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The Bible · 519 of 1189
Psalms 41
1.Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
2.The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
3.The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
4.I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
5.Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?
6.And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
7.All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.
8.An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
9.Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
10.But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
11.By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12.And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.
13.Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
Asked of Guide
Why does the psalmist accuse a close friend of betrayal in verses 9–10?
The psalmist reports that a trusted companion—“mine own familiar friend…which did eat of my bread”—has struck him, lifting up his heel against him, to show how loneliness and danger arrive through intimate betrayal, not only public enemies. This personal wound deepens the plea: the speaker asks, “O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up,” linking the betrayal to a need for divine vindication and healing.
The chapter frames the betrayal within a larger confidence in God: verses 1–3 promise preservation for one who cares for the poor, and verses 11–13 declare God’s favour and eternal praise, so the complaint about the friend motivates trust rather than despair. Psalm 55 and Psalm 41 both name the pain of treacherous companions and point readers toward prayer and God’s sustaining presence.
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