Psalm 41 commentary

PSALM 41 COMME TARY
EDITED BY GLE PEASE
I TRODUCTIO
SPURGEO , "Title. To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. This title has
frequently occurred before, and serves to remind us of the value of the Psalm, seeing
that it was committed to no mean songster; and also to inform us as to the author
who has made his own experience the basis of a prophetic song, in which a far
greater than David is set forth. How wide a range of experience David had! What
power it gave him to edify future ages! And how full a type of our Lord did he
become! What was bitterness to him has proved to be a fountain of unfailing
sweetness to many generations of the faithful.
Jesus Christ betrayed by Judas Iscariot is evidently the great theme of this Psalm,
but we think not exclusively. He is the antitype of David, and all his people are in
their measure like him; hence words suitable to the Great Representative are most
applicable to those who are in him. Such as receive a vile return for long kindness to
others, may read this song with much comfort, for they will see that it is alas! too
common for the best of men, to be rewarded for their holy charity with cruelty and
scorn; and when they have been humbled by falling into sin, advantage has been
taken of their low estate, their good deeds have been forgotten and the vilest spite
has been vented upon them.
Division. The psalmist in Psalms 41:1-3, describes the mercies which are promised to
such as consider the poor, and this he uses as a preface to his own personal plea for
succour: from Psalms 41:4-9 he states his own case, proceeds to prayer in Psalms
41:10, and closes with thanksgiving, Psalms 41:11-13.
PETT, "This Psalm is offered to the person responsible for the sacred music, or the
choirmaster, and is of the Davidic collection. ‘To (or ‘for’) David’ may indicate that
it was dedicated to David, written for the Davidic house, or even written by David
himself.
The Psalm opens with David bewailing an illness which has left him in a weak state,
and declaring that those who have consideration for him in that state will be blessed
by YHWH. Indeed, he declares that it is YHWH Who will support him on his
sickbed, and is in process of restoring him (‘has turned his lying down in his
sickness’).
He frankly admits that his suffering is partly due to his sinfulness, and asks for
God’s mercy to be shown to him, but at the same time he bewails the fact that his
enemies are taking advantage of the situation and are speaking against him, hoping
for his death. They come to see him, as befits a king, but it is clear that it is all a false
front, and is simply so that they can talk glibly to him, and then take lying tales

about his situation to the outer world, where there is much whispering and
expectation of his death.
What saddens him most is that even one who was close to him, whom he had
trusted, and who had eaten bread with him, had proved false.
He prays that YHWH will raise him up from his sickbed, and enable him to requite
himself on such enemies. Indeed he is so certain that this will be so that he considers
that it demonstrates that YHWH delights in him, something further proved by the
assurance that he has that YHWH will not allow his enemies to triumph over him.
And he closes the Psalm by expressing his confidence that God will uphold him in
his integrity, and will indeed set him before His face for ever.
Many relate it to the machinations and plottings of Absalom as being at a time when
David was going through a severe illness. Such an illness would explain why he was
caught so totally unawares. The treacherous friend is then seen as being Ahithophel.
But the very dedication of the Psalm to the Chief Musician gives it a ‘universal’
application to believers.
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.
BAR ES, "Blessed is he - See the notes at Psa_1:1. Literally, “Oh the blessings of
him that considers the poor.” The object is to describe the advantages of doing what is
here said; or the excellence of the spirit which would be manifested in such a case, and
the effect which this would have on his own happiness. These happy effects are
described in the remainder of this verse, and in the two following verses.
That considereth - The word used here - from ‫שׂכל‬ śâkal - means properly to look at,
to behold; then, to be prudent or circumspect; then, to attend to; and then in general to
act prudently, wisely, intelligently, in any case. Here it means to attend to; to show an
interest in; to care for. The idea is that of not neglecting; not passing by; not being
indifferent to; not being hard-hearted and uncharitable toward.
The poor - Margin, “the weak,” or “the sick.” The word used in the Hebrew - ‫דל‬ dal -
means properly something hanging or swinging, as of pendulous boughs or branches;
and then, that which is weak, feeble, powerless. Thus it comes to denote those who are

feeble and helpless either by poverty or by disease, and is used with a general reference
to those who are in slow or humble condition, and who need the aid of others. The
statement here is of a general nature - that he is blessed who shows proper sympathy for
all of that class: for those who need the sympathy of others from any cause - poverty,
sickness, a low condition, or trouble. The particular thing here referred to was a case of
sickness; where one was borne down by disease, perhaps brought on by mental sorrow,
and when he particularly needed the sympathy of his friends. See Psa_41:5-8.
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble - Margin, as in Hebrew: “in the day
of evil.” This is the first happy effect or result of showing proper sympathy with others in
their troubles. It is a statement of the general principle that the Lord will deal with us as
we do with others. See this principle stated and illustrated in Psa_18:24-26.
CLARKE, "Blessed is he that considereth - God is merciful; he will have man to
resemble him: as far as he is merciful, feels a compassionate heart, and uses a
benevolent hand, he resembles his Maker; and the mercy he shows to others God will
show to him. But it is not a sudden impression at the sight of a person in distress, which
obliges a man to give something for the relief of the sufferer, that constitutes the
merciful character. It is he who considers the poor; who endeavors to find them out;
who looks into their circumstances; who is in the habit of doing so; and actually,
according to his power and means, goes about to do good; that is the merciful man, of
whom God speaks with such high approbation, and to whom he promises a rich reward.
GILL, "Blessed is he that considereth the poor,.... Not the poor of the world in
common, nor poor saints in particular, but some single poor man; for the word is in the
singular number, and designs our Lord Jesus Christ, who, in Psa_40:17, is said to be
"poor and needy": and so read the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions here;
who became poor for our sakes, that we might be enriched by his poverty; being born of
poor parents, educated in a mean manner, and in public life was ministered to by others:
the word (q) here used signifies one that is attenuated, weak, and exhausted either of his
substance or strength, or both; as Christ was in his state of humiliation, when he was
emptied of his riches, and, though Lord of all, had not where to lay his head; and whose
strength was dried up like a potsherd, when he suffered on the cross; and indeed at best
he was encompassed with weaknesses and infirmities: and in this his low estate he is to
be wisely considered, or attended to with wisdom and understanding; and he may be
said wisely to consider him, who considers how great a person he is, that came into such
a low estate for us; not a mere man, but above angels and men, that has all the
perfections of deity in him, is the eternal Son of God, truly and properly God, and the
Creator of all things, and Governor of the universe; which consideration will engage to
and encourage faith and hope in him, lead to adore his wonderful grace, and to admire
his condescension and humility in becoming poor and weak; as also who considers that
the poverty of Christ was for our sakes, and that we might be made rich with the riches
of grace and glory; and considers it so as not to be offended with it; see Mat_11:6; and
which may serve to support us under all meanness and infirmity, and in whatsoever
estate saints may come into; and likewise who considers him in his offices which he
exercised in that his estate as the apostle and high priest of our profession; and him in
his exalted state in heaven; see Heb_12:3; in a word, he wisely considers him, who
believes in him as his Saviour, prizes him as the pearl of great price, cleaves close unto
him, and follows him wherever he goes; who desires to know more of him, is concerned
for his honour, interest, kingdom and glory, and pities his poor members, and freely and

bountifully communicates to them; and so the Targum,
"blessed is the man that wisely considers the afflictions of the poor, that he may have
mercy on him;''
and such an one is an happy man, and the following things said of him prove him to be
so;
the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble: or "in the evil day" (r); out of all his
trouble, temporal and spiritual, of body and soul; in every time of affliction, private and
personal; or in a time of public calamity; perhaps reference may be had to the time of
Jerusalem's destruction, which was a time of great tribulation, Mat_24:21; when those
who did not consider Christ in his poor and low estate, but despised and rejected him,
were destroyed; and such as did were saved from that calamity: and it may also include
the day of judgment, which is the evil day, unto which the wicked are reserved, and when
they will be punished with everlasting destruction; but then those that consider Christ,
and believe in him, will be saved from wrath. Some (s) take these words, with what
follows in the two next verses, as a prayer, and as delivered by him that visits the sick,
for his comfort; and so Joseph Kimchi interprets it of an honourable man visiting a sick
man, and instructing and comforting him with such words as these, that "the Lord will
deliver him", &c.
HE RY 1-3, "In these verses we have,
I. God's promises of succour and comfort to those that consider the poor; and,
1. We may suppose that David makes mention of these with application either, (1.) To
his friends, who were kind to him, and very considerate of his case, now that he was in
affliction: Blessed is he that considers poor David. Here and there he met with one that
sympathized with him, and was concerned for him, and kept up his good opinion of him
and respect for him, notwithstanding his afflictions, while his enemies were so insolent
and abusive to him; on these he pronounced this blessing, not doubting but that God
would recompense to them all the kindness they had done him, particularly when they
also came to be in affliction. The provocations which his enemies gave him did but
endear his friends so much the more to him. Or, (2.) To himself. He had the testimony of
his conscience for him that he had considered the poor, that when he was in honour and
power at court he had taken cognizance of the wants and miseries of the poor and had
provided for their relief, and therefore was sure God would, according to his promise,
strengthen and comfort him in his sickness.
2. We must regard them more generally with application to ourselves. Here is a
comment upon that promise, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Observe, (1.) What the mercy is which is required of us. It is to consider the poor or
afflicted, whether in mind, body, or estate. These we are to consider with prudence and
tenderness; we must take notice of their affliction and enquire into their state, must
sympathize with them and judge charitably concerning them. We must wisely consider
the poor; that is, we must ourselves be instructed by the poverty and affliction of others;
it must be Maschil to us, that is the word here used. (2.) What the mercy is that is
promised to us if we thus show mercy. He that considers the poor (if he cannot relieve
them, yet he considers them, and has a compassionate concern for them, and in relieving
them acts considerately and with discretion) shall be considered by his God: he shall not
only be recompensed in the resurrection of the just, but he shall be blessed upon the

