Psalms 41:8

“A vile disease has been poured into him; he will never get up from where he lies!”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The psalmist addresses God, describing the hostile whispers of his enemies who anticipate his collapse. This declaration occurs before the narrative account of the close friend’s betrayal in the following verse.

The words — The term בְּלִיַּעַל (Be.li.ya.'al) literally denotes "worthlessness" or "destruction," characterizing the disease. The verb יָצוּק (ya.Tzuk) indicates a passive action, stating the affliction has been "poured out" upon him.

The thread — The pattern of adversaries claiming divine abandonment and urging pursuit appears in "Psalms 71:11". Similar mockery of a suffering figure by religious authorities is recorded in "Matthew 27:41".

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that suffering can be the deliberate target of coordinated hostility. It asks for a clear-eyed assessment of how spoken malice frames physical decline as inevitable.

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

דְּֽבַר־de.var-a thing of בְּ֭לִיַּעַלBe.li.ya.'alworthlessness יָצ֣וּקya.Tzuk[has been] poured outבּ֑וֹb/oon/ himוַאֲשֶׁ֥רva./'a.Sherand/ [the one] who שָׁ֝כַ֗בSha.Khavhe lay down לֹא־lo'-not יוֹסִ֥יףyo.Sifhe will repeat לָקֽוּם׃la./Kumto/ rise

King James Version

An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

Cross-references

Psalms 71:11 saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for there is no one to rescue him.”
Matthew 27:41 In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying,
Luke 13:16 Then should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?”
Job 2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.
Psalms 3:2 Many say of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah
Psalms 38:3 There is no soundness in my body because of Your anger; there is no rest in my bones because of my sin.
Matthew 27:63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’