Psalm 41:9 Kommentar

God's kindness and truth have often been the support and comfort of the saints when they have had most experience of man's unkindness and treachery. David here found them so, upon a sick-bed; he found his enemies very barbarous, but his God very gracious. I. He here comforts himself in his communion with God under his sickness, by faith receiving and laying hold of God's promises to him (Psa 41:1-3) and lifting up his heart in prayer to God (Psa 41:4). II. He here represents the malice of his enemies against him, their malicious censures of him, their spiteful reflections upon him, and their insolent conduct towards him (Psa 41:5-9). III. He leaves his case with God, not doubting but that he would own and favour him (Psa 41:10-12), and so the psalm concludes with a doxology (Psa 41:13). Is any afflicted with sickness? let him sing the beginning of this psalm. Is any persecuted by enemies? let him sing the latter end of it; and we may any of us, in singing it, meditate upon both the calamities and comforts of good people in this world. To the chief musician. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 41 To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. In this psalm is a prophecy concerning Christ, and concerning Judas Iscariot, as runs part of the title in the Syriac version; and in the Arabic version it is called a prophecy concerning the incarnation, and the salutation of Judas; and certain it is that Psa 41:9 is to be understood of him, and of his betraying Christ into the hands of his enemies, since it is cited and applied to him by our Lord himself, Joh 13:18; so that having such a sure rule of interpretation, we may safely venture to explain the whole psalm of Christ, which treats both of his humiliation and exaltation; for it neither agrees with David wholly, nor with Hezekiah, to whom some ascribe it, as Theodoret remarks.

Yea, mine own familiar friend,.... Or, "the man of my peace" (z); who did live peaceably with him, and ought always to have done so; whom he treated as his friend, as the rest of the apostles; calling him to that high office, and ordaining him to it, and qualifying him for it; and whom he called by the name of friend, when he came to betray him; Judas is meant; in whom I trusted; with the bag and the money in it, both for the sustenance of his own family, the apostles, and for the relief of the poor, Joh 12:6; which did eat of my bread; of his bread in common with the rest of the apostles; and who was eating with him when he gave the sign who should betray him; and who seems to have eaten of the bread in the Lord's supper: even this same person hath lifted up his heel against me; by supplanting him, dealing hypocritically with him, and betraying him into the hands of his enemies: the metaphor is either taken from an unruly horse throwing his rider, and then ungenerously spurning at him, and trampling on him; or from wrestlers, who seek to supplant and trip up each other's heels; which shows the ingratitude, baseness, and treachery of Judas; see Joh 13:18. (z) "vir pacis meae", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.

So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. [Psalms 41:9] Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

We need not imagine that Jesus did not know that Judas was going to betray him.… Of course Jesus knew it. But in order to emphasize how damnable was the deed, Jesus speaks of the hopes he had held regarding Judas’ loyalty.… We come down more heavily on one in whom we say we had high hopes or great trust, if afterwards that person robs us of our hope and high opinion.… This is why Jesus says that he had hoped, it was as though he had a right to hope. For surely one would expect an apostle to lay aside his old ways and follow new and better ways.

"The man of My peace, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, has enlarged his heel against Me" [Psalm 41:9]: has raised up his foot against Me: would trample upon Me. Who is this man of His peace? Judas. And in him did Christ trust, that He said, "in whom I trusted"? Did He not know him from the beginning? Did He not before he was born know that he would be? Had He not said to all His disciples, "I have chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil"? [John 6:70] How then trusted He in him, but that He is in His Members, and that because many faithful trusted in Judas, the Lord transferred this to Himself?..."The man of My peace, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread." How showed He him in His Passion? By the words of His prophecy: by the sop He marked Him out, that it might appear said of him, "Which did eat of My bread." [John 13:26] Again, when he came to betray Him, He granted him a kiss, [Matthew 26:49] that it might appear said of him, "The man of My peace."

The one who shared the same table with me and the same food proved to be a foe the more threatening the more he concealed his malice under his close relationship. The Lord also suffered this in the case of Judas: in that case, too, it was not someone from the outer group of disciples who concocted plots but one who gave the impression of being closely related and sharing with him table and food.

"Even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted." Above, the Psalmist set forth the counsel of enemies plotting the death of Christ; here, however, he introduces the counsel of friends. And because Christ himself, in Jn. 13, introduces this word concerning Judas, therefore let us here explain this of Christ. Where he does two things. First the condition of Judas is described. Second, his guilt. The condition of the person of Judas is described from three things that aggravate the sin: because he was a friend, because he was familiar, and because he had received benefits. He says therefore, as to the first: "Even the man of my peace." He said above that he slept, at the instigation of the traitor. Or, "They determined an unjust word against me," the enemies. But this is not surprising, because "the man of my peace," because Judas was reckoned among his friends. This prophecy was fulfilled in deed, because he betrayed Christ with a kiss, which is a sign of friendship and peace. Hence the Lord said in Lk. 22: "Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" Ps. 28: "They speak peace with their neighbor," etc. Jer. 20: "I heard the insults of many, and terror on every side, from all the men who were at peace with him, and watching his side." Likewise he was a familiar; hence, "in whom I trusted." But was Christ deceived in his hope? No. And therefore he says, "in whom I trusted," that is, in whom I seemed to trust, that is, to confide, because he had committed to him the management of his affairs. Or, "in whom I trusted," that is, of such a condition that I bore myself toward him in such a way that I ought to have been able to trust in him. But sometimes one believes he can trust in one whom he considers a friend and in whom he ought to confide, and yet is deceived. Jer. 9: "Do not have confidence in any brother of yours." Mic. 7: "Do not trust a friend, and do not confide in a leader." Or, "in whom I trusted," in my members who trusted in Christ. Mt. 25: "What you did to one of these my least ones, you did to me." As to the third he says, "who ate my bread," because Christ designated him with the sign of bread. Jn. 13: "He to whom I shall give the dipped bread." And although Judas ate the bread of Christ, yet he proceeded against him. Sir. 29: "He will feed and give drink to the ungrateful." Or, "my bread," that is, my teaching. Gen. 49: "Asher, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties." Such bread is the bread of Christ, which is rich on account of the sweetness of his teaching. Ps. 119: "How sweet," etc. "He has greatly supplanted me." Behold the sin. Jerome has: "He has lifted up his heel against me." And he speaks after the likeness of one who wishes to completely crush someone; as if to say: he attempted to utterly destroy me. And the diversity of translations seems to have arisen from an equivocation, because what is lifted up on high is magnified. Or, "He has greatly supplanted me," that is, he committed a great act of treachery against me, because he brought about my death. Jer. 9: "Every supplanter shall be supplanted." Amos 5: "They hated the one who rebuked in the gate."

The Psalmist celebrates the blessedness of those who compassionate the poor, conduct strongly contrasted with the spite of his enemies and neglect of his friends in his calamity. He prays for God's mercy in view of his ill desert, and, in confidence of relief, and that God will vindicate his cause, he closes with a doxology. (Psa 41:1-13) God rewards kindness to the poor (Pro 19:17). From Psa 41:2, Psa 41:11 it may be inferred that the Psalmist describes his own conduct. poor--in person, position, and possessions.

mine . . . friend--literally, "the man of my peace." eat . . . bread--who depended on me or was well treated by me. hath lifted up heel--in scornful violence. As David and his fortunes typified Christ and His (compare Introduction), so these words expressed the treatment he received, and also that of his Son and Lord; hence, though not distinctly prophetical, our Saviour (Joh 13:18) applies them to Judas, "that the Scripture may be fulfilled." This last phrase has a wide use in the New Testament, and is not restricted to denote special prophecies.