Psalms 40:13 · Bible study
Psalms 40:13 Commentary: 'Be Pleased' and the Cry for Deliverance
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the psalmist ask God to 'be pleased' to deliver him? Discover the theological depth of this plea and its connection to Christ in Gethsemane.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A petition for deliverance that subordinates human urgency to divine will.
- Key words: Be pleased, deliver, hurry, help.
- Main debate: Whether the verse is primarily David’s cry or a prophecy of Christ.
- Theological theme: The intersection of human desperation and divine sovereignty.
- Best use: As a model of urgent, submissive prayer in times of trouble.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; hurry, O LORD, to help me.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Be pleased, Yahweh, to deliver me. Hurry to help me, Yahweh.
KJV King James Version 1769
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Be pleased, O Jehovah, to deliver me: Make haste to help me, O Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Be pleased, O Jehovah, to deliver me, O Jehovah, for my help make haste.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Be pleased, O Jehovah, to deliver me; Jehovah, make haste to my help.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But thou hast upheld me by reason of my innocence: and hast established me in thy sight for ever.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Quieras, oh Jehová, librarme; Jehová, apresúrate á socorrerme.
Seja agradável para ti, SENHOR, tu me livrares; SENHOR, apressa-te ao meu socorro.
Car des maux sans nombre m’environnent;
Laß dir's gefallen, HERR, daß du mich errettest; eile, HERR, mir zu helfen!
Want kwaden, tot zonder getal toe, hebben mij omgeven; mijn ongerechtigheden hebben mij aangegrepen, dat ik niet heb kunnen zien; zij zijn menigvuldiger dan de haren mijns hoofds, en mijn hart heeft mij verlaten.
Piacciati, o Eterno, di liberarmi! O Eterno, affrettati in mio aiuto!
Albowiem ogarnęły mię nieszczęścia, którym niemasz liczby; doścignęły mię nieprawości moje, tak, że przejrzeć nie mogę; rozmnożyły się nad włosy głowy mojej, a serce moje opuściło mię.
а меня сохранишь в целости моей и поставишь пред лицем Твоим на веки.
耶和華啊，求你開恩 搭救我！耶和華啊，求你速速 幫助我！
Be pleased, O Lord, to take me out of danger; O Lord, come quickly and give me help.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse captures the tension between urgent desperation and submission to God's sovereign will. Barnes connects it to Christ's prayer in Gethsemane, where Jesus asked that the cup might pass while yielding to the Father's will (Matthew 26:39). The Cambridge Bible notes that 'Be pleased' echoes 'thy good pleasure' in verse 8, linking the plea to the psalmist's earlier delight in God's law. Keil and Delitzsch observe that petition develops out of thanksgiving here, grounding the request in prior confession of God's faithfulness. Gill reads the deliverance as ultimately fulfilled in Christ's resurrection. The repetition of 'Yahweh' underscores the covenant relationship, and the verse's reuse in Psalm 70 signals its liturgical importance. Together, these voices affirm a prayer that is both raw and reverent.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Christological: Barnes and Gill connect the verse directly to Jesus' Gethsemane prayer, seeing the deliverance as ultimately messianic.
- Historical: Calvin and Keil-Delitzsch treat the verse as David’s own cry in a historical crisis, with the plea arising from personal distress.
- Liturgical: The reuse in Psalm 70 and the doubling of the divine name suggest this was a standard prayer for community worship.
What is clear: The psalmist is in desperate trouble, confesses the weight of his iniquities, and calls urgently on Yahweh, trusting that deliverance lies in God’s good pleasure.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the speaker in verses 12, 17 | The psalmist speaks in a personal lament, honestly confessing sin and pleading for help. | Some read the speaker as David facing historical enemies; others (e.g., Barnes, Gill) see a primary reference to Christ, with the words placed on his lips. |
| Meaning of 'Be pleased' | The phrase appeals to God’s will and favor, not the psalmist’s merit. | Some interpreters stress submission to God's sovereign decree, while others see it as a simple request for God to act according to His benevolent nature. |
| Relationship between Psalm 40:13, 17 and Psalm 70 | The passages are nearly identical and clearly related as a reused prayer. | Some argue Psalm 70 is a later liturgical extract (Cambridge Bible); others see Psalm 40 as the original and Psalm 70 as a variant for public worship (Lange). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 40 is attributed to David and likely reflects a period of severe distress, perhaps during Saul's persecution or after the consequences of his own sin (vv. 12-13). The psalm divides into two movements: thanksgiving for past deliverance (vv. 1-10) and a prayer for present help (vv. 11-17). Our verse belongs to the prayer section, where the psalmist shifts from recounting God's deeds to urgently seeking intervention.
The phrase 'Be pleased' echoes a key Old Testament theme: God's delight or good pleasure as the ground of salvation (see Psalm 40:8; Isaiah 53:10). The psalmist does not demand deliverance but asks that it align with God's will, a posture of dependence common in Israel's lament tradition. The cry 'hurry' or 'make haste' appears in many Psalms of distress (22:19; 38:22; 70:5), conveying the intensity of need without denying God's sovereignty.
