The longing for God of a soul separated from Him resembles thirst. But this means that the Lord Himself can be compared to life-giving water...
The longing for God of a soul separated from Him resembles thirst. But this means that the Lord Himself can be compared to life-giving water. Many years later, when the Son of David reveals Himself as the One who gives living water, this will become one of His testimonies about Himself as God.
Let us note that the tears which nourish the thirsty person are compared not to water but to bread, for one can live without bread a little longer than without water. Yet the Lord will also call Himself the Bread of Life...
Sorrow can be felt behind the lines of the psalm, and it is caused not only by the Beloved’s failure to respond. The psalmist perhaps grieves far more because people interpret the Lord’s silence wrongly. Together with others, the weeping man went with the multitude into the house of God, and now his recent companions in faith have turned away from God and mock the one who has remained faithful. If only they had never known the Lord! But they turned away from Him after having already encountered Him.
Yet the one who keeps the faith does not cease calling out to Him. He knows that hope in the Lord will deliver him from every despondency.
41 David on a sick bed lays hold on God's promise and prays for mercy, Psa 41:1-4.
Complains of the pride and malice of his enemies, Psa 41:5-9.
Flees to God for succour, and praises him, Psa 41:10-13.
To the chief musician, A psalm of David.
41:3 Make his bed - 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.
41:4 Heal - The soul is said to be healed, when it is pardoned and purged. For - For I acknowledge that I have sinned.
41:6 His heart - Even when he is with me, and pretends hearty affection, his heart is devising mischief against me.
41:9 Yea - These words were literally fulfilled in David, and yet the Holy Ghost looked farther in them, even to Christ and Judas, in whom they received a fuller accomplishment. Lift up - A phrase implying injury, joined with insolency and contempt; taken from an unruly horse, which kicks at him that owns and feeds him.
41:10 Requite - Punish them for their wicked practices; which being now a magistrate, he was obliged to do.
41:11 By this - Because hitherto thou hast supported me, and prolonged my days to the disappointment of their hopes.
41:12 Settest - Or, hast confirmed me in thy presence, under thine eye and special care: to minister unto thee, as a king over thy people. And in regard of his posterity, the kingdom was established for ever.
41:13 Amen - Signifies an hearty assent and approbation, and withal an earnest desire of the thing, to which it is annexed. And as the psalms are divided into five books, so each of them is closed with this word; the first here: the second, Psa 72:19, the third, Psa 89:52, the fourth, Psa 106:48, the last in the end of Psa 150:6, the doubling of the word shews the fervency of hisspirit, in this work of praising God.