Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 41:8
An evil disease, [say they], cleaveth fast unto him: and [now] that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
8. Render: A deadly mischief is poured out upon him.
The phrase a thing of belial is variously explained to mean an incurable disease or a matter of wickedness (cp. note on Psa 18:4). The use of it in Psa 101:3 ( base thing), and Deu 15:9 ( base thought) points to the latter as the primary sense. But probably the speakers do not distinguish between the moral cause some monstrous crime and the physical effect a fatal illness ; but include the latter in the former. Cp. Shimei’s taunt, 2Sa 16:7.
cleaveth fast unto him ] R.V. marg., is poured out upon him; perhaps, is molten, or, welded fast upon him. He will never be free from his guilt and its punishment.
The rendering in P.B.V., Let the sentence of guiltiness proceed against him, is quite impossible.
now that he lieth &c.] Now that he has taken to his bed he will never leave it again.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
An evil disease – Margin, a thing of Belial. The Hebrew is literally a word of Belial. This has been very variously understood and interpreted. The Septuagint renders it: logon paranomon – wicked word; a wicked determination (Thompson); that is, they formed a wicked purpose against him, to wit, by saying that he was now confined to his bed, and could not rise again. The Latin Vulgate renders it in a similar manner: Verbum iniquitum constituerunt adversum me. Luther: They have formed a wicked device (Bubenstuck) against me; they behave in a knavish or wicked manner. DeWette, Destruction (Verderben) or punishnnent (Strafe) is poured upon him. The term rendered disease means properly word or thing; and Prof. Alexander renders it, A word of Belial is poured upon him. The word rendered evil, Belial, means literally without use – belyaal – from bely, not or without, and yaal, use or profit.
Then it means worthlessness, wickedness, destruction; and hence, in connection with man, denotes one who is wicked, worthless, abandoned. It is difficult to determine its meaning here. The connection Psa 41:3 would seem to suggest the idea adopted by our translators; the words themselves would seem rather to convey the idea of some reproach, or harsh saying – some vain, wicked, malicious words that were uttered against him. That there was disease in the case, and that the psalm was composed in view of it, and of the treatment which the author experienced from those who had been his professed friends when suffering under it, seems to me to be manifest from Psa 41:1, Psa 41:3-4, Psa 41:8; but it is probable that the reference in this expression is not to the disease, but to the words or the conduct of his calumniators. It is evident from the pronoun him – the third person – that this refers, as our translators have indicated by the words they say to something that they said in regard to him; something which they affirmed as the result of their observations on his condition, Psa 41:6-7. The true idea, therefore, I think is this: They say – that is, those who came to see me said – A word of evil – a sentence of evil or destruction – is poured upon him. He is suffering under such a word of destruction; or, such a word (that is, sentence) as will involve his destruction, by way of punishment for his sins; therefore all is over with him, and he must die. He can hope to rise no more. This would express the idea that they regarded his death as certain, for he seemed to be under a sentence which made that sure.
Cleaveth fast unto him – Or rather, is poured upon him. The word used here – tsuq – means:
(1) to be narrow, straitened, compressed; and then
(2) to pour out – as metal is poured out Job 28:2, or as words are poured out in prayer Isa 26:16.
Here it would seem to mean that such a sentence was poured upon him, or that he had become submerged or swallowed up under it. It was like the pouring out of a torrent on him, overwhelming him with floods of water, so that he could not hope to escape, or to rise again.
And now that he lieth, he shall rise up no more – There is no hope for him; no prospect that he will ever get up again. They felt that they might indulge their remarks, therefore, freely, as he would not be able to take revenge on them, and their expectations and hopes were about to be accomplished by his death. Compare Psa 41:5. As a part of his sufferings, all this was aggravated by the fact that they regarded those sufferings as full proof of his guilt; that he could not reply to their accusations; and that be was about to die under that imputation.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him] debar beliyaal yatsuk bo, a thing, word, or pestilence of Belial, is poured out upon him. His disease is of no common sort; it is a diabolical malady.
