Psalms 40:1-17

This Ps. falls into two well-marked divisions, which many think to have been originally separate Pss. In Psalms 40:1 the writer recalls with thankfulness how God has heard his prayers and delivered him from trouble (Psalms 40:1), declares the greatness of God's mercies (Psalms 40:5), presents himself as a living sacrifice (Psalms 40:6), and desires the continuance of God's blessing on account of his fearless witness for righteousness (Psalms 40:9). In Psalms 40:12, on the other hand, the Psalmist is in distress, both from sin (Psalms 40:12) and from persecution (Psalms 40:14). He pleads for the speedy confusion of his enemies, and for the deliverance both of himself and of all who seek God (Psalms 40:13). This part of the Ps. resembles Psalms 35; Psalms 40:13 are reproduced with some variations as Psalms 70; Psalms 40:6 are applied to Christ in Hebrews 10:5. The Ps. is probably a national Psalm. In it the nation, or the church, rather than the individual, is speaking. The horrible pit will then be the pit of exile, and the new song will be that sung for deliverance from exile and restitution to the home-land. This is one of the Pss. for Good Friday.