לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר׃   40:1

Psal. 40:1   A psalm of David's, for the leader:

קַוֺּה קִוִּיתִי יְהוָה וַיֵּט אֵלַי וַיִּשְׁמַע שַׁוְעָתִי׃   40:2

Psal. 40:2   I had patiently awaited the Lord,

                               and He had turned to me and heard my cry.

וַיַּעֲלֵנִי מִבּוֹר שָׁאוֹן מִטִּיט הַיָּוֵן וַיָּקֶם עַל־סֶלַע רַגְלַי כּוֹנֵן אֲשֻׁרָי׃   40:3

Psal. 40:3   And He had brought me up from the roaring pit,

                               from the wet dirt of the mire,

                      and set my feet up upon a rock;

                               He had made my steps firm.

וַיִּתֵּן בְּפִי שִׁיר חָדָשׁ תְּהִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ יִרְאוּ רַבִּים וְיִירָאוּ וְיִבְטְחוּ בַּיהוָה׃   40:4

Psal. 40:4   And in my mouth He had put a new song of praise to our God.

                               Many would see and be afraid;

                      then they would trust in the Lord.

אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר־שָׂם יְהֹוָה מִבְטַחוֹ וְלֹא־פָנָה אֶל־רְהָבִים וְשָׂטֵי כָזָב׃   40:5

Psal. 40:5   Happy is the man who makes the Lord his Refuge,

                                who does not turn away to the proud or the followers of falsehood.

רַבּוֹת עָשִׂיתָ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ אֵלֵינוּ אֵין עֲרֹךְ אֵלֶיךָ אַגִּידָה וַאֲדַבֵּרָה עָצְמוּ   40:6

מִסַּפֵּר׃

Psal. 40:6   You, Lord, my God, do great things;

                                 it is too difficult to understand You or Your plans concerning us;

                      there is none comparable to You.

                                 I could declare and speak

                      -- they are more than can be told.

זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה לֹא־חָפַצְתָּ אָזְנַיִם כָּרִיתָ לִּי עוֹלָה וַחֲטָאָה לֹא שָׁאָלְתָּ׃   40:7

Psal. 40:7   You do not desire sacrifice or meal offering.

                                You have uncovered my ears.

                      You do not ask for burnt offering or sin offering.

We have seen words similar to these before.  For only one example, Isaiah puts such words in the Lord’s own  “mouth” in Isai. 1:11.  There and elsewhere it is made clear that what is meant by these words is that the Lord doesn’t desire sacrifice that is not accompanied by contrition and humility.  Here David implies such:  In other words, the Lord desires a sincere sacrifice from us, one that comes from our own soul, and purely out of love for the Lord.

אָז אָמַרְתִּי הִנֵּה־בָאתִי בִּמְגִלַּת־סֵפֶר כָּתוּב עָלָי׃   40:8

Psal. 40:8   Then I said, “Behold, I come with the roll of a book decreed for me.”

What book is this?  Is it the Torah?  That’s what scholars believe.  I believe it too.  See the next verse.

לַעֲשֹׂות־רְצֹונְךָ אֱלֹהַי חָפָצְתִּי וְתֹורָתְךָ בְּתֹוךְ מֵעָי׃   40:9

Psal. 40:9   I desire to do Your will, My God,

                                and Your Torah is in my bowels.

This is the way we should keep the Torah -- inside of us, in our gut, in our innermost parts.

בִּשַּׂרְתִּי צֶדֶק בְּקָהָל רָב הִנֵּה שְׂפָתַי לֹא אֶכְלָא יְהוָה אַתָּה יָדָעְתָּ׃   40:10

Psal. 40:10   I preach righteousness to an abundant assembly;

                                 lo, I would not restrain my lips;

                        Lord, You know.

צִדְקָתְךָ לֹא־כִסִּיתִי בְּתֹוךְ לִבִּי אֱמוּנָתְךָ וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ אָמָרְתִּי לֹא־כִחַדְתִּי חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ לְקָהָל רָב׃   40:11

Psal. 40:11   I do not conceal Your righteousness within my heart;

                                 I speak of Your fidelity and Your salvation;

                        I do not hide Your loving kindness or Your faithfulness for an abundant assembly.

אַתָּה יְהוָה לֹא־תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ תָּמִיד יִצְּרוּנִי׃   40:12

Psal. 40:12   You, Lord, would not withhold Your compassions from me;

                                  let Your loving kindness and Your faithfulness continually preserve me.

כִּי אָפְפוּ־עָלַי רָעוֹת עַד־אֵין מִסְפָּר הִשִּׂיגוּנִי עֲוֺנֹתַי וְלֹא־יָכֹלְתִּי לִרְאוֹת עָצְמוּ מִשַּׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשִׁי   40:13

 וְלִבִּי עֲזָבָנִי׃  

Psal. 40:13   But evils have encompassed about me until there is no count.

                                 My iniquities have overtaken me, that I cannot endure to see;

                         they are more than the hairs of my head,

                                  and my heart leaves me.

Describing past events and the Lord’s greatness and kindness before this verse, the psalmist now turns to his current situation, thus revealing the intent of the previous verses as an introduction to the following anguished plea.

רְצֵה יְהוָה לְהַצִּילֵנִי יְהוָה לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה׃   40:14

Psal. 40:14   Be favorable, Lord, to delivering me.

                                  Act quickly, Lord, to help me.

יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ יַחַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי לִסְפּוֹתָהּ יִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר וְיִכָּלְמוּ חֲפֵצֵי רָעָתִי׃   40:15

Psal. 40:15   Let the seekers of my life to snatch it away be disconcerted and altogether confused;

                                   let the desirers of my distress be turned backwards and humiliated.

יָשֹׁמּוּ עַל־עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם הָאֹמְרִים לִי הֶאָח הֶאָח׃   40:16

Psal. 40:16   Let those saying about me, “Aha, aha,” be appalled as a consequence of their shame.

יָשִׂישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ בְּךָ כָּל־מְבַקְשֶׁיךָ יֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד יִגְדַּל יְהוָה אֹהֲבֵי תְּשׁוּעָתֶךָ׃   40:17

Psal. 40:17   Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

                                  let the lovers of Your salvation say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified.”

וַאֲנִי עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אֲדֹנָי יַחֲשָׁב לִי עֶזְרָתִי וּמְפַלְטִי אַתָּה אֱלֹהַי אַל־תְּאַחַר׃   40:18

Psal. 40:18   Now I am wretched and needy;

                               My Master, let it count for me;

                        You are my Help and my Deliverer;

                               My God, do not delay.                                                [Return to Psal. 70:1]

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