He shall rise up no more.] His disease is incurable without a miracle; and he is too much hated of God to have one wrought for him. Some apply this to the death and resurrection of Christ; he lieth-he is dead and buried; he shall never rise again from the dead.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
An evil disease, Heb. a word or thing of Belial, i.e. either,
1. Some wicked calumny which they had raised, and which stuck close to him. Or,
2. His great wickedness, whereof this is a sign. Or rather,
3. This sore disease or mischief; either sent upon him in way of vengeance for his horrid crimes; or such as God useth to inflict upon the sons of Belial, to show that he is in truth such a one, whatsoever he pretends to the contrary.
He shall rise up no more; seeing God hath begun to punish him, he will make an end of him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. An evil diseaseliterally,”a word of Belial,” some slander.
cleavethliterally,”poured on him.”
that he liethwhohas now laid down, “he is utterly undone and our victory issure.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
An evil disease, [say they], cleaveth fast unto him,…. Not any bodily one, of which they might hope he would die; much less any foul disease, the disease of sin; but, as the phrase may be rendered, “a word of Belial” y; that is, a wicked charge or accusation; a charge of sin brought against him by the sons of Belial, as of blasphemy and sedition, which they concluded would be fastened upon him, and stick by him, and in which they should succeed to their wishes; or else the shameful punishment the death of the cross, inflicted on him, which they fancied would fix an indelible mark of infamy and scandal on him, since cursed is he that hangeth on a tree;
and [now] that he lieth, let him rise up no more; has much as he was dead, of which they had full proof, and was laid in the grave, his tomb watched, and the stone rolled to it sealed; they thought all was safe, and it was all over with him, that he would never rise again, as he had given out, and his disciples incapable of committing a fraud they afterwards accused them with: this, according to the above learned writer, see Ps 41:6, was said by Absalom, as he thinks Ahithophel is the person designed in Ps 41:9.
y “verbum Belijahal”, Montanus, Musculus, Cocceius, Gejerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
8. An evil deed of Belial cleaved fast to him. From this verse it appears that they had thus conspired together for his destruction, on the ground that they regarded him as a wicked man, and a person worthy of a thousand deaths. The insolence and arrogance which they manifested towards him proceeded from the false and wicked judgment which they had formed concerning him, and of which he made mention in the beginning of the psalm. They say, therefore, that an evil deed of Belial holds him shut up, and, as it were, bound fast. This the verb יצוק, yatsuk, properly signifies; but in translating the verse I have followed the rendering which is most commonly received, reading cleaveth fast to him, etc. This expression is by others rendered spreadeth upon him, but this interpretation seems to me to be too constrained. As to the word Belial, we have already spoken of it in the eighteenth psalm. But as grammarians maintain that it is compounded of בלי, beli, and יעל, yaäl, which signify not to rise, the expression, thing of Belial, (for so it is literally in the Hebrew,) I understand in this place as meaning an extraordinary and hateful crime, which, as we commonly say, can never be expiated, and from which there is no possibility of escape; unless, perhaps, some would rather refer it to the affliction itself under which he labored, as if his enemies had said that he was seized by some incurable malady. (105) But whatever may be as to this, his enemies regarded it as absolutely certain that God was altogether hostile to him, and would never be reconciled towards him, since he was chastising him with so much severity. When they add in the following clause, he shall never be able to rise again, (106) this clearly shows that they utterly cut off from him all hope of recovery. And certainly it was a sore temptation to David, who had in himself the testimony of a good conscience, to think that he was regarded by men as one who was pursued by the vengeance of God, nay, that they even cast him headlong into hell. But it pleased God thus to try his servant, that, trusting to the testimony of his own conscience, he should pay no regard to what men might say, or be troubled by the reproaches they might cast upon him. It was also his design to teach us, by his example, that we must seek the reward of our righteousness elsewhere than in this world, since we see with what unequal balances the world often sets itself to estimate the difference between virtue and vice.
