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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Psalms 40:6-8

True service consists not in material sacrifices but in obedience to the will of God. The stanza is an answer to the implied question, How should man express his gratitude? It affirms the common prophetic doctrine that sacrifice was in itself of no value apart from the dispositions of heart which it was intended to represent. The new commandment of the Exodus was not sacrifice but obedience (Exodus 15:26). See Psalms 50:7 ff; Psalms 51:16 ff.; 1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8; Jeremiah 7:21 ff.

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See also Psalms 40:6-8 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 40:6. _SACRIFICE AND OFFERING_] The apostle, Hebrews 10:5, c., quoting this and the two following verses, says, _When he_ (the Messiah) _cometh into the world_-was about to be incarnated...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    SACRIFICE AND OFFERING - The first of the words used here - זבח _zebach_ - means properly a bloody-offering; the other - מנחה _minchāh_ - an offering without blood, as a thank-offering. See the notes...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 40 Christ the Obedient One and the Fruit of His Work _ 1. The path of the Obedient One (Psalms 40:1)_ 2. His prayer and His comfort (Psalms 40:13)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    XL. A. PSALMS 40:1. A THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE. The Psalmist believes that his own gratitude will give confidence to others. God, he says, takes no special delight in sacrificial worship. It is gr...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SACRIFICE. Hebrew. _zabach._ App-43. Quoted in Hebrews 10:5. OFFERING. Hebrew. _minchah._ App-43. Compare Hebrews 10:5. Note the four great offerings here, and separately: Psalms 40:6. any sacrifice;...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    SACRIFICE AND OFFERING, &C.— These three verses, as they may possibly relate to David, who was a a type of Christ, may be thus considered.—_Sacrifice,_ &c. The Psalmist here enumerates the principal s...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 40 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE Three Stirring Reminiscences of King David's History. ANALYSIS Part I., Significant Memorials of David's Coronation. Stanza I., Psalms 40:1-3, A highly Figurative Descri...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU DIDST NOT DESIRE; MINE EARS HAST THOU OPENED: BURNT OFFERING AND SIN OFFERING HAST THOU NOT REQUIRED._ The second half of the first part, Psalms 40:6. The petitioner test...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    40:6 Sacrifice (g-1) See Exodus 23:18 and Leviticus 1:3 , Note b. prepared (h-11) Lit. 'digged' or 'hollowed out.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SACRIFICE AND OFFERING, etc.] a striking recognition that spiritual service, even in OT. times, is more than all forms of worship: see 1 Samuel 15:22. MINE EARS HAST THOU OPENED] to understand the tru...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    This Ps. falls into two well-marked divisions, which many think to have been originally separate Pss. In Psalms 40:1 the writer recalls with thankfulness how God has heard his prayers and delivered hi...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 1:41 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ Words in boxes are from the Bible. The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. Tap the * before a word to show an explanation. The translated Bible tex...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    MINE EARS HAST THOU OPENED. — Literally, _Ears hast thou dug for me,_ which can hardly mean anything but “Thou hast given me the sense of hearing.” The words are an echo of 1 Samuel 15:22. The attenti...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Psalms 40:7]_ זֶ֤בַח וּ מִנְחָ֨ה ׀ לֹֽא ־חָפַ֗צְתָּ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 40:1 THE closing verses of this psalm reappear with slight changes as an independent whole in Psalms 70:1. The question arises whether that is a fragment or this a conglomerate. Modern opinion...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A JOYOUS TESTIMONY Psalms 40:1 This psalm follows appropriately on the two former, in which the psalmist had been detailing his sufferings. Here he celebrates deliverance. But a Greater than David is...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Again we find in this psalm the perfect structure found in Psalms 27:1. Praise prepares for prayer. The experience has mounted higher than in the preceding song (39). The singer still suffers diction,...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; (f) mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. (f) You have opened my ears to understand the spiritual meaning o...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Perish? When shall we have a change, and see Absalom ont he throne? When shall we get rid of this man, who reproves our conduct? So were the Jews animated to destroy Christ. (Theodoret) --- The rest...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    The Holy Ghost would not suffer the church to make her own comment upon this most momentous passage; but by his servant the apostle Paul (Hebrews 10:5.) hath very fully done it himself; and plainly an...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    Psalms 38 _ Proper Psalm for Ash Wednesday_ (_Morning_). PSALMS 38-40 = _ Day 8_ (_Morning_)....

