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Psalms

About this book
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 41:9 and John 17:12

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

John’s account of Jesus praying about Judas follows biblical patterns of betrayal. It echoes Psalm 41, which laments the pain of being betrayed by a close friend, using that language to shape the story.

Passages

Psalm 41:9

Hebrew Bible
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.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

John 17:12

New Testament
10 Everything I have belongs to you, and everything you have belongs to me, and I have been glorified by them. 11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. 12 When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me. Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience my joy completed in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.
90–110 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in John

References

"... The last fulfillment formula on the lips of Jesus in John which might hearken back to Isaiah is found in John 17:12. As Jesus prays, he says, “And none of those [you gave me] have perished except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” Here a passage is not quoted, but the Scripture is said to be fulfilled. While this might be an allusion to the many places in the Old Testament that speak of the destruction of the enemies of the Messiah (compare e.g., Genesis 3:15; Psalm 110:5-6), a particular passage from Isaiah could be in view. Isaiah 33:1 reads, “Woe to the one who destroys, and will you not be destroyed? And woe to the one who deals treacherously, when they did not deal treacherously against him. When you finish destroying you shall be destroyed, and when you cease dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously against you.” In the context, Isaiah 32:1 predicts the reign of a righteous king, and 32:15 speaks of the outpouring of the Spirit. John presents Jesus as the King who has been betrayed (John 18:2, 36-37), and who gives the Spirit to his followers (20:22). Perhaps Isaiah 33:1 is the Scripture being fulfilled in John 17:12. (Most cite Psalm 41:10 - It seems that Isaiah 33:1 is nearer to the meaning of John 17:12 than these passages.) ..."
James Hamilton, “The Influence of Isaiah on the Gospel of John,” Perichoresis 5.2 (2007): 139–162.

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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  • Gold

    Anonymous, July 14, 2024

  • Hi!
    When you say
    "(Most cite Psalm 41:10 - It seems that Isaiah 33:1 is nearer to the meaning of John 17:12 than these passages.) ..."
    I think you mean Psalm 41:9.
    Thanks for writing!

    Carla, December 18, 2024

Psalm 41:9 and John 17:12

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