earth This branch of godliness, as much as any, has the promise of the life that now is
and is usually recompensed with temporal blessings. Liberality to the poor is the surest
and safest way of thriving; such as practise it may be sure of seasonable and effectual
relief from God, [1.] In all troubles: He will deliver them in the day of evil, so that when
the times are at the worst it shall go well with them, and they shall not fall into the
calamities in which others are involved; if any be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger,
they shall. Those who thus distinguish themselves from those that have hard hearts God
will distinguish from those that have hard usage. Are they in danger? he will preserve
and keep them alive; and those who have a thousand times forfeited their lives, as the
best have, must acknowledge it as a great favour if they have their lives given them for a
prey. He does not say, “They shall be preferred,” but, “They shall be preserved and kept
alive, when the arrows of death fly thickly round about them.” Do their enemies threaten
them? God will not deliver them into the will of their enemies; and the most potent
enemy we have can have no power against us but what is given him from above. The
good-will of a God that loves us is sufficient to secure us from the ill-will of all that hate
us, men and devils; and that good-will we may promise ourselves an interest in if we
have considered the poor and helped to relieve and rescue them. [2.] Particularly in
sickness (Psa_41:3): The Lord will strengthen him, both in body and mind, upon the bed
of languishing, on which he had long lain sick, and he will make all his bed - a very
condescending expression, alluding to the care of those that nurse and tend sick people,
especially of mothers for their children when they are sick, which is to make their beds
easy for them; and that bed must needs be well made which God himself has the making
of. He will make all his bed from head to foot, so that no part shall be uneasy; he will
turn his bed (so the word is), to shake it up and make it very easy; or he will turn it into a
bed of health. Note, God has promised his people that he will strengthen them, and
make them easy, under their bodily pains and sicknesses. He has not promised that they
shall never be sick, nor that they shall not lie long languishing, nor that their sickness
shall not be unto death; but he has promised to enable them to bear their affliction with
patience, and cheerfully to wait the issue. The soul shall by his grace be made to dwell at
ease when the body lies in pain.
JAMISO , "Psa_41:1-13. The Psalmist celebrates the blessedness of those who
compassionate the poor, conduct strongly contrasted with the spite of his enemies and
neglect of his friends in his calamity. He prays for God’s mercy in view of his ill desert,
and, in confidence of relief, and that God will vindicate his cause, he closes with a
doxology.
God rewards kindness to the poor (Pro_19:17). From Psa_41:2, Psa_41:11 it may be
inferred that the Psalmist describes his own conduct.
poor — in person, position, and possessions.
K&D 1-3, "(Heb.: 41:2-4) The Psalm opens by celebrating the lot, so rich in
promises, of the sympathetic man. ‫ל‬ ַ is a general designation of the poor (e.g., Exo_
30:15), of the sick and weakly (Gen_41:19), of the sick in mind (2Sa_13:4), and of that
which outwardly or inwardly is tottering and consequently weak, frail. To show
sympathising attention, thoughtful consideration towards such an one (‫ל‬ ֶ‫א‬ ‫יל‬ ִⅴ ְ‫שׂ‬ ִ‫ה‬ as in
Neh_8:13, cf. ‫ל‬ ַ‫ע‬ Pro_17:20) has many promises. The verb ‫ה‬ָ ִ‫,ח‬ which elsewhere even
means to call to life again (Psa_71:20), in this instance side by side with preserving, viz.,
from destruction, has the signification of preserving life or prolonging life (as in Psa_

30:4; Psa_22:30). The Pual ‫ר‬ ַ ֻ‫א‬ signifies to be made happy (Pro_3:18), but also
declaratively: to be pronounced happy (Isa_9:15); here, on account of the ‫ץ‬ ֶ‫ר‬ፎ ָ that
stands with it, it is the latter. The Chethîb ‫ר‬ ַ ֻ‫ע‬ְ‫י‬ sets forth as an independent promise that
which the Kerî ‫ר‬ ַ ֻ‫א‬ְ‫ו‬ joins on to what has gone before as a consequence. ‫ל‬ፍ, Psa_41:3 (cf.
Psa_34:6 and frequently), expresses a negative with full sympathy in the utterance. ‫ן‬ ַ‫ת‬ָ‫נ‬
‫שׁ‬ ֶ‫פ‬ֶ‫נ‬ ְ as in Psa_27:12. The supporting in Psa_41:4 is a keeping erect, which stops or
arrests the man who is sinking down into death and the grave. ‫י‬ַ‫ו‬ ְ (= davj, similar form to
‫י‬ ַ‫מ‬ ָ‫,שׁ‬ ‫י‬ ַ‫ע‬ ֵ‫,מ‬ but wanting in the syllable before the tone) means sickness. If Psa_41:4 is
understood of the supporting of the head after the manner of one who waits upon the
sick (cf. Son_2:6), then Psa_41:4 must, with Mendelssohn and others, be understood of
the making of the couch or bed. But what then is neat by the word ‫?לך‬ ‫ב‬ ָⅴ ְ‫שׁ‬ ִ‫מ‬ is a sick-bed
in Exo_21:18 in the sense of being bedridden; and ָ ְ‫כ‬ ַ‫פ‬ ָ‫ה‬ (cf. Psa_30:12) is a changing of
it into convalescence. By ‫כל־משׁכבו‬ is not meant the constant lying down of such an one,
but the affliction that casts him down, in all its extent. This Jahve turns or changes, so
often as such an one is taken ill (‫ּו‬‫י‬ ְ‫ל‬ ָ‫ח‬ ְ‫,ב‬ at his falling sick, parallel with ‫דוי‬ ‫דוי‬ ‫על־ערשׂ‬ htiw).
He gives a complete turn to the “sick-bed” towards recovery, so that not a vestige of the
sickness remains behind.
WHEDON, "1. Considereth the poor—A duty of the first rank in Christian morality. It is
a discreet and appreciative care, flowing from a true sympathy in the welfare both of soul
and body. See Matthew 25:36.
Poor—The word means, sick, weak, or helpless, from whatever cause. David had
practiced this sympathy for the sick and afflicted, (Psalms 35:13-14,) and while he
comforts himself with the promise that God will remember him now and reward him
good, his words also are an implied rebuke of the conduct of his enemies. See Psalms
41:6-7, and Psalms 35:15
SBC, "I. The motive to consideration of the poor. The fundamental element in the
motive to care for the poor is the revelation that the poor are the care of God.
II. The kind of consideration demanded. (1) Set plainly before the mind’s eye the terrible
inequalities of gifts, possessions, culture, advantages, and all that makes the outward joy
of life. (2) The man who considers the poor will not believe that God meant life to be
anything like this. (3) He will say, It is a solemn part of my duty to mend it. God will
have us take on us His ministry to the poor.
III. The blessing in which it fruits, (1) The blessing lies hid in the order of the world. (2)
The blessing lies deeper and closer in a warm glow of living joy in our own hearts. (3)
Deeper still, it lies in the heart and the hand of God.
F. W. Farrar, Contemporary Pulpit Extra No. 2, 1887.

CALVI ,"1.Blessed is he that judgeth wisely of the poor. Interpreters are generally
of opinion that the exercise of kindness and compassion manifested in taking care of
the miserable, and helping them, is here commended. Those, however, who maintain
that the Psalmist here commends the considerate candour of those who judge wisely
and charitably of men in adversity, form a better judgment of his meaning. Indeed,
the participle ‫,משכיל‬maskil, cannot be explained in any other way. At the same time,
it ought to be observed on what account it is that David declares those to be blessed
who form a wise and prudent judgment concerning the afflictions by which God
chastises his servants. We have said that he had to contend in his own heart against
the perverse judgments of foolish and wicked men, because, when affliction was
pressing heavily upon him, many considered that he had fallen into a desperate
condition, and was altogether beyond the hope of recovery. Doubtless, it happened
to him as it did to the holy patriarch Job, whom his friends reckoned to be one of
the most wicked of men, when they saw God treating him with great severity. And
certainly it is an error which is by far too common among men, to look upon those
who are oppressed with afflictions as condemned and reprobate. As, on the one
hand, the most of men, judging of the favor of God from an uncertain and
transitory state of prosperity, applaud the rich, and those upon whom, as they say,
fortune smiles; so, on the other hand, they act contemptuously towards the wretched
and miserable, and foolishly imagine that God hates them, because he does not
exercise so much forbearance towards them as he does towards the reprobate. The
error of which we speak, namely, that of judging wrongfully and wickedly, is one
which has prevailed in all ages of the world. The Scriptures in many places plainly
and distinctly declare, that God, for various reasons, tries the faithful by adversities,
at one time to train them to patience, at another to subdue the sinful affections of
the flesh, at another to cleanse, and, as it were, purify them from the remaining
desires of the flesh, which still dwell within them; sometimes to humble them,
sometimes to make them an example to others, and at other times to stir them up to
the contemplation of the divine life. For the most part, indeed, we often speak rashly
and indiscriminately concerning others, and, so to speak, plunge even into the lowest
abyss those who labor under affliction. To restrain such a rash and unbridled spirit,
David says that they are blessed who do not suffer themselves, by speaking at
random, to judge harshly of their neighbors; but, discerning aright the afflictions by
which they are visited, mitigate, by the wisdom of the Spirit, the severe and unjust
judgments to which we are naturally so prone. I have just adduced as an example
the case of Job, whom his friends, when they saw him involved in extreme misery,
hesitated not to account an outcast, and one whose case was altogether hopeless.
(101) If any one endued with candour, and possessed of a humane disposition,
should meet with such a case, he would regard it in the exercise of the same
discretion which David here commends. As to ourselves, being admonished by this
testimony of the Holy Spirit, let us learn to guard against a too precipitate
judgment. We must therefore judge prudently of our brethren who are in affliction;
that is to say, we must hope well of their salvation, lest, if we condemn them
unmercifully before the time, this unjust severity in the end fall upon our own
heads. It ought, however, especially to be observed, what indeed I have already
noticed, that the object which David had in view, when he saw himself, as it were,
overwhelmed by the malicious and cruel judgments which were expressed