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    6_In sacrifice and oblation thou hast not taken pleasure. _Here David offers not only the sacrifice of praise, or, as the prophet Hosea calls it, (Hosea 14:2,) “the calves of the lips,” but, in token...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS PSALMS 40 AND 41. In Psalms 40 then Christ is seen, not only in His passage through the sorrows which beset His way, if He took up the cause of the disobedient and guil...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU DIDST NOT DESIRE,.... These were desired, willed, and appointed by God, and that very early, even from the times of our first parents; and, when performed aright, were acce...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Ver. 6. _Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire_] Comparatively...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Sacrifice_, &c. These and the four following verses may, in an improper sense, belong to the person and time of David; when God might be said, _not to desire_, or _require_, legal sacrifices, compara...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire, God does not ask for, and takes no pleasure in, mere outward offerings, in a mechanical form of worship, whether such sacrifices are in the form of thank...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    PROPHECY OF CHRIST'S SUFFERING AND PROPHETIC OFFICE. To the chief musician, for performance in liturgical services, a psalm of David, the Messiah Himself speaking through his mouth and pen. Cf Hebrew...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    OPENED: _ Heb._ digged...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    6-10 The psalmist foretells that work of wonder, redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ. The Substance must come, which is Christ, who must bring that glory to God, and that grace to man, which it was i...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    These words may in an improper sense belong to the person and time of David; when God might be said not to _desire or require_ legal sacrifices comparatively, as negative expressions are frequently un...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 40:6 Sacrifice H2077 offering H4503 desire H2654 (H8804) ears H241 opened H3738 (H8804) offering H5930 offering

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    HE RECOGNISES THAT IN ORDER FOR A MAN TO EXPRESS HIS GRATITUDE TO GOD RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES ARE NOT ENOUGH, AND THAT WHAT GOD REQUIRES OF HIM IS TOTAL OBEDIENCE TO HIS WILL, SOMETHING TO WHICH HE GLAD...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Psalms 40:5 So then there are two series of things which cannot be numbered God's mercies and man's sin. I. If we keep these two things close together in cur contemplations, they suggest for us very...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    These are the words of David: they are the words of all God's tried and believing people; but above all they are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. So complete is the union between Christ and...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    If our hearts are in trouble, as his was who wrote this Psalm, may we be able to act as wisely and as well as he did, and so obtain a like deliverance! Psalms 40:1. _I waited patiently for the LORD;...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. If I were to read this Psalm all through as referring to Christ, and to Christ only, I should be correct in so doing; but still, there is such a unity between...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: God's salvation extolled and prayer for deliverance. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: Those who seek God in all their perplexities shall rejoice and be glad in Him, for He will not only...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    This psalm of David is a consequence of the preseding. It is an ode of thanksgiving for liberation from the profound grief and sorrow under which he had groaned. Here he rises above the cloud, and as...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire; mine ears hast Thou opened: burnt-offering and sin-offering hast Thou not required._ Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry._ WAITING FOR THE LORD There is a Divine law of waiting which has an essential connection with the larger law of giving....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 40:1. This psalm combines thanks for past mercies with a new request for God’s help. ⇐...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 40:6 Offering sacrifices without faith, repentance, and obedience is useless (see Psalms 50:8; Psalms

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION _Superscription_: “To the Chief Musician, a Psalm of David.” The psalm is addressed to “the Chief Musician,” that he might set it to music for use in public worship. We have no means of...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE occasion of this psalm is some great deliverance which has been vouchsafed to the author of it, for which he desires to praise and thank God. Of this deliverance he speaks in Psalms 40:...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings ...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 15:22; Exodus 21:6; Hebrews 10:5; Hosea 6:6; Isaiah 1:11;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Sacrifice — These and the following words, may in an improper sense belong to the time of David; when God might be said, not to desire or require legal sacrifices comparatively. Thou didst desire obed...

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