The Meaning of Psalms 40:11 Explained

Psalms 40:11

KJV: Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

YLT: Thou, O Jehovah, restrainest not Thy mercies from me, Thy kindness and Thy truth do continually keep me.

Darby: Withhold not thou, Jehovah, thy tender mercies from me; let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

ASV: Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Jehovah; Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Withhold  not thou thy tender mercies  from me, O LORD:  let thy lovingkindness  and thy truth  continually  preserve  me. 

What does Psalms 40:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 40:11-17 - A Cry For Deliverance
To the end of life we shall continually need God's lovingkindness, to deal mercifully with our failures and sins, and His truth, that is, His faithfulness. The Covenant, ordered in all things and sure, and that which binds him irrevocably, is the rock of our comfort, whether we are compassed by innumerable evils or overtaken by iniquities, Psalms 40:12.
Our sense of sin grows with our increasing knowledge of the holiness and love of God. They who are nearest to the heart of God are least able to forgive themselves, though they know that they are forgiven. But while we think hard thoughts against ourselves, and confess ourselves to be poor and needy, we may take great comfort in God's thoughts for us, Psalms 40:17. They are tender and loving, Jeremiah 29:11. Poverty and need are never reasons for despair. These things do not alienate God's interest. They rather attract Him; just as a sick child will get more of the mother's care than the healthy members of the home-circle. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 40

1  The benefit of confidence in God
6  Obedience is the best sacrifice
11  The sense of David's evils inflames his prayer

What do the individual words in Psalms 40:11 mean?

You Yahweh not do withhold Your tender mercies from me Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually let preserve me
אַתָּ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה לֹא־ תִכְלָ֣א רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּ֑נִּי חַסְדְּךָ֥ וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ תָּמִ֥יד יִצְּרֽוּנִי

יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
תִכְלָ֣א  do  withhold 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּלָא 
Sense: to restrict, restrain, withhold, shut up, keep back, refrain, forbid.
רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ  Your  tender  mercies 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.
מִמֶּ֑נִּי  from  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
חַסְדְּךָ֥  Your  lovingkindness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗  and  Your  truth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
תָּמִ֥יד  continually 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תָּמִיד  
Sense: continuity, perpetuity, to stretch.
יִצְּרֽוּנִי  let  preserve  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, first person common singular
Root: נְצוּרִים 
Sense: to guard, watch, watch over, keep.