concerning him, was to fortify himself by this as a ground of consolation, lest he
should sink under the temptation. If, therefore, at any time Satan should endeavor
to destroy the foundation of our faith, by the rash and presumptuous judgments of
men, let us also learn to have recourse to this device of wisdom, lest unawares we fall
into despair. This is the proper use of the doctrine contained in this passage.
The Lord will deliver him in the day of evil. Some connect these words, in the day of
evil, with the preceding clause; and the reading thus suggested might indeed be
admitted; but the distinction which I have followed is better adapted to the sense,
and is also supported by the Hebrew accent. Thus at least the doctrine deducible
from these words is susceptible of a fuller meaning, namely, that the Lord will
deliver the poor in the day of his adversity. Some think that David here prays for a
blessing in behalf of the upright and compassionate; as if he had said, May the Lord
himself recompense them again for their kindness, if at any time it happen that they
are grievously afflicted! Others suppose that David here records the language of
such men from which we may come to the knowledge of their wisdom and
uprightness. In my opinion, however, both are equally in error in reading this clause
in the form of a desire or prayer. Whether, indeed, David speaks in his own name,
or in the name of others, he briefly recommends and enjoins the kindness which we
ought to exercise towards the afflicted; for although God may for a time manifest
his displeasure against them, yet he will, nevertheless, be gracious to them, so that
the issue will at length be happier and more joyful than the judgment we might be
led to form from the present aspect of things. We now see that the sense in which I
have explained this verse is much more copious and fuller of meaning, namely, that
we ought to hope for salvation and deliverance from the hand of the Lord, even in
the day of adversity; for otherwise, no man who had once fallen into a state of
sorrow and sadness would ever be able to rise again. And this I say, because the
design of the Holy Spirit in this passage is not only to exhort the faithful to be ready
in showing kindness towards their brethren when they see them in affliction, but
also to point out the remedy which has been provided for the mitigation of our
sorrow, whenever our faith is shaken by adversity.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor. This is the third
Psalm opening with a benediction, and there is a growth in it beyond the first two.
To search the word of God comes first, pardoned sin is second, and now the forgiven
sinner brings forth fruit unto God available for the good of others. The word used is
as emphatic as in the former cases, and so is the blessing which follows it. The poor
intended, are such as are poor in substance, weak in bodily strength, despised in
repute, and desponding in spirit. These are mostly avoided and frequently scorned.
The worldly proverb bequeaths the hindmost to one who has no mercy. The sick
and the sorry are poor company, and the world deserts them as the Amalekite left
his dying servant. Such as have been made partakers of divine grace receive a
tenderer nature, and are not hardened against their own flesh and blood; they
undertake the cause of the downtrodden, and turn their minds seriously to the
promotion of their welfare. They do not toss them a penny and go on their way, but
enquire into their sorrows, sift out their cause, study the best ways for their relief,
and practically come to their rescue: such as these have the mark of the divine

favour plainly upon them, and are as surely the sheep of the Lord's pasture as if
they wore a brand upon their foreheads. They are not said to have considered the
poor years ago, but they still do so. Stale benevolence, when boasted of, argues
present churlishness. First and foremost, yea, far above all others put together in
tender compassion for the needy is our Lord Jesus, who so remembered our low
estate, that though he was rich, for our sakes he became poor. All his attributes were
charged with the task of our uplifting. He weighed our case and came in the fulness
of wisdom to execute the wonderful work of mercy by which we are redeemed from
our destructions. Wretchedness excited his pity, misery moved his mercy, and thrice
blessed is he both by his God and his saints for his attentive care and wise action
towards us. He still considereth us; his mercy is always in the present tense, and so
let our praises be.
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The compassionate lover of the poor
thought of others, and therefore God will think of him. God measures to us with our
own bushel. Days of trouble come even to the most generous, and they have made
the wisest provision for rainy days who have lent shelter to others when times were
better with them. The promise is not that the generous saint shall have no trouble,
but that he shall be preserved in it, and in due time brought out of it. How true was
this of our Lord! never trouble deeper nor triumph brighter than his, and glory be
to his name, he secures the ultimate victory of all his blood bought ones. Would that
they all were more like him in putting on bowels of compassion to the poor. Much
blessedness they miss who stint their alms. The joy of doing good, the sweet reaction
of another's happiness, the approving smile of heaven upon the heart, if not upon
the estate; all these the niggardly soul knows nothing of. Selfishness bears in itself a
curse, it is a cancer in the heart; while liberality is happiness, and maketh fat the
bones. In dark days we cannot rest upon the supposed merit of alms giving, but still
the music of memory brings with it no mean solace when it tells of widows and
orphans whom we have succoured, and prisoners and sick folk to whom we have
ministered.
EXPLA ATORY OTES A D QUAI T SAYI GS
Title. The Syriac says, "It was a Psalm of David, when he appointed overseers to
take care of the poor." Adam Clarke.
Whole Psalm. A prophecy of Christ and the traitor Judas. Eusebius of Caesarea,
quoted by J. M. eale.
Ver. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor. Interpreters are generally of opinion
that the exercise of kindness and compassion, manifested in taking care of the
miserable, and helping them, is here commended. Those, however, who maintain
that the psalmist here commends the considerate candour of those who judge wisely
and charitably of men in adversity, form a better judgment of his meaning. Indeed,
the participle, (lksm), maskil, cannot be explained in any other way. At the same
time it ought to be observed on what account it is that David declares those to be
blessed who form a wise and prudent judgment concerning the afflictions by which
God chastises his servants...Doubtless it happened to him as it did to the holy
patriarch Job, whom his friends reckoned to be one of most wicked of men, when
they saw God treating him with great severity. And certainly it is an error which is
by far too common among men, to look upon those who are oppressed with
afflictions as condemned and reprobate...For the most part, indeed, we often speak

rashly and indiscriminately concerning others, and, so to speak, plunge even into the
lowest abyss those who labour under affliction. To restrain such a rash and
unbridled spirit, David says, that they are blessed who do not suffer themselves, by
speaking at random, to judge harshly of their neighbours; but discerning aright the
afflictions by which they are visited, mitigate, by the wisdom of the spirit, the severe
and unjust judgments to which we naturally are so prone. John Calvin.
Ver. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor. As Christ considered us in our state
of poverty, so ought we most attentively to consider him in his; to consider what he
suffered in his own person; to discern him suffering in his poor afflicted members;
and to extend to them the mercy which he extended to us. He, who was "blessed" of
Jehovah, and "delivered in the evil day" by a glorious resurrection, will "bless" and
"deliver" in like manner, such as for his sake, love and relieve their brethren.
George Horne.
Ver. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor. ot the poor of the world in common,
nor poor saints in particular, but some single poor man; for the word is in the
singular number, and designs our Lord Jesus Christ, who, in the last verse of the
preceding Psalm, is said to be poor and needy. John Gill.
Ver. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor. I call your attention to the way in
which the Bible enjoins us to take up the care of the poor. It does not say in the text
before us, Commiserate the poor; for, if it said no more than this, it would leave
their necessities to be provided for by the random ebullitions of an impetuous and
unreflecting sympathy. It provided them with a better security than the mere feeling
of compassionâ€”a feeling which, however useful to the purpose of excitement, must
be controlled and regulated. Feeling is but a faint and fluctuating security. Fancy
may mislead it. The sober realities of life may disgust it. Disappointment may
extinguish it. Ingratitude may embitter it. Deceit, with its counterfeit
representations, may allure it to the wrong object. At all events, Time is the little
circle in which it in general expatiates. It needs the impression of sensible objects to
sustain it; nor can it enter with zeal or with vivacity into the wants of the abstract
and invisible soul. The Bible, then, instead of leaving the relief of the poor to the
mere instinct of sympathy, makes it a subject for consideration â€”"Blessed is he
that considereth the poor, "a grave and prosaic exercise, I do allow, and which
makes no figure in those high wrought descriptions, where the exquisite tale of
benevolence is made up of all the sensibilities of tenderness on the one hand, and of
all the ecstasies of gratitude on the other. The Bible rescues the cause from the
mischief to which a heedless or unthinking sensibility would expose it. It brings it
under the cognisance of a higher facultyâ€”a faculty of sturdier operation than to be
weary in well doing, and of sturdier endurance than to give it up in disgust. It calls
you to consider the poor. It makes the virtue of relieving them a matter of
computation, as well as of sentiment, and in so doing puts you beyond the reach of
the various delusions, by which you are at one time led to prefer the indulgence of
pity to the substantial interest of its object; at another, are led to retire chagrined
and disappointed from the scene of duty, because you have not met with the
gratitude or the honesty that you laid your account with; at another, are led to
expend all your anxieties upon the accommodation of time, and to overlook eternity.
It is the office of consideration to save you from all these fallacies. Under its tutorage
attention to the wants of the poor ripens into principle...

It must be obvious to all of you, that it is not enough that you give money, and add
your name to the contributions of charity. You must give it with judgment. You
must give your time and your attention. You must descend to the trouble of
examination. You must rise from the repose of contemplation, and make yourself
acquainted with the object of your benevolent exercises...To give money is not to do
all the work and labour of benevolence. You must go to the poor man's sick bed.
You must lend your hand to the work of assistance. This is true and unsophisticated
goodness. It may be recorded in no earthly documents; but, if done under the
influence of Christian principle, in a word, if done unto Jesus, it is written in the
book of heaven, and will give a new lustre to that crown to which his disciples look
forward in time, and will wear through eternity. From a Sermon preached before
the Society for Relief of the Destitute Sick, in St. Andrew's Church, Edinburgh, by
Thomas Chalmers, D.D. and L.L.D. (1780-1847.)
Ver. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor. A Piedmontese nobleman into whose
company I fell, at Turin, told me the following story: "I was weary of life, and after
a day such as few have known, and none would wish to remember, was hurrying
along the street to the river, when I felt a sudden check, I turned and beheld a little
boy, who had caught the skirt of my cloak in his anxiety to solicit my notice. His
look and manner were irresistible. o less so was the lesson he had learntâ€”`There
are six of us, and we are dying for want of food.' `Why should I not, 'said I, to
myself, `relieve this wretched family? I have the means, and it will not delay me
many minutes. But what if it does?' The scene of misery he conducted me to I cannot
describe. I threw them my purse, and their burst of gratitude overcame me. It filled
my eyes, it went as a cordial to my heart. `I will call again tomorrow, 'I cried. `Fool
that I was to think of leaving a world where such pleasure was to be had, and so
cheaply!'" Samuel Rogers (1763-1855) in "Italy."
Ver. 1. He that considereth the poor: â€”
An ardent spirit dwells with Christian love,
The eagle's vigour in the pitying dove.
It is not enough that we with sorrow sigh,
That we the wants of pleading man supply,
That we in sympathy with sufferers feel,
or hear a grief without a wish to heal:
ot these sufficeâ€”to sickness, pain, and woe,
The Christian spirit loves with aid to go:
Will not be sought, waits not for want to plead,
But seeks the dutyâ€”nay, prevents the need;
Her utmost aid to every ill applies,
And plants relief for coming miseries. George Crabbe, 1754-1832.
Ver. 1. How foolish are they that fear to lose their wealth by giving it, and fear not
to lose themselves by keeping it! He that lays up his gold may be a good jailer, but
he that lays it out is a good steward. Merchants traffic thither with a commodity
where it is precious in regard of scarcity. We do not buy wines in England to carry
them to France, spices in France to carry them to the Indies; so for labour and
work, repentance and mortification, there is none of them in heaven, there is peace
and glory, and the favour of God indeed. A merchant without his commodity hath
but a sorry welcome. God will ask men that arrive at heaven's gates, ubi opera?

