Bible Strands
Psalms 40:1
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David, speaking retrospectively to a congregation (the superscript addresses the choirmaster), testifying of a moment when his waiting on Yahweh ended in deliverance.
The words — שַׁוְעָה (shav'ah) is not a generic "cry" but a shout of urgent distress, the kind that comes from a place of desperation.
The thread — The same posture of patient waiting on Yahweh's answer recurs in Psalms 37:7 and is extended in James 5:7 to the eschatological wait.
Why it lands — It asks the reader to name specifically what they are waiting on and to hold that posture without fidgeting or self-pity.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Cross-references
- Psalms 27:13 Still I am certain to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
- Psalms 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.
- James 5:7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- Psalms 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
- Psalms 116:2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.
- Psalms 130:2 O Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.
- Daniel 9:18 Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You because of our righteous acts, but because of Your great compassion.