Psalm , Sarah Barry
BLESSED IS HE WHO REGARDS THE WEAK
Passage: Psalm 41:1~13  
Key verse: 1
Psalm 41[a]For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Blessed(A) are those who have regard for the weak;(B)
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(C)
2 The Lord protects(D) and preserves them—(E)
they are counted among the blessed in the land—(F)
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(G)
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(H)
and restores them from their bed of illness.(I)
4 I said, “Have mercy(J) on me, Lord;
heal(K) me, for I have sinned(L) against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?(M)”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely,(N) while his heart gathers slander;(O)
then he goes out and spreads(P) it around.
7 All my enemies whisper together(Q) against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up(R) from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,(S)
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned[b] against me.(T)
1 Blessed(A) are those who have regard for the weak;(B)
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(C)
2 The Lord protects(D) and preserves them—(E)
they are counted among the blessed in the land—(F)
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(G)
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(H)
and restores them from their bed of illness.(I)
4 I said, “Have mercy(J) on me, Lord;
heal(K) me, for I have sinned(L) against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?(M)”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely,(N) while his heart gathers slander;(O)
then he goes out and spreads(P) it around.
7 All my enemies whisper together(Q) against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up(R) from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,(S)
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned[b] against me.(T)
Footnotes
- Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
- Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel
Cross references
- Psalm 41:1 : S Dt 14:29
- Psalm 41:1 : S Job 24:4
- Psalm 41:1 : Ps 25:17
- Psalm 41:2 : Ps 12:5; 32:7
- Psalm 41:2 : Ezr 9:9; Ps 71:20; 119:88, 159; 138:7; 143:11
- Psalm 41:2 : Ps 37:22
- Psalm 41:2 : S Dt 6:24
- Psalm 41:3 : Ps 6:6
- Psalm 41:3 : 2Sa 13:5; 2Ki 1:4
- Psalm 41:4 : Ps 6:2; S 9:13
- Psalm 41:4 : S Dt 32:39
- Psalm 41:4 : Ps 51:4
- Psalm 41:5 : S Ps 38:12
- Psalm 41:6 : Ps 12:2; 101:7; Mt 5:11
- Psalm 41:6 : Pr 26:24
- Psalm 41:6 : S Lev 19:16
- Psalm 41:7 : Ps 71:10
- Psalm 41:8 : S 2Ki 1:4
- Psalm 41:9 : S 2Sa 15:12; S Job 19:14
- Psalm 41:9 : Nu 30:2; Job 19:19; Ps 55:20; 89:34; Mt 26:23; Lk 22:21; Jn 13:18*
- Psalm 41:10 : ver 4
- Psalm 41:10 : Ps 3:3; 9:13
- Psalm 41:10 : S 2Sa 3:39
- Psalm 41:11 : S Nu 14:8
- Psalm 41:11 : Ps 25:2
- Psalm 41:12 : S Ps 25:21
- Psalm 41:12 : Ps 18:35; S 37:17; 63:8
- Psalm 41:12 : S Job 4:7; Ps 21:6; 61:7
- Psalm 41:13 : S Ge 24:27
- Psalm 41:13 : Ps 72:18
- Psalm 41:13 : Ps 72:19; 89:52; 106:48
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Source:  BibleGateway
1. He who has regard for the weak (1-3)
David was the shepherd of Israel. He protected and cared for weak people. He believed that God blesses the person who cares about the weak, for God is a compassionate shepherd. He himself had experienced times of both physical and spiritual weakness, and he knew God's healing and forgiving touch.
2. O Lord, have mercy (4-13)
David himself experienced sickness; he found that when he was weak, his enemies attacked him and his friends betrayed him. But he found the way of victory. He repented and turned to God, seeking his mercy. He longed to live in the presence of God forever. He trusted God and believed that God would forgive his sins and heal his body. He experienced God's victory, for he asked God's mercy.
Prayer: Lord, have mercy on me. Forgive my sins and give me your shepherd heart so that I can care about the weak and the helpless.
One Word: God, the compassionate shepherd