CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. II
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. II

Psalm XL (40)

Cantillated — Deliverance Lament Turning

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 40 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.

לַ֝מְנַצֵּ֗חַ לְדָוִ֥ד מִזְמֽוֹר׃

1Heb 2

I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry.

קַוֺּ֣ה קִוִּ֣יתִי יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֥ט אֵ֝לַ֗י וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע שַׁוְעָתִֽי׃

2Heb 3

He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.

וַיַּעֲלֵ֤נִי ׀ מִבּ֥וֹר שָׁאוֹן֮ מִטִּ֪יט הַיָּ֫וֵ֥ן וַיָּ֖קֶם עַל־סֶ֥לַע רַגְלַ֗י כּוֹנֵ֥ן אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃

3Heb 4

He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh.

וַיִּתֵּ֬ן בְּפִ֨י ׀ שִׁ֥יר חָדָשׁ֮ תְּהִלָּ֪ה לֵֽאלֹ֫הֵ֥ינוּ יִרְא֣וּ רַבִּ֣ים וְיִירָ֑אוּ וְ֝יִבְטְח֗וּ בַּיהוָֽה׃

4Heb 5

Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust, and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn away to lies.

אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הַגֶּ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם יְ֭הֹוָה מִבְטַח֑וֹ וְֽלֹא־פָנָ֥ה אֶל־רְ֝הָבִ֗ים וְשָׂטֵ֥י כָזָֽב׃

5Heb 6

Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted.

רַבּ֤וֹת עָשִׂ֨יתָ ׀ אַתָּ֤ה ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהַי֮ נִֽפְלְאֹתֶ֥יךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶ֗יךָ אֵ֫לֵ֥ינוּ אֵ֤ין ׀ עֲרֹ֬ךְ אֵלֶ֗יךָ אַגִּ֥ידָה וַאֲדַבֵּ֑רָה עָ֝צְמ֗וּ מִסַּפֵּֽר׃

6Heb 7

Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.

זֶ֤בַח וּמִנְחָ֨ה ׀ לֹֽא־חָפַ֗צְתָּ אָ֭זְנַיִם כָּרִ֣יתָ לִּ֑י עוֹלָ֥ה וַ֝חֲטָאָ֗ה לֹ֣א שָׁאָֽלְתָּ׃

7Heb 8

Then I said, “Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll.

אָ֣ז אָ֭מַרְתִּי הִנֵּה־בָ֑אתִי בִּמְגִלַּת־סֵ֝֗פֶר כָּת֥וּב עָלָֽי׃

8Heb 9

I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your law is within my heart.”

לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת־רְצוֹנְךָ֣ אֱלֹהַ֣י חָפָ֑צְתִּי וְ֝ת֥וֹרָתְךָ֗ בְּת֣וֹךְ מֵעָֽי׃

9Heb 10

I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know.

בִּשַּׂ֤רְתִּי צֶ֨דֶק ׀ בְּקָ֘הָ֤ל רָ֗ב הִנֵּ֣ה שְׂ֭פָתַי לֹ֣א אֶכְלָ֑א יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַתָּ֥ה יָדָֽעְתָּ׃

10Heb 11

I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.

צִדְקָתְךָ֬ לֹא־כִסִּ֨יתִי ׀ בְּת֬וֹךְ לִבִּ֗י אֱמוּנָתְךָ֣ וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ֣ אָמָ֑רְתִּי לֹא־כִחַ֥דְתִּי חַסְדְּךָ֥ וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ לְקָהָ֥ל רָֽב׃

11Heb 12

Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me.

אַתָּ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה לֹא־תִכְלָ֣א רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּ֑נִּי חַסְדְּךָ֥ וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ תָּמִ֥יד יִצְּרֽוּנִי׃

12Heb 13

For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me.

כִּ֤י אָפְפ֥וּ־עָלַ֨י ׀ רָע֡וֹת עַד־אֵ֬ין מִסְפָּ֗ר הִשִּׂיג֣וּנִי עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣לְתִּי לִרְא֑וֹת עָצְמ֥וּ מִשַּֽׂעֲר֥וֹת רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י וְלִבִּ֥י עֲזָבָֽנִי׃

13Heb 14

Be pleased, Yahweh, to deliver me. Hurry to help me, Yahweh.

רְצֵ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי יְ֝הוָ֗ה לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי חֽוּשָׁה׃

14Heb 15

Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.

יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ ׀ יַחַד֮ מְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשִׁ֗י לִסְפּ֫וֹתָ֥הּ יִסֹּ֣גוּ אָ֭חוֹר וְיִכָּלְמ֑וּ חֲ֝פֵצֵ֗י רָעָתִֽי׃

15Heb 16

Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!”

יָ֭שֹׁמּוּ עַל־עֵ֣קֶב בָּשְׁתָּ֑ם הָאֹמְרִ֥ים לִ֝֗י הֶ֘אָ֥ח ׀ הֶאָֽח׃

16Heb 17

Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!”

יָ֘שִׂ֤ישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ ׀ בְּךָ֗ כָּֽל־מְבַ֫קְשֶׁ֥יךָ יֹאמְר֣וּ תָ֭מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה אֹֽ֝הֲבֵ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃

17Heb 18

But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.

וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיוֹן֮ אֲדֹנָ֪י יַחֲשָׁ֫ב לִ֥י עֶזְרָתִ֣י וּמְפַלְטִ֣י אַ֑תָּה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אַל־תְּאַחַֽר׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

I waited

I waited

for the LORD

He turned to me

He heard

my cry

He lifted me

from the pit

from the mud

from the mire

He set my feet

on a rock

made my steps

secure

He put a new song

in my mouth

a song of praise

to our God

Many will see

and fear

and trust

in the LORD

Blessed is the man

who trusts in Him

who does not turn

to lies

or to the proud

Many are Your works

O LORD my God

Your wonders

beyond number

I speak

and they overflow

too many

to declare

I come

I come

to do Your will

Your law

within me

Your law

within me

I will speak

I will speak

of Your righteousness

before the people

before the people

Sacrifice

You did not desire

but You opened

my ears

Burnt offerings

You did not require

So I said

Here I am

It is written

of me

I delight

to do Your will

Your law

within me

I have not hidden

Your truth

I have spoken

Your salvation

Your love

and Your faithfulness

before the assembly

Do not withhold

Your mercy

Let Your love

preserve me

For troubles surround me

without number

My sins

overtake me

I cannot see

They are more

than the hairs

of my head

My heart

fails me

Be pleased

O LORD

to deliver me

Hurry

to help me

Let them be ashamed

those who seek my life

let them turn back

in disgrace

Let all who seek You

rejoice

rejoice

Let them say always

“The LORD is great”

“The LORD is great”

I am poor

and needy

but the Lord

thinks of me

You are my help

You are my help

You are my deliverer

Do not delay

Do not delay

My God

My God

You are my help

You are my help

You are my deliverer

I waited

for the LORD

You heard me

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn