Psalm 41 (40):10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Even the individual who shared peace with me, whom I depended upon, who dined at my table, has turned against me. The Lord Jesus, while indicating His betrayer to the disciples by offering a piece of bread, referred to this very verse from the Psalm, stating its fulfillment in Himself: ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ The phrase ‘on whom I leaned’ pertains not to the Head but to the body. The Saviour was fully aware of the individual He had earlier identified as ‘One of you is a devil.’ However, He often depicts His body through His own person and attributes to Himself what is true of His members, for both Head and body are one Christ.

"Why do I reprimand others? Christ questions. What astonishment is it that the crowd failed to recognize Me and condemned Me to crucifixion, when My own disciple sought payment for betrayal, and the one who walked by My side sold Me to death? Even My companion, in whom I placed My trust, who shared My bread, has turned against Me (Psalm 40:10). Some argue that Judas could be forgiven due to his return of the blood money. Yet, this is why his judgment is harsher than that of the faithless children of Israel; for to whom much is entrusted, much is required. ‘Why do I lament about others? The man of My peace, to whom I extended My peace and wished to impart it, has brought forth adversaries and betrayed Me. The one I counted on has deceived Me.’ Did the Lord not know His soon-to-be betrayer, of whom He had previously spoken: One of you will betray Me (Matt. 26:21)? This statement referred to Judas, as recorded in the Gospel. Indeed not! However, to intensify the judgment, He expressed hope for Judas' faith. Aquila declared: I firmly hoped. Symmachus interpreted: I firmly hoped. Our disappointment grows with those upon whom we have placed greater expectation if they later betray that trust. Simultaneously, these words illustrate the profound power of divine grace, which frees from deceit and transforms one’s nature, presenting a picture of noble intention. Countless individuals have been transformed! We read of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who, driven by greed for gold, eventually renounced his sin and restored to others fourfold what he had wrongly obtained; he denounced his lust for wealth, turned from his previous gains, and generously assisted the poor out of what he had amassed as a tax collector. The thief, too, abandoned his sinful existence for a better one: recognizing Christ on the cross, he confessed Him as the Son of God and proclaimed Him King. And when most of the righteous were still in doubt and even the apostles were in hiding, the centurion, an executioner, acknowledged his Lord. Why bring up gospel occurrences? The harlot Rahab, who once thrived by her unfaithfulness, upon witnessing the spies sent by Joshua, embraced faith; despite the danger, she upheld her righteousness, safeguarding the spies with kindness. Thus, He expresses hope, as if He foresaw rightly that the apostle would forsake his former ways and embrace the better path, believing that he who was granted the gift of sanctifying others would maintain the grace of holiness within himself and fulfill his duties diligently and sincerely. The Lord rightly proclaims, I have hoped (Psalm 40:10), for humans are endowed with the freedom to choose their path. I have set before you life and death (Deut. 30:15). Choosing evil is not nature’s fault, but the fault of the chooser. If every individual who opts for evil is condemned, what shall we say of Judas, who betrayed the one with whom he shared the joy of a common feast? He that eateth My bread hath lifted up his heel against Me (Psalm 40:10). Why did He specify My bread? He could have said, ‘Who has shared bread with Me,’ unless it refers to the special sustenance of Christ, the nourishment of the heavenly word; for man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Luke 4:4). In another instance, He states, you who have partaken of sweet delicacies with Me (Psalm 54:15). These verses remind those who believed that those at their table should be subjected to death. The Gentiles are infamous for their hospitality, often sparing even adversaries and thieves whom they entertain. The simple act of sharing a meal fosters kindness; hence, the psalmist speaks of sweet viands, indicating the joy of the table. How can such viands, which decay swiftly, be sweet? Yet consider if He calls the words of life sweet viands. No bitterness taints these viands, and no decay of death sullies them, underscored by the term always. While we may not always partake of food, we can consistently dwell in the word of God day and night if we are instructed in His law continually. What does ‘erected’ also imply? The Greek text states: έμεγάλυνεν, meaning exalted. The Lord reveals both meanings for us to ponder, as He affirms in the Gospel, He who shares bread with Me has lifted his heel against Me (Jn. 13:18). Let us reflect upon the source of this expression: We were once disbelievers, lost and enslaved to desires and pleasures (Titus 3:3). We acknowledge error to make amends. As a child, I observed an athlete who, after defeating an opponent, struck him on the forehead with his heel—a sign of triumph over the vanquished. This is what the line conveys: He lifted up his heel against Me (Psalm 40:10); thus, one who mocks exalts himself. Judas lifted his heel against Christ when he betrayed Him, but not without consequence! Adam, too, continues to lift his heel, impacted by the serpent. Christ washed the feet of Adam, who heard the words, He who is washed needs only to wash his feet, for he is completely clean (John 13:10); yet what grace has cleansed may be soiled by treachery. Judas lifted his heel to inflict pain; he who turned against Christ did not hold fast to the Head. Adam lifted his heel against himself, but Judas lifted his against Christ, and therefore the serpent inflicted a greater wound on him than upon others. He who offered a deceptive kiss, by which he