The Meaning of Psalms 40:7 Explained

Psalms 40:7

KJV: Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

YLT: Then said I, 'Lo, I have come,' In the roll of the book it is written of me,

Darby: Then said I, Behold, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me --

ASV: Then said I, Lo, I am come; In the roll of the book it is written of me:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  I, Lo, I come:  in the volume  of the book  [it is] written  of me, 

What does Psalms 40:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 40:1-10 - A Joyous Testimony
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 here. Hebrews 10:5-7 puts Psalms 40:6-8 upon the lips of Christ, and we hear His voice speaking through these olden words.
In deep distress, Psalms 40:1-3, what can the soul do but wait patiently until the Lord inclines and hears? The horrible pit is a "pit of roaring;" that is, a ravine where the deep waters rush and roar. What Jeremiah experienced literally, Jeremiah 38:6, we pass through spiritually. But God will leave no child of His there; He will lift him to stand on the rock, his mouth filled with songs.
When we are delivered let us set our gladness to music and embody it in renewed consecration, Psalms 40:4-10. Let us not hide God's love in our hearts, but tell it out. The bored ear, Psalms 40:6, in reference to Exodus 21:6, means obedience forever, absolute consecration, the glad submission of the will. This is dearer to God than the most elaborate ceremonial or ritual. [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 40:7 mean?

Then I said behold I come in the scroll of the book [it is] written of me
אָ֣ז אָ֭מַרְתִּי הִנֵּה־ בָ֑אתִי בִּמְגִלַּת־ סֵ֝֗פֶר כָּת֥וּב עָלָֽי

אָ֭מַרְתִּי  I  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּה־  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
בָ֑אתִי  I  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בִּמְגִלַּת־  in  the  scroll 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מְגִלָּה  
Sense: roll, book, writing.
סֵ֝֗פֶר  of  the  book 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
כָּת֥וּב  [it  is]  written 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
עָלָֽי  of  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.