Psalm Category: Psalm of Lament

Central Thought: Psalm 41 reveals the passion of the king, the plea of the king, and the promises to the king.

Key Word: Hapak (v. 3). Hapak is translated as “restore” by the NIV. It is used in v. 3 to speak of the restoration of the king’s life. It could also be translated as “turned,” indicating a drastic change in direction. For example, the word is used to refer to God’s turning of the Nile into blood (Ex. 7:17, 20) and of His turning our mourning into joy (Jer. 31:13, Ps. 30:11). In other words, hapak refers to a drastic turn of events, a redemptive about-face. Of course, Psalm 41 ultimately points us to the greatest turning of events in redemptive history—the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 41

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” These words are from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The plot of Hamlet revolves around the murder of the king of Denmark. The death of King Hamlet leaves Denmark in disarray and at risk of foreign invasion.

There is nothing more destabilizing to a monarchy than the death of the king. In Psalm 41, we find David on his deathbed and Israel on the verge of disarray.

The Passion of the King (vv. 4-9): The middle of this psalm actually serves as its chronological beginning. In these verses, David is speaking directly to God, addressing Him in the second person. In verses 4-9, David pours out his soul to God, describing in detail the nature of his suffering.

The first aspect of David’s suffering is his physical illness. He asks God to heal him (v. 4) of his “vile disease” (v. 8). In addition to his physical illness, part of David’s passion is the fact that his enemies, both internally and externally, are plotting against him (vv. 5-8). Those within the court of Israel are conspiring against him, and the external enemies of Israel view this as an opportunity to strike against his kingdom. However, it is the third aspect of his passion that is most painful to him. In verse 9, David notes that a “close friend” has turned against him. David, like Julius Caesar, has his Marcus Brutus.

The Plea of the King (vv. 10-13): David’s great passion leads him to plead to God for deliverance. He makes two basic requests that are reflected in verse 10. First, he asks God to restore his health, that God would have mercy on him and raise him up. Second, he asks God to allow him to deliver recompense to his enemies. David desires payback.

It is important to note that David’s desire for recompense is not a spiteful or vengeful request. Remember, David’s kingdom was symbolic of the kingdom of God. In other words, David’s enemies were God’s enemies; thus David has confidence that these enemies will be conquered (vv. 11-13).

The Promises to the King (vv. 1-3): The conclusion of this psalm actually comes in its opening verses. Verses 1-3 include a variety of promises made to the king by God. God promises to deliver (v. 1), protect, preserve, bless (v. 2), sustain, and restore (v. 3) the king. God answers the twofold plea of the king: The king will be restored (v. 3) and will give recompense to his foes (v. 2).

However, these promises were not fulfilled in the life of David. As the Apostle Peter notes in Acts 2:29, “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.” The fact that these promises were not fulfilled in David’s life is what turns our eyes to the King who is greater than David, of whom David was only a type and shadow.

Like David, Jesus entered into a passion, a passion that ended in His death on the cross. Like David, Jesus became the subject of plots and conspiracies. His own people plotted to murder Him, and His enemy, the devil, planned to invade His kingdom. Like David, Jesus was betrayed by a close friend (John 13:26). However, unlike David, Jesus’ body does not rest in a tomb; He is risen!

In Psalm 41, David serves as a prophet of the resurrection of Jesus as Peter notes in Acts 2:30-31, “But he [David] was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.”

—Anthony Selvaggio