Read Psalm 40 at Bible Gateway.
Psa 40 Hebrew paragraph divisions:
(There is an understood {s} division at the end of each numbered line, with an {n} division within these lines:)
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2a He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, {n}
2b and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3a And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: {n}
3b many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
4a Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, {n}
4b and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5a Many things have You done, O Lord my God, {n}
5b even Your wonderful works, and thy thoughts toward us: {n}
5c There is none to be compared to You! If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
6a Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: {n}
6b burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
9a I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, {n}
9b O Lord, thou knowest.
10a I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: {n}
10b I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
11a You, O Lord, will not withhold Your tender mercies from me: {n}
11b let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
1a2 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: {n}
12b mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; {n}
12c they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.
14a Let them be ashamed and abashed together that seek after my soul to destroy it; {n}
14b let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
16a Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: {n}
16b let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.
17a But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: {n}
17b thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
Psa 40 chiastic structure:
1a) Psa 40:1, I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me, and heard my cry;
1b) Psa 40:2-5, Deliverance/ Let him be blessed/ The Lord’s thoughts toward us:
1) Psa 40:2-3, Remembering a past deliverance;
1a) Psa 40:2, He brought me up out of a pit + miry clay {n}/ set my feet upon a rock + established me;
central axis) Psa 40:3a, He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; {n}
2a) Psa 40:3b, Many shall see [the deliverance] and fear + trust in the Lord;
2) Psa 40:4, Let him be blessed who makes the Lord his trust, {n} who respects not the proud + those who listen to lies;
3) Psa 40:5, The Lord’s innumerable thoughts toward us:
1a) Psa 40:5a, Many things have You done, O Lord my God; {n}
1b) Psa 40:5b, Even Your wonderful works, and Your thoughts toward us; {n}
central axis) Psa 40:5c, There is none to be compared to You;
2b) Psa 40:5d, If I would declare and speak of them [works + thoughts];
2a) Psa 40:5e) They are more than can be numbered;
1c) Psa 40:6, You did not desire sacrifice + offering, therefore You opened My ears [to Your Law implied]:
1a) Psa 40:6a, Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
central axis) Psa 40:6b, My ears You have opened; {n}
2a) Psa 40:6c, Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required;
central axis) Psa 40:7-8, I said, Lo, I come: in the scroll of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Your will, O My God: Your Law is within my heart;
2c) Psa 40:9-10, I have preached Your righteousness + faithfulness + salvation + lovingkindness + truth to the congregation:
1a) Psa 40:9a, I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips; {n}
central axis) Psa 40:9b, O Lord, You know;
2a) Psa 40:10, I have not hid Your righteousness; I have declared Your faithfulness + salvation, {n} I have not concealed Your lovingkindness + truth from the great congregation;
2b) Psa 40:11-17a, Deliverance/ Let them be ashamed/ the Lord thinks upon me:
1) Psa 40:11-13, Plea for present deliverance:
1a) Psa 40:11, You, O Lord, will not withhold Your tender mercies from me; {n} let Your lovingkindness + truth preserve me;
1b) Psa 40:12a, For innumerable evils have compassed me about; {n}
central axis) Psa 40:12b, My iniquities have taken hold of me, so that I am not able to look up; {n}
2b) Psa 40:12c, They are more than the hairs of my head, therefore my heart fails me;
2a) Psa 40:13, Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me;
2) Psa 40:14-16, Let them be ashamed that wish me evil/ Let them rejoice that seek You:
3) Psa 40:17a, But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me; {n}
2a) Psa 40:17b, You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.
The C pair pairs, in that even though the Law contains the ordinances of the sacrifices and offerings for sin and atonement, those sacrifices are not the end desire of the Lord. What He really wants is righteousness, so that there is no need for sacrifices and atonement. Therefore He prepared for the bodily incarnation of Messiah. The Hebrew for “My ears You have opened,” is literally, “ears You have dug for Me,” i.e., made for Me is implied. The picture is of a potter digging clay from which to make a vessel.
Because the Lord does not desire sacrifice and offering, Messiah proclaimed the righteousness (and faithfulness etc.) of the Lord to the great congregation, and His incarnation cut off continual sacrifice and offering and provided for sins too great for us. Isn’t it interesting that it says “great congregation” and not just “congregation.” I think it means, the whole of God’s ekklesia from the beginning to the end of time, the great congregation.
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