Revelation 22:12. His reward shall be according to our works. Thou hast riches
here, and here be objects that need thy richesâ€”the poor; in heaven there are riches
enough but no poor, therefore, by faith in Christ make over to them thy moneys in
this world, that by bill of exchange thou mayest receive it in the world to come; that
only you carry with you which you send before you. Do good while it is in your
power; relieve the oppressed, succour the fatherless, while your estates are your
own; when you are dead your riches belong to others. One light carried before a
man is more serviceable than twenty carried after him. In your compassion to the
distressed, or for pious uses, let your hands be your executors, and your eyes your
overseers. Francis Raworth, Teacher to the Church at Shore-ditch, in a Funeral
Sermon, 1656.
Ver. 1,3. It is a blessed thing to receive when a man hath need; but it is a more
blessed thing to give than to receive. Blessed (saith the prophet David) is he that
considereth the poor. What? to say, alas, poor man! the world is hard with him, I
would there were a course taken to do him good? o, no; but to so consider him as
to give; to give till the poor man be satisfied, to draw out one's sheaf, aye, one's very
soul to the hungry. But what if troubles should come? were it not better to keep
money by one? Money will not deliver one. It may be an occasion to endanger one,
to bring one into, rather than help one out of trouble; but if a man be a merciful
man, God will deliver him, either by himself, or by some other man or matter. Aye,
but what if sickness come? Why, the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of
languishing; and, which is a great ease and kindness; God, as it were, himself will
make all his bed in his sickness. Here poor people have the advantage: such must
not say, Alas, I am a poor woman, what work of mercy can I do? for they are they
who best can make the beds of sick folk, which we see is a great act of mercy, in that
it is said, that the Lord himself will make their bed in their sickness. And there are
none so poor, but they may make the beds of the sick. Richard Capel.
Ver. 1,5. He that considereth. Mine enemies. Strigelius has observed, there is a
perpetual antithesis in this Psalm between the few who have a due regard to the
poor in spirit, and the many who afflict or desert them. W. Wilson, D.D.
HI TS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER
Ver. 1. (first clause). The incidental blessings resulting from considering the pious
poor.
1. We learn gratitude.
2. We see patience.
3. We often remark the triumphs of great grace.
4. We obtain light on Christian experience.
5. We have their prayers.
6. We feel the pleasure of beneficence.
7. We enter into communion with the lowly Saviour.
Ver. 1. The support of the Small pox Hospitals recommended. Bishop Squire, 1760.
Scores of sermons of this kind have been preached from this text.
WORK UPO THE FORTY-FIRST PSALM
"David's Evidence; or, the Assurance of God's Love: declared in seven Sermons
upon the three last verses of the Forty-first Psalme. By WILLIAM BURTO .
Minister of the Word at Reading in Berkshire ...1602." 4to.
The ancient Rabbins saw in the Five Books of the Psalter the image of the Five

Books of the Law. This way of looking at the Psalms as a second Pentateuch, the
echo of the first, passed over into the Christian church, and found favour with some
early fathers. It has commended itself to the acceptance of good recent expositors,
like Dr. Delitzsch, who calls the Psalter "the congregation's five fold word to the
Lord, even as the Thora (the Law) is the Lord's five fold word to the Congregation."
This mat be mere fancy, but its existence from ancient times shows that the five fold
division attracted early notice. William Binnie, D.D.
God presented Israel with the Law, a Pentateuch, and grateful Israel responded
with s Psalter, a Pentateuch of praise, in acknowledgment of the divine gift. J. L. K.
HERE E DETH THE FIRST BOOK OF THE PSALMS
COFFMA , "A PRAYER FOR DELIVERA CE
The title selected here is that assigned by Halley, who also agreed with the
superscription, assigning the psalm to David, and identifying the occasion as an
illness of David that gave the opportunity for the flowering of Absalom's rebellion.
[1]
This psalm concludes Book I of the Psalter, according to the common classification.
It is the Hebrew method that divides the Psalter into five books, thus making
another Pentateuch out of it. Some scholars, however, make the division as three
books, instead of five.
This psalm is remarkably balanced and regular with four stanzas, each having three
lines, concluded by Psalms 41:13, which is actually the Doxology marking the end of
Book I. It is not considered part of the psalm itself.
We appreciate the judgment of Leupold, who rejected the critical device of
interpreting many of the psalms as `liturgical,' and thus eliminating the personal
element. "We have serious misgivings about this approach,"[2] he wrote, pointing
out that similar literature from Babylonian, Canaanite, Egyptian and Ugarit
sources, usually considered as liturgical, "Does not warrant casting many Psalms
into the same molds."[3] Dahood's commentary on the Anchor Bible is a type of the
interpretations Leupold rejected.
Psalms 41:1-3
"Blessed is he that considereth the poor:
Jehovah will deliver him in the day of evil.
Jehovah will preserve him and keep him alive,
And he shall be blessed upon the earth;
And deliver not thou him unto the will of his enemies.

Jehovah will support him upon the couch of languishing:
Thou makest all his bed in his sickness."
"Blessed is he that considereth the poor" (Psalms 41:1). "This corresponds with
`Blessed are the merciful' from the Sermon on the Mount. Such a person is
preserved, blessed and strengthened by God. The psalmist here recognizes himself
as an illustration of his case in point."[4]
"Deliver not ... to the will of his enemies" (Psalms 41:2). There is a confidence here,
"That the wicked hopes of his enemies shall be confounded by actual events."[5]
"Upon the couch of languishing" (Psalms 41:3). This is an obvious reference to
illness; and it is quite obvious that the Bible gives us no information whatever about
any such serious illness that might have afflicted David.
"However, if we place this psalm in the times of the rebellion of Absalom, it fits
exceptionally well. "The bosom friend" (Psalms 41:9) could well be Ahithophel; and
David's illness would have led to David's omission of many duties as charged by
Absalom (2 Samuel 15:2-6)."[6]
COKE, "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Title. ‫למנצח‬ ‫מזמור‬ ‫לדוד‬ lamnatseach mizmor ledavid.— The ground of this psalm is
the same with that of the 38th and 39th. The author labours under some illness. He
complains of the insult and treachery of his enemies, and of one in particular: he
prays to be relieved, and accordingly is relieved. This mercy of God to him, he seems
to attribute in the first three verses to his own compassion for the afflicted. Dr.
Delaney is of opinion, that this psalm was written by David after his sickness, when
Absalom conspired against him. There is no doubt (says he) but the king, who, as we
suppose, discovered the conspiracy in his sickness, took immediate measures to
defeat it, as soon as he found himself recovering: or is it improbable that he
dissembled his recovery as long as he could, to prevent the effects of his son's
ambition and impetuosity; who appears sufficiently from this psalm to have been
determined upon his father's destruction, and fully resolved to out-do the malignity
of his disease, and cut him off, if that should spare him; for those, I am satisfied, are
Absalom's own words, recorded by David in the 8th verse, And now that he lieth, he
shall rise up no more. It must doubtless have been matter of great surprise, and
inexpressible affliction, to David, to find the two men in the world, whom he seems
to have loved and most confided in, combining against him, and compassing his
death. Absalom and Achitophel, his son and his counsellor: both of these are, as I
apprehend, clearly characterised in this psalm: the vanity and lying spirit of
Absalom in the 6th verse, and the treachery of Achitophel in the 9th, where we have
a complaint, not only of trust betrayed, but of the rights of hospitality violated. The
man who did this had eaten of his bread. In this exigency David had recourse, as

usual, to the divine mercy and protection, Psalms 41:10 and finding their devices so
far defeated as not to terminate in his immediate destruction, he gradually gathered
hope and confidence from that delay; which he quickly perceived not to have arisen
from any abatement of their malignity, but from the interposition of providence in
his behalf, Psalms 41:11-12. If it be urged, that all this is only a comment upon a
psalm, not grounded upon any historical relation; I answer, that the psalm itself is
plainly historical; is confessedly written by David, and personally applied to
himself; and consequently must refer to some circumstances of his life: It can refer
to no other but this; and when applied to this gives, as I conceive, new light to the
sacred historian's account of Absalom's rebellion. See Life of David, b. i. c. 8. I
would only observe, that, supposing the truth of this application, David may
properly be considered here as the type of Christ, and Achitophel of Judas; in which
view the whole may be applied to our Saviour, who has led us to this application, by
referring one verse of it to himself. See John 13:18.
ELLICOTT, "Recalling the treachery of some pretended friends, the writer in this
psalm pronounces, in contrast, a eulogy on those who know how to feel for and show
compassion to the suffering. There is nothing, however, to indicate who the author
was, or what particular incidents induced him to write. Possibly the sickness is
entirely figurative, and the psalm is the expression of the feelings of the community
of pious Israelites.
The doxology in Psalms 41:13 does not belong to the psalm, but closes the first book
of the collection. (See General Introduction.) The parallelism is very imperfect.
Verse 1
(1) Blessed is he.—This general statement of the great law of sympathy and
benevolence—fine and noble however we take it—may be explained in different
ways, according as we take the Hebrew word dal as poor, with the LXX. and Vulg.
(comp. Exodus 30:15), or with the margin, as sick, weak in body (comp. Genesis
41:19), or give it an ethical sense, sick at heart. (Comp. 2 Samuel 13:4.) The context
favours one of the two latter, and the choice between them depends on whether we
take the author’s sickness to be real or figurative. Psalms 41:3 strongly favours the
view that the sickness is physical.
Considereth.—The Hebrew word implies wise as well as kindly consideration. So
LXX. and Vulg., “he that understands.”
BE SO , "Psalms 41:1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor — Or, poor man;
that conducts himself wisely and prudently toward him; as ‫,משׂכיל‬ maschil, properly
signifies, that does not rashly and foolishly censure and condemn him, much less
insult over him, but considers his case with prudence and tenderness, remembering
it may be his own, and therefore pities and helps him; and thus takes the likeliest
way to obtain similar pity for himself when in trouble. But the word ‫דל‬ dal, here
rendered the poor, means the weak, sick, or languishing person, as appears by
comparing this with Psalms 41:3, where the mercy which he is supposed to have

