Psalms 40
Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · 1010 BC – 970 BC · United kingdom · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·
17 verses · 376 words · ~2 min read · ~3 min listen
I Waited Patiently for the LORD
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1I waited patiently for the Lord;
He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2He lifted me up from the pit of despair,
out of the miry clay;
He set my feet upon a rock,
and made my footsteps firm.
3He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.
4Blessed is the man
who has made the Lord his trust,
who has not turned to the proud,
nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5Many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders You have done,
and the plans You have for us—
none can compare to You—
if I proclaim and declare them,
they are more than I can count.
6Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
but my ears You have opened.
Burnt offerings and sin offerings
You did not require.
7Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll:
8I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart.”
9I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
behold, I do not seal my lips,
as You, O Lord, do know.
10I have not covered up Your righteousness in my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and salvation;
I have not concealed Your loving devotion and faithfulness
from the great assembly.
11O Lord, do not withhold Your mercy from me;
Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me.
12For evils without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart has failed within me.
13Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
hurry, O Lord, to help me.
14May those who seek my life
be ashamed and confounded;
may those who wish me harm
be repelled and humiliated.
15May those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
be appalled at their own shame.
16May all who seek You
rejoice and be glad in You;
may those who love Your salvation
always say, “The Lord be magnified!”
17But I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my helper and deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.
Footnotes (3)
- a v4 Or who turn aside to false gods or who run after lies
- b v6 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts but a body You prepared for me
- c v8 Cited in Hebrews 10:5–7
Study notes on this chapter · 1
Prophecy & fulfillmentLinked by the New Testament
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire
Hebrews puts the words of Psalm 40 in Christ's mouth at his coming into the world: sacrifices and offerings you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me, 'I have come to do your will.' Hebrews follows the Greek translation, which reads 'a body you prepared' where the Hebrew has 'ears you have dug' or 'opened'.
When: A psalm of David; Hebrews, before AD 70 (most likely).
Original passagePsalms 40:6–8
Where the New Testament applies itHebrews 10:5–10
Ways people read this (2)
- The Greek 'body' is an interpretive rendering of the Hebrew, expressing the same idea of a whole life devoted to obedience.
- The Hebrew may refer to ears opened to hear and obey; Hebrews uses the wording he knew.
Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.