King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and publis ...

third section The Third Section of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery (russian: Tretiye Otdeleniye, or ''III otdeleniye sobstvennoy E.I.V. kantselyarii'' - in full: Третье отделение Собственной Его Императорского � ...

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek

Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond ...

and Latin

Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...

translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 39. In Latin, it is known by the incipit, "". It is described by the

Jerusalem Bible ''The Jerusalem Bible'' (JB or TJB) is an English translation of the Bible published in 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd. As a Catholic Bible, it includes 73 books: the 39 books shared with the Hebrew Bible, along with the seven deuterocanonica ...

as a "song of praise and prayer for help". Psalm 40 is used in both Jewish and Christian liturgies. It has been set to music, Baroque settings and U2's song " 40" from their 1983 album, ''

War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

''. Two composers used the beginning for symphonic compositions, Mendelssohn's ''

Lobgesang ''Lobgesang'' (''Hymn of Praise''), Op. 52 ( MWV A 18), is an 11-movement "Symphony-Cantata on Words of the Holy Bible for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra" by Felix Mendelssohn. After the composer's death it was published as his Symphony No. 2 ...

'' and Stravinsky's ''

Symphony of Psalms The ''Symphony of Psalms'' is a choral symphony in three movements composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1930 during his neoclassical period. The work was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orc ...

''.

Text

Hebrew Bible version

The following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 40:

King James Version

# I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. # 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 goings. # 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. # Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. # Many, 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. # Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. # Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, # I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. # I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. # I 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. # Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. # For 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. # Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. # Let 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. # Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. # Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. # 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.

Structure

The first part of the Psalm (verses 1-11) is one in the series of psalms of thanksgiving of an individual. Verses 13-18, possibly set originally in an independent Psalm context, are virtually identical to

Psalm 70 Psalm 70 is the 70th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Make haste, O God, to deliver me". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. ...

. This part belongs more in the group of psalms of lament. Matthew Henry divides the psalm into three sections: *Confidence for deliverance (verses 1-5) *Christ's work of redemption (6-10) *A prayer for mercy and grace (11-17).

Interpretation

Some writers see verses 6-9 as prophetic of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

, or of the

messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

generally. John Wesley saw it as a prayer of salvation.

Uses

Judaism

*Verse 2 is found in the repetition of the Amidah during Rosh Hashanah. *Verse 12 is the second verse from V'hu Rachum in Pesukei Dezimra, and the long

Tachanun ''Tachanun'' or ''Taḥanun'' ( he, תחנון "Supplication"), also called ''nefilat apayim'' ( he, נפילת אפיים "falling on the face"), is part of Judaism's morning (''Shacharit'') and afternoon (''Mincha'') services, after the recitati ...

recited on Mondays and Thursdays.

New Testament

Verses 6-8 are quoted in

Hebrews The terms ''Hebrews'' (Hebrew: / , Modern: ' / ', Tiberian: ' / '; ISO 259-3: ' / ') and ''Hebrew people'' are mostly considered synonymous with the Semitic-speaking Israelites, especially in the pre-monarchic period when they were still ...

. This phrase "I delight to do your will" is also contrasted with the verse in the same Psalm where "They delight to do me harm". This adds to this imagery portending the plots against and betrayal of Jesus. The following Psalm 41 is also seen by the New Testament to portend the betrayal of Jesus by

Judas Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betr ...

.

Book of Common Prayer

In the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

's ''

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...

'', this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the eighth day of the month.

Music

Heinrich Schütz Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He ...

wrote a setting of a paraphrase of Psalm 40 in German, "Ich harrete des Herren", SWV 137, for the ''

Becker Psalter The ''Becker Psalter'' is a German metrical psalter authored by the Leipzig theologian Cornelius Becker and first published by Jakob Apel in Leipzig in 1602 under the title ''Der Psalter Davids Gesangweis''. Several composers set the psalms cont ...

'', published first in 1628. Mendelssohn used the beginning in German as the text for the fifth movement from his ''

Lobgesang ''Lobgesang'' (''Hymn of Praise''), Op. 52 ( MWV A 18), is an 11-movement "Symphony-Cantata on Words of the Holy Bible for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra" by Felix Mendelssohn. After the composer's death it was published as his Symphony No. 2 ...

''. The same verses in Latin form the text of the second movement of Stravinsky's ''

Symphony of Psalms The ''Symphony of Psalms'' is a choral symphony in three movements composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1930 during his neoclassical period. The work was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orc ...

''. The Psalm was used in U2's song " 40", the final track from their 1983 album, ''

War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

''. A song by The Mountain Goats titled "Psalm 40:2" appears on their 2009 album ''

The Life of the World to Come ''The Life of the World to Come'' (2004) is a science fiction novel by American writer Kage Baker, the fifth installment in the time travel series concerning the exploits of The Company. Plot introduction This novel is another chapter in the di ...

'', inspired by this verse.

References

External links

* in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre * * * Text of Psalm 40 according to th
1928 Psalter

Psalm 40 – The Servant Comes to Do God’s Will
text and detailed commentary, enduringword.com
For the leader. A psalm of David. / Surely, I wait for the LORD; who bends down to me and hears my cry
text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
Psalm 40 / Refrain: Great are the wonders you have done, O Lord my God.

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

Psalm 40
at biblegateway.com
Hymns for Psalm 40
hymnary.org {{Psalms

040 The Motorola 68040 ("''sixty-eight-oh-forty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 series, released in 1990. It is the successor to the 68030 and is followed by the 68060, skipping the 68050. In keeping with general Motorola n ...

Works attributed to David