Psalms 40:3
The Lord preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth: and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.
Open Psalms 40:3 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum ejus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Κύριος φυλάξαι αὐτόν, καὶ μακαρίσαι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ γῇ, καὶ μὴ παραδοῖ αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθροῦ αὐτοῦ.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 41:3
- יְהוָ֤ה יִשְׁמְרֵ֣הוּ וִֽ֭יחַיֵּהוּ יאשר בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְאַֽל תִּ֝תְּנֵ֗הוּ בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ אֹיְבָֽיו
Haydock's commentary
On verses 2 to 3
Understandeth. Believing with eagerness, (Haydock) or reflecting seriously on Jesus Christ, (Berthier) who was pleased to be poor for our sakes. (Haydock)
And the poor, is not in the ancient Septuagint, (Eusebius) nor Hebrew, &c. But it only expresses the same idea as the word needy, (Berthier) being added to show the extreme misery to which our Saviour was reduced. (Haydock)
The Fathers explain the passage in this sense, though some would suppose, that David speaks of his own conduct, (Calmet) or of those who adhered to him in his distress, while most followed Absalom. (Flaminius)
Day of death or judgment. Happy the man, who makes the life of Christ his constant meditation, (Berthier) and endeavours to imitate his example, and divine charity! (Haydock)
The Church recites this psalm for the sick. Those who assist them may hope for similar treatment. But such as are not scandalized at Christ, on account of his poverty and afflictions, may be pronounced blessed, (Luke vii. 23.) as He will deliver them from distress, if they place their confidence in Him. (Worthington)
The sick are relieved, when they think on Christ's sufferings. (Menochius)
Preserve. Hebrew, "will preserve....and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies." (Protestants)
But St. Jerome has, "and he will not," &c. (Haydock)
Sixtus V reads, "into the hands of his enemy," after St. Augustine, &c. Others add, "he will purify his soul from, or on the earth." (Calmet)
Our Lord will give to such servants more grace in this life, and glory in the next, nor will he suffer them to yield to temptation. (Worthington)
Read on
He will defend them and heal them, when sick. (Calmet)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XLI
3. “And deliver him not into the hand of his enemy” ( ver. 2 ). The enemy is the devil. Let none think of a man his enemy, when he hears these words. Haply one thought of his neighbour, of him who had a suit with him in court, of him who would take from him his own possession, of him who would force him to sell to him his house. Think not this; but that enemy think of, of whom said the Lord, “an enemy hath done this.” For He it is who suggests that for things earthly he be worshipped, for overthrow the Christian Name this enemy cannot. For he hath seen himself conquered by the fame and praises of Christ, he hath seen, whereas he slew Christ’s Martyrs, that they are crowned, he triumphed over. He hath begun to be unable to persuade men that Christ is nought; and because by reviling Christ, he now with difficulty deceives, by lauding Christ, he endeavours to deceive. …