afforded to him is returned to himself, and with Psalms 41:8. To conduct ourselves
wisely toward such, is to take cognizance of their wants and miseries; to sympathize
with them, and judge charitably concerning them; to pity and relieve them
according to our power, or to take measures to provide for their relief. The Lord
will deliver him — The poor afflicted man. Though his enemies conclude his case to
be desperate, Psalms 41:8, God will confute them and deliver him. Or, rather, the
considerer of the poor, the person that visits and relieves him. And so it is a promise
of recompense. The wise and merciful man shall find mercy.
PETT, "Verses 1-3
Blessing Is Pronounced On The One Who Considers The Sick King In His Illness,
And A Prayer Is Made For The Deliverance And Recovery Of The Sick King
(Psalms 41:1-3).
Psalms 41:1-3
‘Blessed is he who considers the weak,
YHWH will deliver him in the day of evil.
YHWH will preserve him,
And will keep him alive,
And he will be blessed on the earth.
And do not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
YHWH will support him on the couch of languishing,
You have turned his lying down in his sickness.’
This first section of the book of Psalms commenced with a declaration of
blessedness, on those who meditate in God’s Instruction day and night, and here it
ends with a description of the blessedness of those who give consideration to the
weak. We may think in terms of, ‘blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain
mercy’ (Matthew 5:7).
That David sees himself as one of the weak and needy has already come out in
Psalms 40:17, so that in the first instance it is David who is in mind. He was clearly
going through a severe illness, severe enough for his enemies to hope that it would
bring about his end.
God’s blessing on those who consider the weak and helpless is considered to be
threefold:
· He will deliver him in the day of evil so that he might escape the worst of that
evil, in the same way as he himself seeks to deliver the weak and helpless from evil.
· He will preserve him and keep him alive, just as he seeks to keep alive the
weak and helpless.
· Such a one will be blessed on the earth, because he has been a blessing.
‘And do not deliver him to the will of his enemies. YHWH will support him on the
couch of languishing. You have turned his lying down in his sickness.’ This may be
seen as continuing the thought of the first line (with lines 2-5 being seen as an

interjection), thus being a prayer for the weak and helpless that he might not be
delivered to the will of his enemies, and confidently asserting YHWH’s support for
him on his sick bed, and declaring that the illness has turned so that he will soon
now recover from his sickness. Or the sixth line may be seen as a prayer for the one
being blessed, and a request that he too might be helped when he is ill.
Thus we have here a prayer of gratitude for the aid provided to a person in their
illness by those who have their interests at heart, which includes the desire that they
might be blessed. Such people were very important in David’s case because they
were maintaining the kingdom and keeping his throne safe.
BI, 1-13, "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of
trouble.
The Psalmist’s affliction
The central mass of this psalm describes the singer as suffering from two evils: sickness
and treacherous friends. This situation naturally leads up to the prayer and confidence of
the closing strophe (Psa_41:10-12). But its connection with the introductory verses (1-3)
is less plain. A statement of the blessings ensured to the compassionate seems a singular
introduction to the psalmist’s pathetic exhibition of his sorrows. It is to be observed,
however, that the two points of the psalmist’s affliction are the two from which escape is
assured to the compassionate, who shall not be “delivered to the desire of his enemies,”
and shall be supported and healed in sickness. Probably, therefore, the general promises
of Psa_41:1-3 are silently applied by the psalmist to himself; and he is comforting his
own sorrow with the assurance which in his humility he casts into impersonal form. He
has been merciful, and believes, though things look dark, that he will obtain mercy.
There is probably also an intentional contrast with the cruel exacerbation of his
sufferings by uncompassionate companions, which has rubbed salt into his wounds. He
has a double consciousness in these opening verses, inasmuch as he partly thinks of
himself as the compassionate man and partly as the “weak” one who is compassionated.
(A. Maclaren, D. D.)
The right and wrong treatment of the afflicted
I. The right treatment of the afflicted.
1. Its nature. To consider the poor, in a scriptural and true sense, is—
(1) To honour their nature as men.
(2) To promote their rights as citizens.
(3) To alleviate their woes as sufferers.
(4) To appreciate their work as servants.
Poor though they be, they are children of the same great Father, and endowed with the
high attribute of moral intelligence. Poor though they be, they have their rights as
citizens of the same state, and they have done more to help on the world than any other
class of men. They work our mines, construct our fleets, build our cities, fight our

battles, write some of our best books, and invent many of the most useful and
ornamental arts.
2. The happiness of the right treatment.
(1) “Blessed is he that considereth the poor.” Such a man is blessed in the service
he renders. The exercise of benevolence is the source of our chiefest joy. “It is
more blessed to give than to receive.”
(2) But the writer specifies certain advantages which are bestowed in addition to
this (Psa_41:1-3).
II. The wrong treatment of the afflicted (Psa_41:4-13). Under this ill-treatment—
1. He had a consciousness of his own sins (Psa_41:4).
(1) Great afflictions often awakes a sense of sin.
(2) Under a consciousness of his own sins he appeals for mercy. “Lord, be
merciful unto me.”
2. He deeply felt the wicked conduct of his enemies (Psa_41:5-9).
(1) They desired his death.
(2) They plot his ruin.
3. He directs his heart to the great God (Psa_41:10-13).
(1) He prays.
(2) He confesses.
(3) He worships. It is well when all our trials and varied experiences end thus.
(Homilist.)
The blessedness of considering the case of the poor
There is an evident want of congeniality between the wisdom of this world and the
wisdom of the Christian. Now, so long as this wisdom has for its object some secular
advantage, I yield it an unqualified reverence. If in private life a man be wise in the
management of his farm, or his fortune, or his family; or if in public life he have wisdom
to steer an empire through all its difficulties, and to carry it to aggrandizement and
renown—the respect which I feel for such wisdom as this is most cordial and entire, and
supported by the universal acknowledgment of all whom I call to attend to it. Let me
now suppose that this wisdom has changed its object—that the man whom I am
representing go exemplify this respectable attribute, instead of being wise for time, is
wise for eternity—that he labours by the faith and sanctification of the Gospel for
unperishable honours—what becomes of your respect for him now? Are there not some
of you who are quite sensible that this respect is greatly impaired, since the wisdom of
the man has taken so unaccountable a change in its object and in its direction? Men do
not respect a wisdom which they-do not comprehend. They may love the innocence of a
decidedly religious character, but they do not much, if at all, venerate its wisdom. The
things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural man. And all that has now been
said of wisdom is applicable, with almost no variation, to another attribute of the human
character, and which I would call “lovely.” I mean—benevolence. But that which the
world admires, and that which is truly Christian, are vastly different. The benevolence of

the world—with its poetical sentiment—the Christian may not understand; that of the
Christian, with its self-denial and enduring of “hardness as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ,” the world does not understand. It is positively nauseated by the poetical
amateur. And the contrast does not stop here. The benevolence of the Gospel is not only
at antipodes with that of the visionary sons and daughters of poetry, but it even varies in
some of its most distinguishing features from the experimental benevolence of real and
familiar life. The fantastic benevolence of poetry is now indeed pretty well exploded; and
in the more popular works of the age there is a benevolence of a far truer and more
substantial kind substituted in its place—the benevolence which you meet with among
men of business and observation—the benevolence which bustles and finds employment
among the most public and ordinary scenes; and which seeks for objects, not where the
flower blows loveliest, and the stream, with its gentle murmurs, falls sweetest on the ear;
but finds them in its every-day walks, goes in quest of them through the heart of the
great city, and is not afraid to meet them in its most putrid lanes and loathsome
receptacles. Now, it must be acknowledged that this benevolence is of a far more
respectable kind than poetic sensibility, which is of no use because it admits of no
application. Yet I am not afraid to say, that, respectable as it is, it does not come up to
the benevolence of the Christian; and is at variance, in some of its most capital
ingredients, with the morality of the Gospel. For time, and the accommodations of time,
form all its subject, and all its exercise, lit labours, and often with success, to provide for
its object a warm and a well-sheltered tenement; but it looks not beyond the few little
years when the earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, when the soul shall be
driven from its perishable tenement, and the only benevolence it will need will be that of
those who have directed it heavenwards. The one minds earthly things, the other has its
conversation in heaven. That which is the chief motive in the heart of the worldly
philanthropist are but mere accessories in the heart of the Christian. All will applaud the
benevolence of a Howard, but only the Christian will feel enthusiasm for the apostleship
of Paul, who in the sublimer sense accomplished the liberty of the captive and brought
them that sat in darkness out of the prison house. And hence it is that notwithstanding
missionary zeal has ever been the pioneer for civilization, yet because the missionary
labours for the eternal salvation of the heathen, the cry of fanaticism is raised against
them, and they are regarded by men of the world with prejudice and disgust. Therefore
we are to note the way in which the Bible enjoins us to consider the poor. Our text does
not say, Commiserate the poor, for if it said only this it would leave them to the
precarious provision of mere impulsive sympathy. Feeling is but a faint and fluctuating
security. Fancy may mislead it. The sober realities of life may disgust it. Disappointment
may extinguish it. Ingratitude may embitter it. Deceit, with its counterfeit
representations, may allure it to the wrong object. The Bible, then, instead of leaving the
relief of the poor to the mere instinct of sympathy, makes it a subject for consideration—
Blessed is he that considereth the poor—a grave and prosaic exercise I do allow, and
which makes no figure in those high-wrought descriptions, where the exquisite tale of
benevolence is made up of all the sensibilities of tenderness on the one hand, and of all
the ecstasies of gratitude on the other. But the poor have souls and need to be saved, and
all benevolence, however necessary and praiseworthy, that ignores this deepest need, is
but partial and incomplete. (T. Chalmers, D. D.)
The duty of considering the poor
It requires wisdom to understand the constitution of things, but the more a man
understands the more he will approve. The inequalities of mankind, and the consequent

