Psalm 40 (39):2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I remained in hopeful anticipation for the promise of a mere human, capable of both misleading others and being misled. I longed for comfort from a mere man, who might be engulfed by his own sorrow before being able to provide solace to me. Can a brother in distress truly bring me comfort if he too is in mourning? Let us share our grief, weep together, wait patiently in unity, and lift our prayers in harmony. Whom have I awaited, if not the Lord? The Lord whose promises might seem delayed yet He does not forget them. He will indeed act, for surely He will fulfill His word, having already realized many of His commitments; and anchored in God’s truth, we need not fear, even if His promises remain unfulfilled so far.

Christ listened and delivered… He heard the pleas of His servants and lifted us from the depths of despair and the swampy mire where we found ourselves sinking, trapped in the depths of our sins, fully engulfed by our human condition, while our souls were unable to regain their strength, as they were burdened by numerous stains of dishonor. Therefore, let us express our gratitude to the Lord Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, our Deliverer… Through His incarnation, He renewed the spiritual foundation of our souls, so that, anchored in the Word of God and liberated by the Lord's physical crucifixion, we journey no longer in disgrace and depravity, but in the forgiveness of our transgressions.

He shall raise me from the pit of passions and from the depths of darkness. These lines also apply to the revered David, as they resonate with the earlier psalm. The Prophet declared, "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my supplication; do not keep silence concerning my tears. For I am weak; I will not depart before, nor will I remain there" (Psalm 38:13-14); previously, he stated, "And now, who is my hope? Is it not the Lord? And my strength is from You" (Psalm 38:8). In this context, he expresses that upon receiving his prayer and the realization of his request, "I have waited for the Lord, and I have been heard." For after turning from sin, God extended His grace to me, acknowledging my plea. And what did He do in response?

I have endured the Lord, awaiting his arrival with earnest anticipation. The repetition in “awaiting awaited” is a common feature in Hebrew, signifying a deep intensification, similar to phrases like “Seeing I saw the wickedness against my people” (Ex. 3:7), meaning I saw exceedingly, or “knowing know” (Gen. 15:13), meaning I knew thoroughly, among many others. Therefore, when I say “awaiting awaited,” it signifies that I, along with the church, have been longing for an extended period for Christ to come to our aid. As it is written, “And he is the expectation of the nations” (Gen. 49:10), and his coming was foretold by the holy prophets. Christ, He who listened to me, responded to my plea, and gazed upon me and his church with compassion, recognizing our plight due to the folly of idols. Consequently, he heard the prayers offered for me; for the prophets interceded for the church of the Gentiles, acknowledging, as Eusebius noted, that first one listens, then hears, and defends the one who petitions.

Unless an individual reaches a complete state of holiness, they will inevitably encounter the disruptions caused by sinful desires. However, through divine grace, as one becomes fortified in the sought-after purity, they receive the affirmation expressed in the words: ‘I trusted firmly in the Lord, and He leaned on me, and heard my cry; He took me out of the terrible ditch, out of the tyny swamp, and set my feet upon a rock, and strengthened my feet.’

In Scripture, the phrase "endure the Lord" can indicate the need to pray fervently and continually until we earn God's favor and are acknowledged. This concept is illustrated by the Psalmist, who states, "I have suffered before the Lord; hearken unto me, and hear my prayer" (Psalm 39:2).

The opening of the psalm expresses a heartfelt acknowledgment where David describes his liberation not merely from danger, but also from the clutches of death, as if he were rescued from a perilous pit or a still swamp in which he was sinking. Throughout this ordeal, his steadfast faith stood out; he maintained his trust in God, even when prolonged trials might have tested his patience. He does not merely indicate that he persevered and waited; through the repetitive use of the term endured, he conveys that he experienced prolonged suffering and steadfastness. Consequently, the longer the trial persisted, the more his faith radiated, as, with its strength, he faced the delay of divine assistance with a resolute and composed spirit.