(105) There seems some difficulty as to what is meant by the words לעיעל, debar beliyaäl They are literally a word of Belial But word in Hebrew is often used for a thing or matter, Exo 18:16; Deu 17:4; 1Kg 14:13. And Belial is used by the Hebrews to designate any detestable wickedness. Thus the original words bring out the meaning which Calvin fixes upon them; and in the same sense they are understood by several critics. Dr Geddes reads “a lawless deed;” and he explains the expression as referring to “David’s sin in the case of Uriah; which his enemies now assign as the cause of his present calamity; as if they had said, ‘This sin hath at length overtaken him,’ etc.” Horsley reads, “Some cursed thing presseth heavily upon him;” and by “some cursed thing” he understands “the crime which they supposed to be the cause of the divine judgment upon him.” Fry reads, “Some hellish crime cleaveth unto him.” Cresswell adopts the interpretation of M. Flaminius: “They say, Some load of iniquity presses upon him, (or clings to him,) so that from the place where he lieth he will rise no more.” But there is another sense which the words will bear. The Septuagint reads, “ λόγος παράνομος;” the Vulgate, “a wicked word;” the Chaldee, “a perverse word;” the Syriac, “a word of iniquity;” and the Arabic, “words contrary to law;” and so the expression may mean a grievous slander or calumny. This is the sense in which it is understood by Hammond. “And this,” says he, “is said to cleave to him on whom it is fastened; it being the nature of calumnies, when strongly affixed on any, to cleave fast, and leave some evil mark behind them: “ Calumniare fortiter, aliquid hoerebit .” In our vulgar version it is “an evil disease.” And דבר, debar, no doubt sometimes signifies a plague or pestilence According to this rendering, the sense will be, he is smitten with an evil disease on account of his crimes, from which he will never recover.
(106) So Hammond reads with our English version, Now that he lieth he shall rise again no more, and thinks that this is a proverbial phrase which was in use among the Hebrews, and which was applied to any sort of ruin, as well as to that which is effected by bodily disease. “The calumniator,” he observes, “may destroy and ruin as well as the pestilence; and from him was David’s danger most frequently, and not from a pestilential disease.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) An evil disease.Margin, thing of Belial. (For Belial, see Deu. 13:13.) The expression may mean, as in LXX. and Vulg., a lawless speech, so the Chaldee, a perverse word. Syriac, a word of iniquity, or a physical evil, as in Authorised Version, or a moral evil. The verse is difficult, not only from this ambiguity, but also from that of the verb, which, according to the derivation we take, may mean cleave or pour forth. Modern scholars prefer the latter, understanding the image as taken from the process of casting metal. An incurable wound is poured out (welded) upon him. (Comp. molten, 1Ki. 7:24; 1Ki. 7:30.) This does not, however, suit the context nearly so well as the reading,
A wicked saying have they directed against me:
Let the sick man never rise again,
which has the support of the LXX. and Vulg., though they make of the last clause a question, Shall not the sleeper rise again?
