I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
What does Psalms 40:1 mean?
Doubts and fears about the eternal state, are a horrible pit and miry clay, and have been so to many a dear child of God.
Key themes
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Commentary on Psalms 40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord - Margin, as in Hebrew, "In waiting I waited." That is, "I continued to wait." It was not a single, momentary act of expectation or hope; it was continuous; or, was persevered in. The idea is, that his prayer was not answered at once, but that it was answered after he had made repeated prayers, or when it seemed as if his prayers would not be answered. It is earnest, persevering prayer that is referred to; it is continued supplication and hope when there seemed to be no answer to prayer, and no prospect that it would be answered.
Key words
- waiting I waited
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waiting I waited.
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Context in Psalms 40
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Psalms 40 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book II. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.
Key passages on God's unmerited favour, the grace of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and how grace transforms the way believers live.
Bible verses about thankfulness and gratitude
Passages on thanksgiving to God, grateful worship, and the discipline of remembering God’s goodness in ordinary life.
Who quoted Psalms 40:1?
Find out who used Psalms 40:1 in their speeches and writings. Which famous people quoted Psalms 40:1?
U2 used Psalms 40:1 in 40.