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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 41

Psalm 41 is read especially through the theme of mercy & forgiveness, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

Mercy & ForgivenessCreationLament
Old Testament

Psalm 41

1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Blessed is he who considers the poor. The LORD will deliver him in the day of evil.

2The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be blessed on the earth, and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies.

3The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness.

4I said, “LORD, have mercy on me! Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

5My enemies speak evil against me: “When will he die, and his name perish?”

6If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood. His heart gathers iniquity to itself. When he goes abroad, he tells it.

7All who hate me whisper together against me. They imagine the worst for me.

8“An evil disease”, they say, “has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more.”

9Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me.

10But you, LORD, have mercy on me, and raise me up, that I may repay them.

11By this I know that you delight in me, because my enemy doesn’t triumph over me.

12As for me, you uphold me in my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

13Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 41

Psalm 41 is read especially through the theme of mercy & forgiveness, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book I (Psalms 1–41). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Mercy & Forgiveness, Creation, Lament. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 41

Psalm 41 contains 13 verses and about 231 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Blessed is he who considers the poor. The LORD will deliver him in the day of evil.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 13 closes: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, blessed, evil, enemies, mercy, everlasting. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 41

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 41:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes mercy & forgiveness, with related themes of Mercy & Forgiveness, Creation, Lament. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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