state and condition of the poor, is one of those subjects which most of all perplex the
mind. Such inequality is an undoubted fact, and has ever and everywhere been so. But
when a good man beholds this, and sees his own affluence and the other’s indigence, he
will reason that the Divine intent was that he should supply his brother’s need. The
inequality of nature should be rectified by religion. Now, let the rich think that what they
give to the poor is thrown away, or given to them who can make no return. For to the
poor, under God, the rich owe all their wealth. They are the workers and producers of
the wealth which the rich only consume. Is society composed only of the noble and
opulent? Did you ever hear, or read, of one that was so composed? It could not subsist
for a week. As the members of it would not work, they could not eat. Of what value were
your estates in the country, if the poor did not cultivate them? Of what account the
riches of the nobleman, or the gentleman, if they must want the comforts, the
conveniences, and even the necessaries of life? “The king himself is served by the field;”
and, without the labours of the husbandman, must starve in his palace, surrounded by
his courtiers and guards. The world depends, for subsistence, on the plough, the sickle,
and the flail! Mankind, in short, constitute one vast body, to the support of which every
member contributes his share; and by all of them together, as by so many greater and
lesser wheels in a machine, the business of the public is carried on, its necessities are
served, and its very existence is upholden. From hence it appears that the inequality of
mankind is not the effect of chance, but the ordinance of Heaven, by whose
appointment, as manifested in the constitution of the universe, some must command,
while others obey; some must labour, while others direct their labours; some must be
rich, while others are poor. The Scripture inculcates the same important truth, and the
inference to be deduced from it—“The poor shall never cease,” etc. (Deu_15:11). Such is
the method directed by Heaven of balancing the account between the different orders of
men. What, then, will be the first consideration of a rich man when he sees a poor man?
If he have a clear head, and a good heart, will he not reason in some such manner as
this?” God has given the earth for the support of all. While I abound, why does this man
want? Plainly, that we may bear one another’s burdens; that my abundance may supply
his need, may alleviate his distress, may help to sustain the affliction under which he
groans: that I may take off his load of woe, and he take off the superfluity of my wealth;
that so the stream, now broken and turbid, may again find its level, and flow pure and
tranquil. If I do not act thus, may not the poor justly complain, and would not the fault
be mine?” And if the rich man refuse to help the poor, it is but natural to ask whence
came this inequality? It was not from the rich man’s merit or the poet’s demerit. It has
been permitted that the poor may learn resignation, and the rich be taught charity, and
the right employment of the good things vouchsafed to them. “It is more blessed to give
than to receive;” let the rich remember this, and the end of their being made rich is
answered. And let the rich man remember, too, that had it pleased God, he would have
been poor, and it may please Him that he shall he so. He then will need that which now
he is recommended to give. Such changes do occur. But whether in your case they do or
not, if your riches do not leave you, yet in a little while you must leave them. Death waits
to strip you of them all. They wilt only avail you then as you have employed them well
now. In the Gospel we must seek full information as to this duty. Our blessed Lord
became poor to make us rich, and has thus for ever obliged us to consider the poor. But
how are we to obey these precepts? Let charity rule in the heart, and it will not need to
be told how much it should give. But for rules take these:—
1. Let each lay aside a due proportion of his income for charities.
2. Practise economy with a view to charity; retrench expenditure on luxury and
indulgence for this end.

3. Then, in giving, give work rather than money where the poor would work if they
could. Where they would not, let them be made to work. Such is true kindness to
them. (G. Horns.)
Considering the poor
When God commends us, or encourages us to consider the poor and needy, He
commands and encourages us to do that for our fellow-creatures which we, as poor and
needy dependants on His bounty, ask Him to do for us. He was not satisfied with death
and the cross only, but He took up with becoming poor also, and a stranger, and a
beggar, and naked, and with being thrown into prison, and undergoing sickness, that so,
at least, He might call thee off [from covetousness]. If thou wilt not requite Me (He says)
as having suffered for thee, show mercy on Me for My poverty; and if thou art not
minded to pity Me for My poverty, do for My disease be moved, and for My
imprisonment be softened. And if even these things make thee not charitable, for the
easiness of the request comply with Me; for it is no costly gift I ask, but bread and
lodging, and words of comfort. But if even after this thou still continuest unsubdued,
still, for the kingdom’s sake, be improved for the rewards which I have promised. Hast
thou, then, no regard even for these? Yet still, for very nature’s sake, be softened at
seeing Me naked; and remember that nakedness wherewith I was naked on the cross for
thee; or if not this, yet that wherewith I am now naked through the poor . . . I fasted for
thee; again I am hungry for thee . . . of thee, that owest Me the requital of benefits
without number, I make not request as of one that oweth, but crown thee as one that
favoureth Me, and a kingdom do I give thee for these small things . . . I delivered thee
from most galling bonds; but for me it is quite enough if thou wilt but visit me when in
prison. (Chrysostom.)
They, then, who even in out poor, low way, are conformed, or beginning to be
conformed, to God’s mind in considering—that is, in searching out, compassionating,
and relieving—distress have that in them which must be the source of blessedness,
because they have that in them which is the source of happiness (I speak, of course, after
the manner of men) to the Divine Mind; for God rejoices over His works. He rejoices in
diffusing life and happiness; and when one province of His fair creation became marred
and ruined by sin, and He extended mercy to it, then He delighted in that mercy. We
then when, notwithstanding miserable deficiencies and shortcomings, we compassionate
those in distress, and relieve their wants, even here enter somewhat into the very joy of
God. And there is no Christian grace to the exercise of which God has in His Word so
frequently or so emphatically promised a reward in the world to come. (M. F. Sadler, M.
A.)
On Christian care for the poor
Judaism stood alone among ancient religions, Christianity stands alone among modern,
in the inculcation of earnest, solemn, anxious consideration for the poor. And for the
same reason. They both try to look on the world as the God who made it looks on it, and
to share the burden of its want and its woe which is pressing on His heart. In nothing is
the unity of Scripture more beautiful, more conspicuous, than in this great thought
about the poor. Perhaps it is the grandest evidence of its inspiration. Christ deemed it

the crowning glory of His kingdom (Mat_11:5).
I. The motive to consideration of the poor. I do not mean the reasons—they are
abundant, but the motive. For the reasons and the motive power are, alas! widely
different. The reasons are abundant for upright, godly conduct. A man is tempted to
selfish, sensual, knavish action. There are ten thousand reasons why he should forbear,
not one why he should yield. Every drop of his blood, every beat of his heart, every fibre
of his nerve, could it speak, would cry out against it. His whole being, body, soul, and
spirit, is against it. The whole structure of the universe is against it. God’s face, God’s
hand, are against it. But he does it and faces it all. So here the reason is one thing; the
power which makes the reason effective, which touches, moves, compels the conduct, is
from a yet deeper spring. The fundamental element in the motive to care for the poor, is
the revelation that the poor are the care of God. However man came to it, he has come to
a god-like nature. The strongest influence which you can bring to bear on him is the
revelation of the mind of God. There is something in him which moves him to imitation.
The child’s nature and passion, the cry of his spirit, Father, Father, tends to take shape
in acts sympathetic with God.
II. The kind of consideration demanded.
1. Set plainly before the mind’s eye the terrible inequalities of gifts, possessions,
culture, advantages, and all that makes the outward joy of life. We like to escape
from it. The blessing is for the man who faces it; who in his comfortable home, with
art, music, dress, amusement, luxurious appliances, carriages, and food, will set
before his face the life of the millions to whom all this is as far off as the stars. Who
will think of the laundress shut up in a hot, fetid room, standing over a tub or an
ironing-board, four or five young children clinging round her, and one ill up-stairs;
but who dares not stop, who must work on lest they starve. Or poor parents watching
a fair child dear to them as yours to you, and pining daily for the nourishing food and
sea air, but which they are utterly unable to give. The man who considers the poor
will keep this in sight while he enjoys God’s blessings.
2. He will not believe that God meant life to be anything like this. The heathen says
that this is God’s ordinance, and it is impious to interfere. But the Christian is quite
sure God meant nothing like this.
3. He will say, It is a solemn part of my duty to mend it. God leaves it with us, not
because He does not care, but because He cares so intensely. He will have us see to it.
It is society’s most pressing, most sacred, most blessed work, to consider the poor; to
be always meditating, planning, and working at what aims at the extinction of the
bitterness of poverty from the world. It is not mere giving. Some do most who give
nothing, who have nothing to give. It is the mind and the heart to think and to care
which first need to be cultivated; the feeling that it is base and selfish to enjoy our
advantages, comforts, and luxuries, while we abstain from systematic thoughtful
effort to bridge over the chasm which separates the classes, and to make less bitter
the lot of the poor.
III. The blessing in which it fruits. “He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.”
Many may feel that this is a far-away matter—The Lord will repay. They see nothing
tangible here; brave words, no more. To me it seems the reality of realities. I see
something very intangible in the best of worldly securities; who is to secure them? While
this is real, solid, enduring, as the order of the world.
1. The blessing lies hid in the order of the world. God has made man and the world
so that this mind shall be blessed. All men honour, love, and cherish it. It draws forth

the best elements of every nature, the sunny side of every heart.
2. The blessing lies deeper and closer, in a warm glow of living joy in his own heart.
It is the soul’s health, this care for need. There is the glow of health in the soul of the
man who cherishes it, which is incomparable with any other sensation; it is the pure
joy of life.
3. Deeper still, it lies in the heart and the hand of God. God loves that man, and
counts him His friend. God watches that man, and assures his life. In moments of
crisis and strain it is as if a Hand came out of the invisible to clasp and upbear him—
the Hand which will one day lift him out of the shades of death to that world where
he shall hear the welcome, “Come, thou blessed of my Father,” etc. (J. Baldwin
Brown, B. A.)
Benevolence
This the most prominent characteristic of our religion.
I. The duty of considering the poor. It must be performed on Christian principles. Not as
did the Pharisees, “to be seen of men.” There are several kinds of poor. Inquire,
therefore, what it is to consider the poor. It implies sympathy with them; that we should,
if possible, visit them; that we should relieve them; that we should seek to do good to
their souls.
II. The privilege of considering the poor. All duty is privilege, for all God requires us to
do is for our advantage. God’s blessing attends the considering of the poor. “The Lord
will preserve him in the day of trouble.” See this in the history of Job. (Joseph
Entwistle.)
Considering the poor
Poverty is a large word, and requires a large definition. Sickness, weakness, fear, sense of
helplessness, sense of desolation—all these may be brought under the definition of
poverty. Some men are poor mentally, needing continual suggestion, direction, and
recruital of mind. Want of money is the most superficial kind of poverty. It is by no
means to be neglected either by the individual or by the state, because through want of
money men often perish through lack of other things. When money is taken thus
typically, then pennilessness becomes a manifold disorder and weakness. The word
rendered “considereth” implies a kindliness of consideration. It is not only a statistical or
economical view of social circumstances, it is also a direct and earnest exercise of the
heart. The word may also be rendered “he that understands.” We cannot understand the
poor simply as an intellectual study. No man understands hunger who has not been
hungry. There are dictionary interpretations of words which help us but a short way
towards their true comprehension. Think of turning to the dictionary to find the
meaning of poverty, hunger, sorrow, death! All the words may be neatly and clearly
defined in terms, but to understand any one of them we must pass through the
experience which it indicates. The blessings of the Bible are always poured upon good-
doing. (J. Parker.)

