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Psalms

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Psalm 41

1 For the music director, a psalm of David. How blessed is the one who treats the poor properly. When trouble comes, may the Lord deliver him. 2 May the Lord protect him and save his life. May he be blessed in the land. Do not turn him over to his enemies. 3 The Lord supports him on his sickbed; you have healed him from his illness. 4 As for me, I said: “O Lord, have mercy on me! Heal me, for I have sinned against you. 5 My enemies ask this cruel question about me, ‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’ 6 When someone comes to visit, he pretends to be friendly; he thinks of ways to defame me, and when he leaves he slanders me. 7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; they plan ways to harm me. 8 They say, ‘An awful disease overwhelms him, and now that he is bedridden he will never recover.’ 9 Even my close friend whom I trusted, he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.⁠ 10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up, so I can pay them back!” 11 By this I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity; you allow me permanent access to your presence. 13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise in the future and forevermore. We agree! We agree!⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 41:13 and Psalm 72:18 and Psalm 89:52 and Psalm 106:48

Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Several psalms end with the same praise formula that marks clear divisions, used at the end of Psalms 41, 72, 89, and 106. These recurring lines help shape the Psalms into five sections, a structure that mirrors the five books of the Torah.

Passages

Psalm 41:13

Hebrew Bible
11 By this I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity; you allow me permanent access to your presence. 13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise in the future and forevermore. We agree! We agree!
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Psalm 72:18

Hebrew Bible
17 May his fame endure. May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky. May they use his name when they formulate their blessings. May all nations consider him to be favored by God. 18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise. He alone accomplishes amazing things. 19 His glorious name deserves praise forevermore. May his majestic splendor fill the whole earth. We agree! We agree!
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Psalm 89:52

Hebrew Bible
50 Take note, O Lord, of the way your servants are taunted and of how I must bear so many insults from people. 51 Your enemies, O Lord, hurl insults; they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps. 52 The Lord deserves praise forevermore! We agree! We agree!
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Psalm 106:48

Hebrew Bible
46 He caused all their conquerors to have pity on them. 47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God. Gather us from among the nations. Then we will give thanks to your holy name, and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, in the future and forevermore. Let all the people say, “We agree! Praise the Lord!”
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... In the course of its literary history, the Psalms underwent various stages of formation. Its present shape is marked by a division into five parts—it is probable that the Psalter is seen in analogy to the Torah. The five-part structure is established by the four doxologies in Psalm 41:14; 72:18–19; 89:53; 106:48. This “Torah shape” of the Psalter is also underlined by the introductory Psalm 1, which qualifies the study of the Psalter as Torah study, as well as Psalm 119. In light of the strongly divergent order of the Psalter in Qumran and the theological similarity of the framework of the Psalter as a whole in Psalms 1–2 and 146–50 with the contemporary non-Essene wisdom texts (Book of Mysteries [1Q27; 4Q299–301]; 1Q/4QInstruction), this five-part division hardly arose before the second century B.C.E. It is striking that the liturgical tradition in the Psalter was aligned with the form and content of the Torah ..."
Konrad Schmid, Is There Theology in the Hebrew Bible?, CSHB 4 (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015), 97.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Psalm 41:13 and Psalm 72:18 and Psalm 89:52 and Psalm 106:48

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