Psalm 40:11 kjv
Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
Psalm 40:11 nkjv
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
Psalm 40:11 niv
Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD; may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
Psalm 40:11 esv
As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!
Psalm 40:11 nlt
LORD, don't hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
Psalm 40 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 34:6-7 | "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness..." | God's self-revelation: attributes of mercy, lovingkindness, truth. |
| Ps 25:6 | "Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old." | Plea for enduring divine mercy. |
| Ps 25:10 | "All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant..." | God's ways marked by His core attributes. |
| Ps 33:18 | "Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love..." | God watches over those trusting His love. |
| Ps 36:5 | "Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds." | The immense scope of God's love and truth. |
| Ps 57:3 | "He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!" | Divine intervention by God's love and truth. |
| Ps 61:7 | "May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!" | Prayer for God's unwavering protection. |
| Ps 85:10 | "Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other." | Harmonious attributes of God's character. |
| Ps 86:15 | "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." | Reiteration of God's character (like Ex 34:6). |
| Ps 89:1-2 | "I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD forever... Your faithfulness you will establish in the heavens." | God's enduring love and faithfulness are eternal. |
| Ps 89:14 | "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you." | The basis of God's sovereign rule. |
| Ps 103:8 | "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." | God's compassion and rich love. |
| Ps 115:1 | "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your steadfast love and your faithfulness' sake!" | For God's glory through His love and truth. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." | God's mercies and faithfulness are always fresh. |
| Isa 55:3 | "Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David." | God's promised and unwavering covenant love. |
| Jn 1:14 | "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." | Christ as the embodiment of grace and truth (echoes hesed and emet). |
| Jn 1:17 | "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." | Jesus brings God's definitive grace and truth. |
| Rom 8:38-39 | "For I am sure that neither death nor life... will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." | God's love in Christ secures believers. |
| 2 Tim 1:12 | "...for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what I have entrusted to him." | God's power to preserve and protect His own. |
| 1 Pet 1:5 | "...who are being guarded by God's power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." | Believers are kept by God's active power. |
| Jude 1:24 | "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy..." | God's ultimate ability to preserve His people. |
Psalm 40 verses
Psalm 40 11 Meaning
Psalm 40:11 is a fervent plea from David to the Lord, imploring Him not to withdraw His deep compassion and abundant mercy. It expresses a profound desire for God's steadfast, covenantal love (lovingkindness) and unswerving faithfulness (truth) to perpetually guard and preserve him through all trials. This verse underscores a complete reliance on God's intrinsic character as the sole source of continuous protection and sustenance in times of distress.
Psalm 40 11 Context
Psalm 40 is a "mixed psalm," uniquely transitioning from a song of thanksgiving to a petition for deliverance. The preceding verses (v.1-10) express profound gratitude for God's past intervention, where David was rescued from a dire situation (figuratively, "a horrible pit, out of the miry bog"). This section also includes the powerful statement about the preeminence of obedience to God's will over mere sacrifice (v.6-8), hinting at the internal spiritual posture desired by God. Verse 11, then, marks a shift where David acknowledges present dangers or afflictions. Even after experiencing God's deliverance, he recognizes the ongoing need for divine preservation and seeks it based not on his own merit, but solely on God's unchanging nature—His mercy, lovingkindness, and truth. Historically, David often faced persistent enemies and personal struggles, which could form the backdrop for such a plea for continuous divine protection.
Psalm 40 11 Word analysis
- Do not withhold: This phrase expresses an urgent, direct, and intimate plea. The Hebrew verb kala' (כָּלָא) means "to restrain, keep back, refuse, hinder." David is not asking God to start something new, but to continue and not cease His active benevolent involvement.
- your mercy: The Hebrew term is rachamim (רַחֲמִים), the plural form of racham, which is intimately connected to the word for "womb." It denotes a deep, tender, parental, compassionate affection or pity, suggesting a love so profound it resembles a mother's deep empathy for her child. The plural amplifies the abundance and completeness of this compassion.
- O Lord: YHWH (יהוה), the personal, covenantal name of God. By invoking this name, David appeals to God's faithful character as revealed to Israel, particularly His reliability in keeping His promises and commitments. This reinforces the basis for his trust in God's hesed and emet.
- may your steadfast love: This is chesed or hesed (חֶסֶד). It's a crucial biblical term far richer than "love" alone. It signifies covenant loyalty, unfailing kindness, grace, and an active, enduring, commitment-based goodness. It describes God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant obligations, an unbreakable bond that He demonstrates to His people.
- and your faithfulness: The Hebrew word is emet (אֱמֶת). This signifies firmness, reliability, trustworthiness, stability, and truth. When paired with hesed, it highlights that God's loving-kindness is not arbitrary but founded on His unchanging, reliable nature. What God is in His character, He will act on.
- always protect me: "Always" is tamid (תָּמִיד), meaning continually, perpetually, regularly, without ceasing. "Protect me" is natsar (נָצַר), which means to guard, preserve, keep, observe, or watch over. It conveys the idea of watchful care and active defense against harm. This combined phrase signifies David's desire for God's continuous and uninterrupted watch care and preservation throughout all future trials.
Words-group analysis:
- "Your mercy... Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness": This accumulation of divine attributes underscores the foundational aspects of God's character upon which the supplicant bases his entire hope. It’s an appeal to what God is at His very core, ensuring His response will be consistent with His nature.
- "Steadfast love and your faithfulness": This is a classic biblical pairing (hesed and emet). These two attributes are inseparable, describing God's loyal and dependable character. His love is true and unwavering; His truth is loving and committed. Together, they form the bedrock of His covenant relationship with His people, promising reliability in His gracious dealings.
- "continually preserve me" / "always protect me": This emphasizes the desired duration and consistency of God's divine action. It is not a request for a one-time rescue, but for ongoing sustenance and protection from ever-present dangers, recognizing that the journey of faith requires continuous divine oversight.
Psalm 40 11 Bonus section
The profound significance of Psalm 40:11 lies in its articulation of an experiential theology of dependence. It is not merely an intellectual understanding of God's attributes but a visceral prayer that seeks their active manifestation in real-time life. The move from past deliverance to current petition subtly teaches that grace experienced in the past does not negate the need for fresh grace and intervention in the present. God’s commitment to His people, characterized by His hesed and emet, is what sustains them through successive trials. This verse also implicitly stands in contrast to any reliance on self-effort or external rituals for protection, redirecting focus wholly to the Lord's inherent goodness as the source of salvation and perseverance.
Psalm 40 11 Commentary
Psalm 40:11 presents a powerful pivot from David's joyful testimony of past deliverance to an earnest, present-day prayer for ongoing divine aid. This plea is not for mere physical rescue, but a deeper longing for continuous spiritual and physical preservation, rooted entirely in the unchanging attributes of God. David appeals to Yahweh, the covenant God, reminding Him of His inherent rachamim (tender compassion), hesed (covenant loyalty/steadfast love), and emet (truth/faithfulness). These are not separate, static qualities but active, dynamic expressions of God's nature that continually extend towards His people. The phrase "always protect me" (or "continually preserve me") highlights the essential biblical truth that faith in God involves a constant, moment-by-moment reliance on His character, not just in times of acute crisis, but throughout the entire journey of life. This verse serves as a model prayer for believers: instead of dwelling on the magnitude of the problem, the focus shifts to the infinite greatness and reliability of God's character as the ultimate solution and security.
Examples:
- A parent consistently providing for their child's needs, demonstrating unending love and truthfulness.
- A ship sailing through a perpetual storm, trusting in the unchanging nature of a strong anchor and an unfailing lighthouse.