Psalms 40:13
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Psalms 40:13
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
Chapter Context
Psalms 40 is a poetic and liturgical chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of truth, creation, covenant. Written during various periods (c. 1000-400 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Temple worship utilized these compositions across various periods of Israel's history.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-17: Central message and teachings
This chapter is significant because it establishes important theological principles that resonate throughout Scripture. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Psalms and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Psalms 40:13
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
Analysis
This urgent plea--'Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me'--uses the Hebrew ratsah (be pleased, take delight). David appeals not to his own merit but to God's gracious disposition. The cry for God to 'make haste to help me' reflects desperate dependence, acknowledging that only divine intervention can rescue from overwhelming circumstances.
Historical Context
This verse echoes language from other Davidic psalms of distress (Psalms 22, 31, 70), forming a vocabulary of crisis that later became the church's language for spiritual warfare and trials.
Reflection
- Why does David appeal to God's 'pleasure' rather than to his own deservingness?
- How does urgency in prayer reflect faith rather than doubt?
Word Studies
- Lord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai) H3068 - The LORD / Lord
Cross-References
- References Lord: Psalms 22:19, 38:22
- Parallel theme: Psalms 71:12