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Psalms 40

Psalms 40

The big picture

Psalms 40 opens in verse 1 with “I waited patiently for the LORD ; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 9 with “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my…”, and closes in verse 17 with “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, heart, offering, congregation, continually. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Psalms · King James Version · 17

Psalms 40:1-6

1–6: I waited patiently for the LORD ; and he inclined unto me, and heard my…

Psalms 40:1–6 opens with “I waited patiently for the LORD ; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” and reaches “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by LORD, offering, trust.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “I waited patiently for the LORD ; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” By verse 3, the text has turned to “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and…” It lands on “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 4 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as LORD, offering, trust, aside, Blessed, burnt tie the complete block together. The central idea, “the wording and movement of this passage,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include God, Blessed, Many, Sacrifice. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 3: “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD .” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: LORD, offering, trust, aside, Blessed, burnt

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 40:1

    “I waited patiently for the LORD ; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” The line’s distinctive content terms include inclined, LORD, patiently. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.

  2. Psalms 40:2

    “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my…” The line’s distinctive content terms include clay, established, feet. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. Psalms 40:3

    “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  4. Psalms 40:4

    “Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” Naming Blessed keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  5. Psalms 40:5

    “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot…” Naming Many keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  6. Psalms 40:6

    “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou…” Naming Sacrifice keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Psalms 40:1-6

King James Version

1I waited patiently for the LORD ; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD .

4Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

6Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Psalms 40:7-12

7–12: Said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

Psalms 40:7–12 opens with “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,” and reaches “For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by heart, congregation, LORD.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,” By verse 9, the text has turned to “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O…” It lands on “For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 verse with a speech marker, 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as heart, congregation, LORD, lovingkindness, righteousness, truth tie the complete block together. The central idea, “the wording and movement of this passage,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include God, Withhold. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 7: “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: heart, congregation, LORD, lovingkindness, righteousness, truth

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 40:7

    “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,” The line’s distinctive content terms include book, volume, written. Its relationship to verses 8 shows what work it does in this passage.

  2. Psalms 40:8

    “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

  3. Psalms 40:9

    “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD , thou knowest.” The line’s distinctive content terms include congregation, knowest, lips. Its relationship to verses 8 and 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

  4. Psalms 40:10

    “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not…” The line’s distinctive content terms include concealed, congregation, declared. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.

  5. Psalms 40:11

    “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD : let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.” Naming Withhold keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  6. Psalms 40:12

    “For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

Psalms 40:7-12

King James Version

7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

9I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD , thou knowest.

10I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD : let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

12For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

Psalms 40:13-17

13–17: Be pleased, O LORD , to deliver me: O LORD , make haste to help me.

Psalms 40:13–17 opens with “Be pleased, O LORD , to deliver me: O LORD , make haste to help me.” and reaches “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by LORD, help, seek.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Be pleased, O LORD , to deliver me: O LORD , make haste to help me.” By verse 15, the text has turned to “Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.” It lands on “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 stated contrast, 2 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as LORD, help, seek, shame, ashamed, backward tie the complete block together. The central idea, “the wording and movement of this passage,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Aha, God, Lord. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 17: “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: LORD, help, seek, shame, ashamed, backward

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 40:13

    “Be pleased, O LORD , to deliver me: O LORD , make haste to help me.” The line’s distinctive content terms include LORD, deliver, haste. Its relationship to verses 14 shows what work it does in this passage.

  2. Psalms 40:14

    “Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put…” The line’s distinctive content terms include ashamed, backward, confounded. Its relationship to verses 13 and 15 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. Psalms 40:15

    “Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.” Naming Aha keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  4. Psalms 40:16

    “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be…” The line’s distinctive content terms include continually, glad, LORD. Its relationship to verses 15 and 17 shows what work it does in this passage.

  5. Psalms 40:17

    “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.” The verse names God and Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

Psalms 40:13-17

King James Version

13Be pleased, O LORD , to deliver me: O LORD , make haste to help me.

14Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

15Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.

16Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

17But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Follow the speaker, images, parallel lines, questions, and emotional movement.
  2. Notice where tension or suffering resists an easy answer.
  3. Read a saying as wisdom for faithful discernment, not as a mechanical promise detached from context.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Psalms 40?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Psalms 40 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Psalms 40:1–17 completes a passage that was not covered by the original study-unit map. Its own wording and immediate context supply the focus.?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?