betrayed the Creator, has lifted his heel, which is why the prophet states: He lifted up his heel against Me (Psalm 40:10). Esau says of his brother: He has already deceived me twice (Gen. 27:36). The one who deceives employs tactics that defeat or injure his opponent; thus it is said of Judas that he is the deceiver, for by his kiss he inflicted a wound, signaling his pursuers to seize the Savior. He deceived like the serpent, who injects poison with his mouth and wounds the heel with his teeth. Judas did not harm Christ’s divine nature but struck the heel, the lower part of the body. Judas raised his heel like an arrogant wrestler aiming to strike the Savior's head. However, the head of Christ cannot be wounded, for Christ is head over all (1 Cor. 11:3). Judas tightly bound his own head with a formless knot, depriving himself of salvation. Consider if you can sincerely apply the words of the holy patriarch Jacob in Genesis, when he prophesied concerning the tribes: Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.... Dan shall be like a serpent, lying in wait along the way and bruising the horse's heel, so that the rider falls backward, awaiting salvation from the Lord (Gen. 49:16-17). We read of Samson from the tribe of Dan, who judged in Israel, but another emerges from that tribe who will crush the people with the penalties of wickedness; this Antichrist will dwell in the Temple, presenting himself as God, indeed judgment, as his name signifies, for Dan means judgment. It is beautifully stated that he will judge his people, deemed deserving of eternal punishment; the unbeliever is already condemned (John 3:18), whereas the believer is not condemned, as he holds faith in the Son of God, the Redeemer of his soul. Therefore, as if free from judgment, he claims, But the Lord will judge me (1 Cor. 4:4). He will adjudicate a wicked nation, not a nation of faith; judging those who fall through treachery, not those raised by free belief. He will lie in wait along the path like a serpent, ready to strike those who pass by and press against the heel of our horse, for he cannot harm the soul of the faithful. On what road will he lurk, and along what path, if not those which Christ the Lord invited the Gentiles to His feast, saying, Go into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that My house may be filled (Luke 14:23)? Similarly, we read that Judas lifted his heel against Christ, indicating that he sought to injure the horse carrying the Lord Christ; thus it is affirmed, Thy horse is salvation (Hab. 3:8), as the flesh was united to bear the sins of the world, bringing salvation instead of exile and eternal life instead of death. So the horse was wounded, the only one who did not deceive unto salvation (Ps. 32:17); the horse that carried the world’s sins and bore our burden without faltering was wounded; the horse untainted by the clamor of sinful desires was wounded. Therefore, perhaps to John the Evangelist, the heavens were opened, revealing a white horse, with One seated upon it adorned in a crown, and inscribed on His thigh was His name: King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). The horse appeared white as it was pure and unblemished by sin; passion is dark, but holiness shines brightly. This horse bore wounds, yet it did not slow its gallop. Despite its wounds, the horse rose from the tomb, soared to heaven above all angels, faster than all celestial beings, even surpassing the fiery steeds which lifted Elijah. This horse rightfully moves swifter, rising above all heavens to the throne of Almighty God, as the Scriptures proclaim, ‘From this moment onward, you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power’ (Matthew 26:64). The image of this horse was seen earlier in the days of the Maccabees; on the horse sat the golden-armored Leader of the heavenly host, who defeated Eliodorus, the plunderer of the widow’s donations to the sanctuary, and later, through the intercession of Onias the high priest, revived Eliodorus. Truly, the golden instruments shone upon Him, for He alone could ride this horse and achieve victories where none would emerge untainted from sin: neither Enoch, who was taken to heaven to maintain his pure heart, nor Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, nor Moses, for they all are under sin (Rom. 3:9), all are subject to death; death reigned from Adam to Moses (Rom. 5:14). Christ alone is the One who knew no sin (1 Pet. 2:22), the sole one who removed the sin of the world and proclaimed to death, O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is your sting? (1 Cor. 15:55). In what manner did Judas lift up his heel against Christ? How did the rider tumble backward? What exists in Judas is deceit; what exists in Christ, He bore suffering by His own will. We often witness the stronger wrestler desiring to receive a strike, so that feeling enraged, he may enter more fiercely into the contest and fight with greater determination. The serpent bit the horse’s heel, exhaling the poison of deception, but the Rider willingly allowed Himself to be cast off, willingly descended to raise us up. What do these words of Scripture convey, ‘And the rider shall fall backward’ (Gen. 49:17)? Why backward? Isn’t it because the Savior is behind, sustaining His followers who follow Him? Peter was behind, to whom He said, Come behind Me (Mark 8:33). There were apostles and other disciples trailing behind, and thus, He fell backward, as those who Christ falls upon are saved. Anyone who stumbles upon that stone will be shattered, but whomever it falls upon will be cleansed (Luke 20:18). In some texts, it states: on whom it falls, it will scatter; in others: it will crush, for whoever separates the fruit, clearing it of chaff, and whoever crushes it, transforming it into dust, ensuring that the soft powder can be utilized for either medicating drinks or other healing remedies. Hence, we conclude that we must be cautious lest a person, once received through Christ’s baptism, fall away from His Body, which is the Church. Such a fall signifies eternal death!