The sick and needy (for Hospital Sunday)
1. It is urged that free hospitals for the sick poor are not an unmixed good. The same
may be said of every existing human institution. Were we to wait for perfection
before we would give our support to any philanthropic scheme, philanthropy would
die out entirely from the hearts of men from lack of worthy objects. While occasional
and substantial help is a great blessing, and one which neither the receiver nor the
giver can well spare without loss of pure emotion and without poverty of soul, too
much help, or help too readily obtainable, is a great injury, inasmuch as it
undermines manliness and self-reliance, destroys that vigour of independence which
all toilers in every rank ought to cultivate, and often creates the poverty and misery it
is intended to cure. The change cannot be wrought in a day or a year, or in hardly less
than a score of years. It must be gradual. Many of the present generation are
incurable, their inveterate pauperism cannot be shaken off. It is to the next
generation that we must look for a better state of things. The sick and needy will still
be at our doors, for many a year to come; men, women and children will still be
helpless and perish if we withhold our pity and relief. While poverty lasts we must
keep our manhood, our brotherly sympathy, our tender compassion, and by the
agency of our splendid hospitals earn the cheap honour of helping to provide for the
sick and needy.
2. The second objection is that the money raised is not distributed as equitably as it
should be. Still, assuming this, I ask on what reasonable, just, or humane, grounds
will you withhold your help from the fund because some of it is misappropriated? Is
it reasonable to cripple the healing resources of ten persons who need your help,
simply because one person has received help which he did not so much need? Is it
just to punish the deserving hospitals for the undeserving?
3. The third objection is that persons avail themselves of hospital relief who have no
right to the benefit. Of this deplorable fact there can be no doubt. The out-patients’
room at the hospital is crowded by persons who can well afford to pay for medical
and surgical attendance. Is this abuse of the hospitals a valid objection to our giving
them all our support? I venture to say it is not. To destroy a precious and useful thing
because some one puts it to a wrong use, or because it has fallen into illegitimate
hands, is a manifest folly. If the liberal subscribers to the Hospital Fund were to
hand in along with their subscriptions a vigorous protest against the indiscriminate
reception of applicants for relief, the abuse would soon be abated, and in time
altogether disappear. But not to give is to forfeit your right to be heard; not to
support the hospitals is to put yourself out of court and disqualify you from giving
evidence. (C. Voysey.)
Practical sympathy: pity shown more by deeds than words
A respectable merchant of London having become embarrassed in his circumstances,
and his misfortunes being one day the subject of conversation in the Royal Exchange,
several persons expressed the great sympathy they felt for him; whereupon a Quaker
who was present said, “I feel five hundred pounds for him, what do you feel?”
The blessedness of the benevolent
“Where is heaven?” asked a wealthy Christian of his minister. “I will tell you where it is,”
was the quick reply: “if you will go to the store, and buy £10 worth of provisions and
necessaries, and take them to that poor widow on the hillside, who has three of her

children sick. She is poor, and a member of the Church. Take a nurse and some one to
cook the food. When you get there, read the twenty-third Psalm, and kneel by her side
and pray. Then you will find out where heaven is.”
A despiser of the poor reproved
An eminent surgeon was one day sent for by the Cardinal du Bois, Prime Minister of
France, to perform a very serious operation upon him. The Cardinal, on seeing him enter
the room, said to him, “You must not expect to treat me in the same rough manner that
you treat the more miserable wretches at your hospital.” “My lord,” replied the surgeon,
with great dignity, “every one of those miserable wretches, as your eminence is pleased
to call them, is a Prime Minister in my eyes, for each is one of God’s poor.”
2 The Lord protects and preserves them—
they are counted among the blessed in the
land—
he does not give them over to the desire of their
foes.
BAR ES, "The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive - This is a farther
statement of the same principle, and it refers to a general, not a universal rule in the
divine administration, that acts of piety will be partially rewarded on the earth; or that
the divine favor will be shown to those who deal kindly with others. This principle is
often referred to in the Scriptures. See Psa_1:3, note; Psa_37:3-4, note; Psa_37:11, note;
Psa_37:23-26, note; Psa_37:37, note; compare Mat_5:5; 1Ti_4:8. The par ticular
application here is, that if any one showed kindness to him that was sick or enfeebled by
disease, he might expect that God would interpose in his case under similar
circumstances, and would “preserve” him, or “keep him alive.” Of course this is to be
regarded as a statement made under the general principle. It is not to be interpreted as
teaching that this would be universally true, or that he who did this would never die, but
the meaning is, that he might look for special divine aid and favor, when he in turn
should be sick.
And he shall be blessed upon the earth - This is in accordance with the doctrine
noticed above, and so often referred to in the Psalms and elsewhere, that the effect of
religion will be to promote happiness and prosperity in this life.

And thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies - Margin: “Do not
thou deliver.” The margin, perhaps, expresses most correctly the sense of the original,
but still it is an expression of the confident belief of the psalmist that this will not occur;
a belief expressed here rather in the form of a prayer than of a direct assertion. The idea
is, that he would find God to be a defender and a helper when he was attacked by his
foes.
CLARKE, "The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive - It is worthy of
remark, that benevolent persons, who consider the poor, and especially the sick poor;
who search cellars, garrets, back lanes, and such abodes of misery, to find them out,
(even in the places where contagion keeps its seat), very seldom fall a prey to their own
benevolence. The Lord, in an especial manner, keeps them alive, and preserves them;
while many, who endeavor to keep far from the contagion, are assailed by it, and fall
victims to it. God loves the merciful man.
GILL, "The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive,.... Amidst a thousand
deaths, to which he is exposed for making a profession of his faith in Christ; see 2Co_
1:10; or this may refer to his spiritual life, which is hid and preserved in Christ, in whom
he believes; and is safe and secure; because Christ lives he shall live also, and shall never
die the second death, nor be hurt by it, but shall have everlasting life;
and he shall be blessed upon the earth; with temporal blessings; for whatever he
has, be it more or less, he has it with the blessing of God, and as a blessing of the
covenant, and in love, and so is a blessing indeed: and with spiritual blessings; with
peace, pardon, righteousness, and a right and title to eternal glory and happiness; and he
will be blessed in the new earth, in which righteousness will dwell, and where he will
dwell, live, and reign with Christ a thousand years;
and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies; not into the will of
Satan, that roaring lion who would devour him if he might; nor of wicked men, and
furious persecutors, whose wrath the Lord makes to praise him; and the remainder of it
is restrained by him; some read these words as a prayer, "do not thou deliver him", &c.
see Psa_27:12; so Pagninus, Montanus, Junius and Tremellius, Ainsworth, and others.
JAMISO , "shall be blessed — literally, “led aright,” or “safely,” prospered (Psa_
23:3).
upon the earth — or land of promise (Psa_25:13; Psa_27:3-9, etc.).
CALVI ,"2.Jehovah will keep him, and preserve him in life. Here David follows out
the same sentiment expressed in the preceding verse, when he says that the Lord will
keep the afflicted, whose destruction cruel and unjust men represent as inevitable. It
is likewise necessary always to bear in mind the contrast which is stated between the
day of evil and the blessing of deliverance. In this verse the expressions denoting
restoration to life, and blessedness on the earth, are of similar import. By these

expressions, David means to show that although he had been to all appearance a
dead man, yet the hope of life both for himself and for all the faithful had not been
extinguished. There might, it is true, appear some inconsistency in his promising
himself a happy life in this world, seeing our condition here would be miserable
indeed if we had not the expectation of a better state in the world to come. But the
answer to this is, that as many had despaired of his recovery, he expressly declares
that he will yet be restored to his former state, and will continue alive, nay, that in
him there will be seen manifest tokens of the favor of God. He does not in the least
exclude by these expressions the hope of a better life after death. What follows
concerning the bed of sorrow has led some to form a conjecture which, in my
opinion, is not at all probable. What David says of affliction in general, without
determining what kind of affliction, they regard as applicable exclusively to
sickness. But it is no uncommon thing for those who are sorrowful and grieved in
their minds to throw themselves upon their bed, and to seek repose; for the hearts of
men are sometimes more distressed by grief than by sickness. It is, certainly, highly
probable that David was at that time afflicted with some very heavy calamity, which
might be a token that God was not a little displeased with him. In the second clause
of the verse there is some obscurity. Some understand the expression,turning the
bed, in the same sense as if God, in order to give some alleviation to his servant in
the time of trouble, had made his bed and arranged it, as we are wont to do to those
who are sick, that they may lay themselves more softly. (102) Others hold, and, in
my opinion, more correctly, that when David was restored to health, his bed, which
had formerly served him as a sick couch, was turned, that is to say, changed. (103)
Thus the sense would be, that although he now languish in sorrow, whilst the Lord
is chastening him and training him by means of affliction, yet in a little while he will
experience relief by the hand of the same God, and thus recover his strength.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 2. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive. His noblest
life shall be immortal, and even his mortal life shall be sacredly guarded by the
power of Jehovah. Jesus lived on till his hour came, nor could the devices of crafty
Herod take away his life till the destined hour had struck; and even then no man
took his life from him, but he laid it down of himself, to take it again. Here is the
portion of all those who are made like their Lord, they bless and they shall be
blessed, they preserve and shall be preserved, they watch over the lives of others and
they themselves shall be precious in the sight of the Lord. The miser like the hog is
of no use till he is deadâ€”then let him die; the righteous like the ox is of service
during lifeâ€”then let him live. And he shall be blessed upon the earth. Prosperity
shall attend him. His cruse of oil shall not be dried up because he fed the poor
prophet. He shall cut from his roll of cloth and find it longer at both ends.
"There was a man, and some did count him mad,
The more he gave away the more he had."
If temporal gains be not given him, spirituals shall be doubled to him. His little shall
be blessed, bread and water shall be a feast to him. The liberal are and must be
blessed even here; they have a present as well as a future portion. Our Lord's real
blessedness of heart in the joy that was set before him is a subject worthy of earnest
thought, especially as it is the picture of the blessing which all liberal saints may
look for. And thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. He helped the