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. An evil disease cleaveth fast unto him Hebrew, An affair of Belial is firm in him. On Belial, see Psa 18:4. , ( dabar,) (English version, disease,) may take the sense of matter, cause, forensically, that is, suit at law, as Exo 18:16; Exo 18:19-20; and , ( yatzook,) (English version, cleaveth fast,) takes the sense of firmness, fixedness, as in Job 41:23, “they are firm in themselves;” and Job 41:24, “His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.” [Hebrews of vers. 15, 16.] The sense is, that David’s sickness was regarded as evidence of a hopeless controversy with God, in which the king, who is supposed to be fixed and stubborn, would surely fall.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 41:8. An evil disease, &c. Or, A word of Belial cleaveth, &c. Literally, says Houbigant, a thing of Belial is poured out upon him; i.e. his wickedness is brought round upon, or overflows him. Green renders it, Let the base thing he has been guilty of stick close to him.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 41:8 An evil disease, [say they], cleaveth fast unto him: and [now] that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
Ver. 8. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him ] Heb. A thing of Belial, a vengeance, hath befallen him; God, for his foul offence, hath put him over to the devil to be tormented by a pestilential disease, that will surely make an end of him, Omnes impietates quas perpetravit (R. Solom.). So Genebrard (that mad dog), in the fourth book of his Chronology, A. D. 1563, reckoning up those divers diseases whereof Calvin died, all which was well known to be false, addeth, An Herodes terribilius animam Satanae reddiderit, equidem nescio, Whether Herod yielded up his soul to the devil in a more horrible manner, I know not. With as little charity did Evagrius say of Justinian, the great lawgiver, ad supplicia iusto Dei iudicio apud iuferos luenda profectus est, he went to hell torments, when he died by God’s just judgment. And Luther of OEolampadius, Se credere (OEcolampadium ignitis Satanae telis et hastis confossum subitanea morte periisse (Lib. de Missa privata, A. D. 1533) – tantaene animis caelestibus irae? This false conceit is sufficiently confuted by the history of his life and death set forth by Simon Grynaeus, as also is that concerning Calvin, by his Life written by Beza, and others.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
An evil disease = a thing of Belial. Compare Psa 101:3. Deu 13:13; Deu 15:9. Jdg 19:22. 1Sa 2:12. See 2Sa 16:7.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
An evil disease: Heb. A thing of Belial, Psa 38:3-7, Job 2:7, Job 2:8, Luk 13:16
and: Psa 3:2, Psa 71:11, Mat 27:41-46, Mat 27:63, Mat 27:64
Reciprocal: Job 33:26 – pray Psa 31:11 – especially Psa 35:15 – in mine Psa 38:7 – my loins Psa 103:3 – healeth Psa 138:7 – Though I walk Lam 2:16 – we have seen
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 41:8-9. An evil disease cleaveth fast unto him Hebrew, , debar Belijagnal, a word, or thing of Belial. Literally, says Houbigant, A thing of Belial is poured out upon him, that is, his wickedness is brought round upon, or overflows him. The reproach wherewith they had loaded him, they hoped, would cleave so fast to him, that his name would perish with him, and they should gain their point. Or, their meaning was, The disease, wherewith he is now afflicted, will certainly make an end of him; for it is the punishment of some great, enormous crime, which he will not repent of, and which proves him, however he has appeared, a son of Belial. And now he lieth, he will rise up no more Seeing God has begun to punish him, he will continue so to do till he destroy him, and then we shall be rid of him, and divide the spoil of his preferments. Yea, mine own familiar friend Probably he means Ahithophel, who had been his bosom friend, and prime minister of state; in whom he had trusted, as one inviolably firm to him, and on whose advice he had relied much, in dealing with his enemies: which did eat of my bread With whom he had been very intimate, and whom he had taken to sit at the table with him; nay, whom he had maintained and given a livelihood to, and so obliged both in gratitude and interest to adhere to him; hath lifted up his heel against me A phrase implying injury joined with insolence and contempt; taken from an unruly horse, which kicks at him that owns and feeds it. He not only deserted, but insulted; opposed and endeavoured to supplant him. Those are wicked indeed, whom no courtesy done them, no confidence reposed in them, will oblige. Although these words were literally fulfilled in David, yet the Holy Ghost, who dictated them, looked further in them, even to Christ and Judas, in whom they received a further and fuller accomplishment; and to whom, therefore, they are applied, Joh 13:18.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
41:8 {f} An evil disease, [say they], cleaveth fast unto him: and [now] that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
(f) The enemies thought by his sharp punishments that God had become his mortal enemy.