CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. II
Corpus Psalterium Vol. II cover

Corpus Psalterium · Vol. II

Psalm XLI (41)

Cantillated — Lament Turning

Paul Whitehorn

0:004:52
DownloadHear all of Vol. II

Study the Word

Psalm 41 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.

לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

1Heb 2

Blessed is he who considers the poor. Yahweh will deliver him in the day of evil.

אַ֭שְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּ֣יל אֶל־דָּ֑ל בְּי֥וֹם רָ֝עָ֗ה יְֽמַלְּטֵ֥הוּ יְהוָֽה׃

2Heb 3

Yahweh will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be blessed on the earth, and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies.

יְהוָ֤ה ׀ יִשְׁמְרֵ֣הוּ וִֽ֭יחַיֵּהוּ יאשר בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְאַֽל־תִּ֝תְּנֵ֗הוּ בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ אֹיְבָֽיו׃

3Heb 4

Yahweh will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness.

יְֽהוָ֗ה יִ֭סְעָדֶנּוּ עַל־עֶ֣רֶשׂ דְּוָ֑י כָּל־מִ֝שְׁכָּב֗וֹ הָפַ֥כְתָּ בְחָלְיֽוֹ׃

4Heb 5

I said, “Yahweh, have mercy on me! Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

אֲֽנִי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי יְהוָ֣ה חָנֵּ֑נִי רְפָאָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י כִּי־חָטָ֥אתִי לָֽךְ׃

5Heb 6

My enemies speak evil against me: “When will he die, and his name perish?”

אוֹיְבַ֗י יֹאמְר֣וּ רַ֣ע לִ֑י מָתַ֥י יָ֝מ֗וּת וְאָבַ֥ד שְׁמֽוֹ׃

6Heb 7

If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood. His heart gathers iniquity to itself. When he goes abroad, he tells it.

וְאִם־בָּ֤א לִרְא֨וֹת ׀ שָׁ֤וְא יְדַבֵּ֗ר לִבּ֗וֹ יִקְבָּץ־אָ֥וֶן ל֑וֹ יֵצֵ֖א לַח֣וּץ יְדַבֵּֽר׃

7Heb 8

All who hate me whisper together against me. They imagine the worst for me.

יַ֗חַד עָלַ֣י יִ֭תְלַחֲשׁוּ כָּל־שֹׂנְאָ֑י עָלַ֓י ׀ יַחְשְׁב֖וּ רָעָ֣ה לִֽי׃

8Heb 9

“An evil disease”, they say, “has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more.”

דְּֽבַר־בְּ֭לִיַּעַל יָצ֣וּק בּ֑וֹ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁ֝כַ֗ב לֹא־יוֹסִ֥יף לָקֽוּם׃

9Heb 10

Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me.

גַּם־אִ֤ישׁ שְׁלוֹמִ֨י ׀ אֲשֶׁר־בָּטַ֣חְתִּי ב֭וֹ אוֹכֵ֣ל לַחְמִ֑י הִגְדִּ֖יל עָלַ֣י עָקֵֽב׃

10Heb 11

But you, Yahweh, have mercy on me, and raise me up, that I may repay them.

וְאַתָּ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה חָנֵּ֥נִי וַהֲקִימֵ֑נִי וַֽאֲשַׁלְּמָ֥ה לָהֶֽם׃

11Heb 12

By this I know that you delight in me, because my enemy doesn’t triumph over me.

בְּזֹ֣את יָ֭דַעְתִּי כִּֽי־חָפַ֣צְתָּ בִּ֑י כִּ֤י לֹֽא־יָרִ֖יעַ אֹיְבִ֣י עָלָֽי׃

12Heb 13

As for me, you uphold me in my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

וַאֲנִ֗י בְּ֭תֻמִּי תָּמַ֣כְתָּ בִּ֑י וַתַּצִּיבֵ֖נִי לְפָנֶ֣יךָ לְעוֹלָֽם׃

13Heb 14

Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.

בָּ֘ר֤וּךְ יְהוָ֨ה ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מֵֽ֭הָעוֹלָם וְעַ֥ד הָעוֹלָ֗ם אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן׃

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.

Blessed the one who sees the weak

Blessed the one who knows the poor

In the day of trouble You will save

You will lift, You will restore

You keep him, You give him life

You set him in the land secure

Do not hand him to the will of enemies

You are his shield, You endure

On the bed of pain You hold him

Every sickness turned by You

You sustain, You sustain

Have mercy on me, O Lord

Have mercy on me

Heal my soul, I have sinned

I have sinned against Thee

Have mercy on me

Have mercy on me

Enemies speak evil over me

When will he die, his name be gone

They come near with empty hearts

Then carry lies when they have gone

All who hate me whisper low

They imagine evil still

They rise, they rise

Have mercy on me, O Lord

Have mercy on me

Heal my soul, I have sinned

I have sinned against Thee

Have mercy on me

Have mercy on me

Even my friend, my peace, my bread

The one I trusted lifts his heel

But You, O Lord, be gracious now

Raise me up, restore, make me stand

I know, I know You delight in me

My enemy will not prevail

You hold me in my integrity

You set me before Your face

Have mercy on me, O Lord

Have mercy on me

Heal my soul, I have sinned

I have sinned against Thee

You lift me up, You make me stand

Forever before Your face

Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting

Amen, Amen

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