The Meaning of Psalms 40:12 Explained

Psalms 40:12

KJV: For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

YLT: For compassed me have evils innumerable, Overtaken me have mine iniquities, And I have not been able to see; They have been more than the hairs of my head, And my heart hath forsaken me.

Darby: For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head: and my heart hath failed me.

ASV: For innumerable evils have compassed me about; Mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs of my head; And my heart hath failed me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For innumerable  evils  have compassed  me about: mine iniquities  have taken hold  upon me, so that I am not able  to look up;  they are more  than the hairs  of mine head:  therefore my heart  faileth  me. 

What does Psalms 40:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 40:11-17 - A Cry For Deliverance
To the end of life we shall continually need God's lovingkindness, to deal mercifully with our failures and sins, and His truth, that is, His faithfulness. The Covenant, ordered in all things and sure, and that which binds him irrevocably, is the rock of our comfort, whether we are compassed by innumerable evils or overtaken by iniquities, Psalms 40:12.
Our sense of sin grows with our increasing knowledge of the holiness and love of God. They who are nearest to the heart of God are least able to forgive themselves, though they know that they are forgiven. But while we think hard thoughts against ourselves, and confess ourselves to be poor and needy, we may take great comfort in God's thoughts for us, Psalms 40:17. They are tender and loving, Jeremiah 29:11. Poverty and need are never reasons for despair. These things do not alienate God's interest. They rather attract Him; just as a sick child will get more of the mother's care than the healthy members of the home-circle. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 40

1  The benefit of confidence in God
6  Obedience is the best sacrifice
11  The sense of David's evils inflames his prayer

What do the individual words in Psalms 40:12 mean?

For have surrounded me evils innumerable else innumerable have overtaken me My iniquities so that not I am able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart fails me
כִּ֤י אָפְפ֥וּ־ עָלַ֨י ׀ רָע֡וֹת עַד־ אֵ֬ין מִסְפָּ֗ר הִשִּׂיג֣וּנִי עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי וְלֹא־ יָכֹ֣לְתִּי לִרְא֑וֹת עָצְמ֥וּ מִשַּֽׂעֲר֥וֹת רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י וְלִבִּ֥י עֲזָבָֽנִי

אָפְפ֥וּ־  have  surrounded 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָפַף  
Sense: to surround, encompass.
עָלַ֨י ׀  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
רָע֡וֹת  evils 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
עַד־  innumerable 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אֵ֬ין  else 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מִסְפָּ֗ר  innumerable 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.
הִשִּׂיג֣וּנִי  have  overtaken  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural, first person common singular
Root: מַשֶּׂגֶת 
Sense: to reach, overtake, take hold upon.
עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי  My  iniquities 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
וְלֹא־  so  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָכֹ֣לְתִּי  I  am  able 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
לִרְא֑וֹת  to  look  up 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
עָצְמ֥וּ  they  are  more 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָצַם 
Sense: to be vast, be numerous, be mighty.
מִשַּֽׂעֲר֥וֹת  than  the  hairs 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: שַׂעֲרָה  
Sense: a single hair.
רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י  of  my  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וְלִבִּ֥י  therefore  my  heart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
עֲזָבָֽנִי  fails  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.