The Meaning of Psalms 40:8 Explained

Psalms 40:8

KJV: I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

YLT: To do Thy pleasure, my God, I have delighted, And Thy law is within my heart.

Darby: To do thy good pleasure, my God, is my delight, and thy law is within my heart.

ASV: I delight to do thy will, O my God; Yea, thy law is within my heart.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I delight  to do  thy will,  O my God:  yea, thy law  [is] within  my heart. 

What does Psalms 40:8 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 40:8 mean?

To do Your will my God I delight and Your law [is] within my heart
לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת־ רְצוֹנְךָ֣ אֱלֹהַ֣י חָפָ֑צְתִּי וְ֝ת֥וֹרָתְךָ֗ בְּת֣וֹךְ מֵעָֽי

לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת־  To  do 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
רְצוֹנְךָ֣  Your  will 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רָצֹון  
Sense: pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance, will.
אֱלֹהַ֣י  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
חָפָ֑צְתִּי  I  delight 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָפֵץ 
Sense: to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with.
וְ֝ת֥וֹרָתְךָ֗  and  Your  law  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
בְּת֣וֹךְ  within 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
מֵעָֽי  my  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: מֵעֶה  
Sense: internal organs, inward parts, bowels, intestines, belly.