Literarily, this verse sits between a confession of sin ('my iniquities have overtaken me', v.12) and a prayer against enemies (vv.14-15). It serves as the central petition, balancing honesty about trouble with trust in the One who can act. The double address to 'Yahweh' frames the plea as covenantal: the Psalmist appeals to the God who made promises to Israel and who has proven faithful before.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note that the most significant textual variation occurs in Psalm 70, which reuses these verses. In Psalm 70:1, the opening phrase 'Be pleased' is omitted, and 'God' appears in the first line instead of 'Yahweh,' following the practice of Book II (Cambridge Bible). No other manuscript variants are mentioned in the supplied commentaries.
Reception History
Early Christian writers, following New Testament patterns (Hebrews 10:5-9 quotes Psalm 40:6-8), read this psalm as prophetic of Christ. Augustine saw in it the voice of David and, by extension, Christ the head and his body. Reformation commentators like Calvin interpreted the verse as David's personal testimony, while Matthew Henry and Gill explicitly connected verse 13 to Gethsemane. In medieval liturgy, the psalm was used in offices of penance. Modern scholarship focuses on the psalm's two-part structure and its reuse in Psalm 70, seeing it as a template for blending thanksgiving with urgent petition.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The foundation of prayer: The psalmist begins with 'Be pleased,' rooting his request not in his own deserving but in God's sovereign will.
- The urgency of need: 'Hurry to help me' is no casual request, it comes from a place of being overwhelmed (v.12).
- The confidence of faith: Repeating 'Yahweh' twice shows the psalmist knows whom he addresses, the covenant God who has delivered before.
Five-point outline
- Acknowledging God's pleasure: Prayer starts with orientation to God's will, not our demands.
- Pleading for specific deliverance: The request is concrete, salvation from surrounding evils.
- Crying with speed: 'Hurry' reveals the depth of distress.
- Repeating the covenant name: Yahweh frames the plea in relationship and faithfulness.
- Recognizing the pattern of Christ: In Gethsemane, Jesus prays with similar submission and intensity.
Illustration hooks
- The hospital room: A family prays for a loved one's recovery while also whispering 'if it be Your will.' The tension between desperation and trust is real.
- The waiting parent: A mother prays urgently for her wayward child, both crying for immediate rescue and surrendering to God's timing.
- The last-minute exam: A student prays for time to finish, knowing effort has been made but aware that outcome is not fully in control.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God sometimes seem slow to answer urgent prayers?
- Is it okay to be demanding in prayer if I also trust God's will?
- How do I know if what I'm asking for aligns with God's pleasure?
Leading a Discussion
This short verse packs profound tension: the psalmist is desperate for immediate rescue, yet he frames his plea around God's good pleasure. As a small group, explore how this balance shapes your own prayers.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the psalmist ask for? How many times does he name God?
- Observation: Look at the context (vv. 11-12). What has driven the psalmist to this point?
- Interpretation: Why does he begin with 'Be pleased' instead of just launching into his request? What does that reveal about his view of God?
- Interpretation: How does this verse echo Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-39)? What does the connection tell us about biblical prayer?
- Interpretation: Compare with Psalm 70:1. Why might later worship have omitted 'Be pleased'? What does the longer version add?
- Application: When have you prayed something like this, urgent, yet surrendered? What helped you hold both parts together?
- Application: How can we encourage one another to bring raw needs to God without losing reverence for His will?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 22:19 | But don’t be far off, Yahweh. You are my help. Hurry to help me! |
| Psalms 25:17 | The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring me out of my distresses. |
| Psalms 25:18 | Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins. |
| Psalms 38:22 | Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation. |
| Psalms 70:1 | For the Chief Musician. By David. A reminder. Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, Yahweh. |
| Psalms 70:5 | But I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. Yahweh, don’t delay. |
| Psalms 71:12 | God, don’t be far from me. My God, hurry to help me. |
| Matthew 26:36 | Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.” |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes connects this prayer directly to Christ’s agony in Gethsemane, seeing the same plea for deliverance from a cup of sorrow. He treats the words as an urgent cry in deep distress, not a general petition but a specific request that the suffering might pass, if possible.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that this passage shifts from thanksgiving to urgent supplication and reappears in Psalm 70 with deliberate verbal changes. The word "Be pleased" is omitted, and "God" replaces "Lord" according to the editorial pattern of Book II. The plea for haste echoes similar cries in other psalms.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the petitioner's twofold plea for deliverance and speed. It is a cry of urgent dependence, asking God not only to rescue but to do so without delay, combining humility in "let it please thee" with desperation in "make haste."
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this as Christ's cry for rescue from the specific enemies that surrounded him — sinful men, devils, death itself, pictured as sword, dog, and lion. The deliverance came when God raised him from the dead, showing divine pleasure in his finished work and suffering.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight the true art of prayer: petition grows out of thanksgiving. The psalmist’s not restraining his lips in praise creates a reciprocal claim on God’s mercy, and the same correlation of mercy and truth continues from confession to request. The “cannot see” means total encompassing darkness, not an inability to count.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the psalmist now speaking in his own voice, applying the truth of Christ's finished work to personal prayer. Because God did not spare His own Son, the believer can confidently ask that no needed mercy be withheld, relying on God's lovingkindness and truth for continual preservation.