Psalms 40:1
לַ֝מְנַצֵּ֗חַ לְדָוִ֥ד מִזְמֽוֹר׃ קַוֺּ֣ה קִוִּ֣יתִי יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֥ט אֵ֝לַ֗י וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע שַׁוְעָתִֽי׃
Psalms 40:2
וַיַּעֲלֵ֤נִי׀ מִבּ֥וֹר שָׁאוֹן֮ מִטִּ֪יט הַיָּ֫וֵ֥ן וַיָּ֖קֶם עַל־סֶ֥לַע רַגְלַ֗י כּוֹנֵ֥ן אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃
Psalms 40:3
וַיִּתֵּ֬ן בְּפִ֨י׀ שִׁ֥יר חָדָשׁ֮ תְּהִלָּ֪ה לֵֽאלֹ֫הֵ֥ינוּ יִרְא֣וּ רַבִּ֣ים וְיִירָ֑אוּ וְ֝יִבְטְח֗וּ בַּיהוָֽה׃
Psalms 40:4
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הַגֶּ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם יְ֭הֹוָה מִבְטַח֑וֹ וְֽלֹא־פָנָ֥ה אֶל־רְ֝הָבִ֗ים וְשָׂטֵ֥י כָזָֽב׃
Psalms 40:5
רַבּ֤וֹת עָשִׂ֨יתָ׀ אַתָּ֤ה׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהַי֮ נִֽפְלְאֹתֶ֥יךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶ֗יךָ אֵ֫לֵ֥ינוּ אֵ֤ין׀ עֲרֹ֬ךְ אֵלֶ֗יךָ אַגִּ֥ידָה וַאֲדַבֵּ֑רָה עָ֝צְמ֗וּ מִסַּפֵּֽר׃
Psalms 40:6
זֶ֤בַח וּמִנְחָ֨ה׀ לֹֽא־חָפַ֗צְתָּ אָ֭זְנַיִם כָּרִ֣יתָ לִּ֑י עוֹלָ֥ה וַ֝חֲטָאָ֗ה לֹ֣א שָׁאָֽלְתָּ׃
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; ears you opened for me; whole burnt offering and sin offering You did not ask.
Paraphrase: Now it is clear to me. It’s not all the rituals and ceremonies of our worship that please you. (1 Samuel 15:22) It’s not more burnt offerings and sin offerings which bring honor to You. You are not looking for more purifications or a more strict adherence to the food laws. No, these things are just outward actions which can be performed by anyone. (Isaiah 1:11-20) You have opened my eyes to see this truth.
Comments:
Psalms 40:7
אָ֣ז אָ֭מַרְתִּי הִנֵּה־בָ֑אתִי בִּמְגִלַּת־סֵ֝֗פֶר כָּת֥וּב עָלָֽי׃
Then I said, “Behold, I come, in the scroll of the book being written over me.
Paraphrase: Once I realized this, I announced to all, “Look, my focus is not in checking all the right boxes and making sure that I’ve performed all the prescribed rituals of our religion. I am going to take the book which God wrote and give my attention to what He requires from us there. It is this book which contains the terms of the covenant under which I live.
Comments:
To have the book of the law written over me is similar to the expression of having God’s Name called over someone (Numbers 6:27; Deuteronomy 28:10; 2 Chronicles 7:14) or something (Deuteronomy 12:5, 11; 1 Kings 8:16, 29; 9:3; 11:36; Jeremiah 7:10-11). It means that God own this person and rights to them. To have the book of the law written over me is to know that I am owned by the covenant represented in that book and living under its terms.
Psalms 40:8
לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת־רְצוֹנְךָ֣ אֱלֹהַ֣י חָפָ֑צְתִּי וְ֝ת֥וֹרָתְךָ֗ בְּת֣וֹךְ מֵעָֽי׃
To do Your pleasure, oh God, I delight, and Your instructions are in the center of my inner parts.
Paraphrase: These are the things which I delight to do, oh God, because now I know that these are the things which really and truly bring honor to You. Before, I just went through the motions of all the rituals which You had prescribed. Now I understand that such worship is actually offensive to you. Now, my desires have changed completely. Now I desire, more than anything else, to know Your will and to practice it from an inner conviction that these things are true and pleasing in Your holy Sight.
Comments:
Psalms 40:9
בִּשַּׂ֤רְתִּי צֶ֨דֶק׀ בְּקָ֘הָ֤ל רָ֗ב הִנֵּ֣ה שְׂ֭פָתַי לֹ֣א אֶכְלָ֑א יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַתָּ֥ה יָדָֽעְתָּ׃
Psalms 40:10
צִדְקָתְךָ֬ לֹא־כִסִּ֨יתִי׀ בְּת֬וֹךְ לִבִּ֗י אֱמוּנָתְךָ֣ וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ֣ אָמָ֑רְתִּי לֹא־כִחַ֥דְתִּי חַסְדְּךָ֥ וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ לְקָהָ֥ל רָֽב׃
Psalms 40:11
אַתָּ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה לֹא־תִכְלָ֣א רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּ֑נִּי חַסְדְּךָ֥ וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ תָּמִ֥יד יִצְּרֽוּנִי׃
Psalms 40:12
כִּ֤י אָפְפ֥וּ־עָלַ֨י׀ רָע֡וֹת עַד־אֵ֬ין מִסְפָּ֗ר הִשִּׂיג֣וּנִי עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣לְתִּי לִרְא֑וֹת עָצְמ֥וּ מִשַּֽׂעֲר֥וֹת רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י וְלִבִּ֥י עֲזָבָֽנִי׃
Psalms 40:13
רְצֵ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי יְ֝הוָ֗ה לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי חֽוּשָׁה׃
Psalms 40:14
יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ׀ יַחַד֮ מְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשִׁ֗י לִסְפּ֫וֹתָ֥הּ יִסֹּ֣גוּ אָ֭חוֹר וְיִכָּלְמ֑וּ חֲ֝פֵצֵ֗י רָעָתִֽי׃
Psalms 40:15
יָ֭שֹׁמּוּ עַל־עֵ֣קֶב בָּשְׁתָּ֑ם הָאֹמְרִ֥ים לִ֝֗י הֶ֘אָ֥ח׀ הֶאָֽח׃
Psalms 40:16
יָ֘שִׂ֤ישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ׀ בְּךָ֗ כָּֽל־מְבַ֫קְשֶׁ֥יךָ יֹאמְר֣וּ תָ֭מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה אֹֽ֝הֲבֵ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃
Psalms 40:17
וַאֲנִ֤י׀ עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיוֹן֮ אֲדֹנָ֪י יַחֲשָׁ֫ב לִ֥י עֶזְרָתִ֣י וּמְפַלְטִ֣י אַ֑תָּה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אַל־תְּאַחַֽר׃