distressed, and now he shall find a champion in his God. What would not the good
man's enemies do to him if they had him at their disposal? Better be in a pit with
vipers than to be at the mercy of persecutors. This sentence sets before us a sweet
negative, and yet it were not easy to have seen how it could be true of our Lord
Jesus, did we not know that although he was exempted from much of blessing, being
made a curse for us, yet even he was not altogether nor for ever left of God, but in
due time was exalted above all his enemies.
Ver. 2. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive. It is worthy of remark, that
benevolent persons, who "consider the poor, "and especially the sick poor; who
search cellars, garrets, back lanes, and such abodes of misery, to find them out (even
in the places where contagion keeps its seat), very seldom fall a prey to their own
benevolence. The Lord, in an especial manner, keeps them alive, and preserves
them; while many, who endeavour to keep far from the contagion, are assailed by it,
and fall victims to it. God loves the merciful man. Adam Clarke.
Ver. 2. He shall be blessed upon the earth. one of the godly man's afflictions shall
hinder or take away his begun blessedness, even in this world. David Dickson.
BE SO , "Verse 2-3
Psalms 41:2-3. The Lord will keep him alive — Hebrew, Will quicken him, that is,
revive and restore him. God will either preserve him from trouble, or, if he see that
trouble is necessary, or will be useful for him, and therefore suffers him to fall into
it, he will raise him out of it. Thou wilt not deliver him, &c. — To the destruction
which his enemies earnestly desire and endeavour to effect. Wilt make all his bed in
his sickness — Wilt give him ease and comfort, which sick men receive by the help
of those who turn and stir up their bed, to make it soft and easy for them.
WHEDO , "2. Preserve him— amely, from destruction and from the hurtfulness
of adversity.
Keep him alive—Restore him to health, raise him up.
Blessed upon the earth—He shall be happy, prosperous in the land.
Wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies—They shall gain no advantage
over him on account of his sickness.
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed

and restores them from their bed of illness.
BAR ES, "The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing - The
word rendered strengthen here means to support; to uphold; to sustain. The idea here is,
that God would enable him to bear his sickness, or would impart strength - inward
strength - when his body failed, or when but for this aid he must sink under his disease
and die. The word rendered languishing means properly languor or sickness; and more
generally something sickening; that is, something unclean, unwholesome, nauseating,
Job_6:6. The idea here, in accordance with what is stated above, is, that acts of religion
will tend to promote our welfare and hap piness in this life; and more particularly that
the man who shows favor Psa_41:1 to those who are weak, sick, helpless, will find in turn
that God will support him when he is sick. Thus, Psa_18:25, “With the merciful thou wilt
show thyself merciful.”
Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness - Margin, as in Hebrew: “turn.” So the
Septuagint, ᅞστρεψας estrepsas. Luther renders it, “Thou dost help him.” The idea is, that
God will turn his bed or his couch; that is, that he will render favor like turning his
couch, or making his bed when he is sick; or, in other words, he will relieve his suffering,
and make him comfortable on his bed. It does not mean that he will turn his sickness to
health, but that he will relieve and comfort him, as one is relieved and soothed on a sick
bed by having his bed made up. This, too, is in accordance with the general sentiment
that God will show himself merciful to those who are merciful; kind to those who are
kind. On the bed of languishing it will be much to be able to remember that we, in our
health, have contributed to the comfort of the sick and the dying.
(a) The recollection itself will do much to impart inward satisfaction then, for we shall
then appreciate better than we did when we performed the act the value of this trait of
character, and have a deeper sense of gratitude that we have been able to relieve the
sufferings of others;
(b) we may believe and trust that God will remember what we have done, and that he
will manifest himself to us then as our gracious supporter and our comforter.
It will not be because by our own acts we have merited his favor, but because this is his
gracious purpose, and because it is in accordance with his nature thus to bestow
kindness on those who have been kind to others.
CLARKE, "The Lord will strengthen him - Good, benevolent, and merciful as he
is, he must also die: but he shall not die as other men; he shall have peculiar
consolations, refreshment, and support, while passing through the valley of the shadow
of death.
Thou wilt make all his bed - ‫הפכת‬ haphachta, thou hast turned up, tossed, and
shaken it; and thou wilt do so to all his bed - thou wilt not leave one uneasy place in it -
not one lump, or any unevenness, to prevent him from sleeping. Thou wilt do every

thing, consistently with the accomplishment of the great decree, “Unto dust thou shalt
return,” to give him ease, refreshment, and rest. We may sum up the privileges of the
merciful man:
1. He is generally blessed, Psa_41:1.
2. He will be delivered in the time of trouble, Psa_41:1.
3. He will be preserved by a particular providence, Psa_41:2.
4. He shall be kept alive amidst infection and danger, Psa_41:2.
5. He shall be blessed on the earth in his temporal concerns, Psa_41:2.
6. His enemies shall not be able to spoil or destroy him, Psa_41:2.
7. He shall be strengthened on a bed of languishing, to enable him to bear his
afflictions, Psa_41:3.
8. He shall have ease, comfort, and support in his last hours, Psa_41:3.
GILL, "The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing,.... When on
a sick bed, or a death bed, where he lies languishing, and ready to expire; when his
natural strength, spirits, and heart fail him, then the Lord strengthens him with strength
in his soul; and is the strength of his heart, and his portion for ever. The Targum is,
"the Word of the Lord shall help him in his life, and shall appear to him on the bed of his
illness, to quicken him;''
thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness; or "all his bed thou hast turned" or "wilt
turn in his sickness" (t); meaning not the recovery of him from a bed of sickness to a
state of health, which is the sense given by many; much less a turning him from a state of
ease and rest into trouble and distress; but making him easy and comfortable on a bed of
sickness; which, in a literal sense, is done when a sick person's bed is turned or made, or
he is turned upon it from side to side; so the Lord, by the comforts of his Spirit, makes a
sick and death bed easy to them that believe in Christ, and often puts that triumphant
song into their mouths in their dying moments, "O death! where is that sting?" &c. 1Co_
15:55; and this is the peaceful end and blissful state of such who wisely consider Christ
and believe in him; low estate, through the sins of his the insults of his enemies, and the
treachery of one of his disciples, is described in the following verses.
JAMISO , "The figures of Psa_41:3 are drawn from the acts of a kind nurse.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 3. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing.
The everlasting arms shall stay up his soul as friendly hands and downy pillows stay
up the body of the sick. How tender and sympathising is this image; how near it
brings our God to our infirmities and sicknesses! Whoever heard this of the old
heathen Jove, or of the gods of India or China? This is language peculiar to the God
of Israel; he it is who deigns to become nurse and attendant upon good men. If he
smites with one hand he sustains with the other. Oh, it is blessed fainting when one
falls upon the Lord's own bosom, and is borne up thereby! Grace is the best of
restoratives; divine love is the noblest stimulant for a languishing patient; it makes
the soul strong as a giant, even when the aching bones are breaking through the

skin. o physician like the Lord, no tonic like his promise, no wine like his love.
Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. What, doth the Lord turn bed maker to
his sick children? Herein is love indeed. Who would not consider the poor if such be
the promised reward? A bed soon grows hard when the body is weary with tossing
to and fro upon it, but grace gives patience, and God's smile gives peace, and the
bed is made soft because the man's heart is content; the pillows are downy because
the head is peaceful. ote that the Lord will make all his bed, from head to foot.
What considerate and indefatigable kindness! Our dear and ever blessed Lord
Jesus, though in all respects an inheritor of this promise, for our sakes
condescended to forego the blessing, and died on a cross and not upon a bed; yet,
even there, he was after awhile upheld and cheered by the Lord his God, so that he
died in triumph.
We must not imagine that the benediction pronounced in these three verses belongs
to all who casually give money to the poor, or leave it in their wills, or contribute to
societies. Such do well, or act from mere custom, as the case may be, but they are not
here alluded to. The blessing is for those whose habit it is to love their neighbour as
themselves, and who for Christ's sake feed the hungry and clothe the naked. To
imagine a man to be a saint who does not consider the poor as he has ability, is to
conceive the fruitless fig tree to be acceptable; there will be sharp dealing with many
professors on this point in the day when the King cometh in his glory.
Ver. 1,3. See Psalms on "Psalms 41:1" for further information.
Ver. 3. Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. Into what minuteness of exquisite
and touching tenderness does the Lord condescend to enter! One feels almost as we
may suppose Peter felt when the Saviour came to him and would have washed his
feet, "Lord! thou shalt never wash my feet; "thou shalt never make my bed. And
yet, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me; "if the Lord make not our bed in
our sickness, there is no peace nor comfort there. We have had David calling on God
to bow down his ear, like a loving mother listening to catch the feeblest whisper of
her child; and the image is full of the sweetest sympathy and condescension; but
here the Lord, the great God of heaven, he that said when on earth, "I am among
you as one that serveth, "does indeed take upon him the form, and is found in
fashion as a servant, fulfilling all the loving and tender offices of an assiduous nurse.
Barton Bouchier.
Ver. 3. Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. The meaning rather is, "it is no
longer a sick bed, for thou hast healed him of his disease." J. J. Stewart Perowne.
Ver. 3. When a good man is ill at ease, God promises to make all his bed in his
sickness. Pillow, bolster, head, feet, sides, all his bed. Surely that God who made him
knows so well his measure and temper as to make his bed to please him. Herein his
art is excellent, not fitting the bed to the person, but the person to the bed; infusing
patience into him. But, oh! how shall God make my bed, who have no bed of mine
own to make. Thou fool, he can make thy not having a bed to be a bed unto thee.
When Jacob slept on the ground, who would not have had his hard lodging,
therewithal to have his heavenly dream? Thomas Fuller.
Ver. 3. Sure that bed must need be soft which God will make. T. Watson.
Ver. 3. We must not forget that Oriental beds needed not to be made in the same
sense as our own. They were never more than mattresses or quilts thickly padded,

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