confusion and shame might be the very means to prepare them for humbly seeking forgiveness (compare Ac 2:37).
15. for a reward—literally, "in consequence of."
Aha—(Compare Ps 35:21, 25).
16. (Compare Ps 35:27).
love thy salvation—delight in its bestowal on others as well as themselves.
17. A summary of his condition and hopes.
thinketh upon—or provides for me. "He was heard," "when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, unto Him that was able to save him from death" [Heb 5:7].