The Meaning of Psalms 40:2 Explained

Psalms 40:2

KJV: He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

YLT: And He doth cause me to come up From a pit of desolation -- from mire of mud, And He raiseth up on a rock my feet, He is establishing my steps.

Darby: And he brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock; he hath established my goings:

ASV: He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay; And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He brought me up  also out of an horrible  pit,  out of the miry  clay,  and set  my feet  upon a rock,  [and] established  my goings. 

What does Psalms 40:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 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: Psalms 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 40:2 mean?

And He brought me up out of a pit horrible Out of clay the miry and set upon a rock my feet [And] established my steps
וַיַּעֲלֵ֤נִי ׀ מִבּ֥וֹר שָׁאוֹן֮ מִטִּ֪יט הַיָּ֫וֵ֥ן וַיָּ֖קֶם עַל־ סֶ֥לַע רַגְלַ֗י כּוֹנֵ֥ן אֲשֻׁרָֽי

וַיַּעֲלֵ֤נִי ׀  And  He  brought  me  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מִבּ֥וֹר  out  of  a  pit 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֹּור 
Sense: pit, well, cistern.
שָׁאוֹן֮  horrible 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאֹון 
Sense: roar, din, crash, uproar.
מִטִּ֪יט  Out  of  clay 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: טִיט  
Sense: mud, clay, mire, damp dirt.
הַיָּ֫וֵ֥ן  the  miry 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָוֵן  
Sense: mire, mirer.
וַיָּ֖קֶם  and  set 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
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.
סֶ֥לַע  a  rock 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֶלַע  
Sense: crag, cliff, rock.
רַגְלַ֗י  my  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
כּוֹנֵ֥ן  [And]  established 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כּוּן 
Sense: to be firm, be stable, be established.
אֲשֻׁרָֽי  my  steps 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אָשֻׁר 
Sense: step, going.