Psalm 40 2

Psalm 40:2 kjv

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

Psalm 40:2 nkjv

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

Psalm 40:2 niv

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Psalm 40:2 esv

He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

Psalm 40:2 nlt

He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.

Psalm 40 verses

Psalm 40 2 Meaning

Psalm 40:2 depicts a profound divine intervention: the Lord rescuing the psalmist from a state of utter despair, entanglement, and imminent destruction, then establishing him securely and firmly for the future. It signifies a move from complete helplessness and peril to stability, safety, and a secure life path, entirely due to God's powerful and merciful action.

Psalm 40 2 Context

Psalm 40 opens with the psalmist recounting his patient waiting for the Lord in a time of great distress (v. 1). Verse 2 is the pivotal moment where this patient expectation is gloriously fulfilled. The psalmist expresses deep gratitude for divine deliverance. The Psalm then moves into a section contrasting God's desire for obedience over mere animal sacrifice (vv. 6-8), often cited in the New Testament to speak of Christ's perfect obedience (Heb 10:5-7). The Psalm transitions again, expressing further petition for deliverance from ongoing enemies and concluding with renewed trust in God. Historically, David, often considered the author, faced numerous "pits" of distress, from the plots of Saul to various national and personal calamities. The imagery of the "horrible pit" and "miry clay" was relatable in a land where cisterns and literal pits were used for storage, dungeons, or could become traps. Metaphorically, these represent any overwhelming predicament that leads to despair or death. The implied polemic within the broader Psalm highlights God's unique and ultimate power to save and establish, contrasting with human attempts at salvation, pagan gods, or formalistic religious acts. True stability and salvation are solely found in the Lord's intervention and foundational principles.

Psalm 40 2 Word analysis

• Word by word analysis:

  • He brought me up (Heb. He'elani - הֶעֱלַנִי): Literally, "He made me ascend" or "He raised me." This emphasizes active, deliberate divine intervention, an act of God lifting someone from a lower to a higher state.
  • Horrible pit (Heb. bor sha'on - בּוֹר שָׁאוֹן): Bor means "pit," often referring to a cistern, dungeon, or a grave, signifying entrapment or a place of death. Sha'on often means "tumult," "noise," "roaring," or "desolation," suggesting a pit of chaos, despair, destruction, or deep water that swallows and rumbles. The KJV's "horrible" conveys the dreadful nature of this place. It denotes a crisis from which there is no human escape.
  • Miry clay (Heb. tit hayawen - טִיט הַיָּוֵן): Tit refers to "mud" or "clay," specifically a thick, sticky substance. Hayawen describes "mire" or "filth," emphasizing a slimy, engulfing, and impure condition. It conveys utter helplessness, being stuck and sinking, signifying a situation that holds one captive and degrades.
  • Set my feet (Heb. Vayaqem al-sela raglai - וַיָּקֶם עַל־סֶלַע רַגְלָי): Vayaqem means "and He set up" or "made to stand." This indicates firm placement and establishment. Raglai are "my feet."
  • Upon a rock (Heb. al-sela - עַל־סֶלַע): Sela denotes a solid "rock," "crag," or "boulder"—a firm, unyielding foundation. It symbolizes stability, security, salvation, and divine protection. It starkly contrasts with the "miry clay" from which the psalmist was extracted.
  • Established (Heb. Konen - כּוֹנֵן): "He made firm," "He directed," "He made ready" or "prepared." This verb speaks of divine ordination and stabilization not just for the moment, but for continuity.
  • My goings (Heb. Ashurai - אֲשֻּׁרָי): This refers to "my steps," "my path," or "my movements/walk." It encompasses one's life journey, future course, and overall conduct.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay: This dual phrase emphasizes the extremity of the peril. It's not just a pit, but a terrible, overwhelming one, and not just mud, but sticky, inescapable mire. The parallelism intensifies the picture of distress and helplessness, from which only a mighty, divine hand could deliver.
  • And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings: This second dual phrase depicts complete and total restoration. Moving from sinking to standing firmly on an unshakeable foundation signifies a dramatic reversal of fortune and condition. "Established my goings" expands beyond merely being safe; it indicates divine orchestration of one's entire life path, providing security, direction, and purpose for the future. The firm setting of the feet implies stable progress, rather than slipping or wandering.

Psalm 40 2 Bonus section

The imagery of the pit and mire is a recurring motif in the Psalms, frequently linked to the realm of death (Sheol), extreme suffering, or being consumed by enemies. This gives the deliverance a life-or-death, often spiritual, significance. The phrase "established my goings" carries connotations of ordered steps and a divinely guided path, suggesting that after deliverance, one's life purpose and trajectory become clearer and more secure in alignment with God's will. This is a fundamental concept in the Abrahamic covenant, where God promises to guide and establish His people. The "rock" often symbolizes God Himself, particularly His strength, faithfulness, and eternal reliability, making the act of "setting my feet upon a rock" equivalent to anchoring one's life in the very nature of God. This Psalm serves as a foundational declaration for understanding salvation through grace and the importance of divine sovereignty in one's life, echoing across both Testaments.

Psalm 40 2 Commentary

Psalm 40:2 encapsulates the core message of salvation: divine intervention extracting a helpless individual from insurmountable peril and establishing them on an unshakeable foundation. The "horrible pit" and "miry clay" powerfully symbolize the desperate situations humans find themselves in—whether physical illness, persecution, deep emotional distress, or the overwhelming grip of sin. These are conditions where self-rescue is impossible, mirroring humanity's need for a Savior from the pit of condemnation and the mire of sin. The act of "setting feet upon a rock" speaks to the divine placement of believers onto Christ, the secure cornerstone of faith (1 Cor 10:4; Eph 2:20). It signifies not just rescue but profound stabilization, moving from instability to an enduring and secure relationship with God. "Established my goings" further broadens this salvation to encompass one's entire life journey, meaning God orders, secures, and directs our steps, ensuring stability and purpose even in future challenges. This transformative work prompts a "new song" of praise (Psa 40:3) and encourages others to trust in the Lord. It offers practical comfort: even when circumstances seem overwhelmingly dire, God has the power not just to deliver, but to re-establish and guide every aspect of one's life.