What Does Psalm 40:3 Mean?
He sets a new song in my mouth, praise to our God. Many see and stand in awe, and lean their weight upon the LORD.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.THE KEY
The song God places in one mouth becomes visible evidence that moves many from seeing to awe and trust.
THE MEANING
God places renewed praise in your mouth. What rises from you becomes visible to others; seeing it awakens awe and trust in the LORD.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Your praise is only private expression. The verse shows it becoming visible to others and opening into awe and trust.
THE ROOT
חָדָשׁ
chadash
GROWS FROM
חדש
ḥ-d-š
To be new; to renew.
English “new” can suggest mere novelty, while this root also carries the sense of renewal. Its sibling חֹדֶשׁ (chodesh), “month” or “new moon,” lets “new song” carry the resonance of praise renewed and appearing afresh.
ALSO GROWS
chodesh: Month; new moon.
חֹדֶשׁ
Its association with the new moon gives the root a recurring renewal resonance: this song appears as praise made new.
chiddesh: Renew; make new.
חִדֵּשׁ
This verbal form makes the root’s renewal sense explicit: the song is more than novelty; it is praise renewed.
וְיִירָאוּ
veyir'u
GROWS FROM
ירא
y-r-ʾ
To fear; to stand in awe.
“stand in awe” in this verse is veyir'u. This root holds fear and awe within the same range. In the verse, seeing gives way to awe, then to trust in the LORD; the response does not stop at what is seen.
ALSO GROWS
yirah: Fear; awe.
יִרְאָה
The noun keeps the verse’s response tied to a deep recognition, beyond simply noticing the song.
mora: Fear; dread; awe.
מוֹרָא
This related word carries the weight of a response before something fearsome or awe-inspiring.
וְיִבְטְחוּ
veyivtechu
GROWS FROM
בטח
b-ṭ-ḥ
To trust; to feel secure or rely confidently.
“lean their weight upon” in this verse is veyivtechu. Batach describes confidence placed somewhere, not simply agreement with an idea. The movement from seeing to trusting shows the LORD becoming the ground of security for many.
ALSO GROWS
mivtach: Confidence; security; refuge.
מִבְטָח
This noun makes trust concrete as a place of security, illuminating the confidence directed toward the LORD.
betach: Securely; confidently.
בֶּטַח
This related form shows the settled quality carried by batach: trust rests with confidence.
THE PATTERN
A person’s received experience of God becomes public testimony that awakens trust in others.
Recount his weight among the nations; his wonders among all peoples.And on that day you will say, Extend your hands to the LORD, call upon his nature, make his doings known among the peoples, and speak aloud that his nature is lifted high.And many of the Samaritans of that city leaned their weight on him because of the word of the woman, who testified, He told me all that I ever did.THE THREAD
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.Psalm 96 repeats שִׁיר חָדָשׁ (shir chadash), “new song,” the same phrase at the heart of this verse. Psalm 40 shows renewed praise placed in one mouth and seen by many; Psalm 96 opens that song to all the earth.
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