What does Psalm 41:13 mean?
ESV: Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
NIV: Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.
NASB: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.
CSB: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen.
NLT: Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen!
KJV: Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
NKJV: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
Verse Commentary:
Psalm 41 begins and ends with references to blessing. David's initial statement was about God's response to someone who acts with love and compassion for the disadvantaged (Psalm 41:1–3). In this psalm, David connected that healing to forgiveness of sin, including his own, and his confidence that God would not allow enemies to overwhelm David's life. The psalm includes David's petition to the Lord and ends with his praise of the Lord.
While spoken of as a single book, the Psalms are often divided into five segments, also called "books." This verse concludes Book One of Psalms with a doxology; the other four books of Psalms also end in doxologies (72:18–20; 89:52; 106:48; 150:1–6). David's praise of the Lord shows his trust in God to restore his health, defeat his enemies, and return him to his rightful rule over Israel.
This verse also refers to the God of Israel as eternal, "from everlasting to everlasting." He has no beginning and no end. David, like all human beings, was finite (Psalm 39:4–6), but he wisely entrusted his life to the eternal God.
Verse Context:
Psalm 41:11–13 expresses David's confidence that the Lord will defeat his enemies. He is certain God has upheld him and has given him an eternal dwelling in His presence. His last words form a doxology to Israel's God as everlasting. These verses conclude not only Psalm 41 but also the segment commonly referred to as "Book One" of the Psalms.
Chapter Summary:
David observes that blessing comes to the person who shows kindness to the poor. As someone who did just that, David perceives that God is working to protect him from the schemes of his enemies. He admits he has sinned and declares that his enemies want to see him die. These hypocrites scheme and plot while telling lies. Even a close friend has turned into an enemy. David is certain the Lord will vindicate him and not allow his enemy to be victorious over him. He believes the Lord has upheld him and given him assurance of everlasting life in His presence. He concludes Psalm 41 by ascribing praise to the Lord, Israel's God, who is eternal.
Chapter Context:
This is the last entry in what is often considered the first "book," or major division, of the Psalms. Echoing themes of Psalms 38 and 39, David cries out to the Lord about sin and sickness. This passage refers specifically to betrayal and pressure from enemies. That makes the likely historical context the rebellion led by David's son, Absalom. During that series of events, David's close counselor, Ahithophel, betrayed him (2 Samuel 15—18).
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
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