In the first place, the "poor" may refer to the impecunious (Exod. 30: 15), the weak

(Gen. 41: 19), or the sick both in mind and body (II Sam. 13: 2). The word translated

"poor" can be used of the son of a king; we must, therefore, take care not to limit its

meaning. The translations of sakal ("consider") already given, preclude the idea of

almsgiving or of charity. The emphasis all through its upon wisdom.

There is but one way of arriving at the solution, and that way is too long to be

included in an article. We must all, personally, read the history of David, from the

rebellion of Absalom and the betrayal of Ahithophel in II Sam. 15:, throughout the

heart-breaking history of chapters 16:-18:, on to the chapters of restoration, 19:-21:

There we shall read of Zadok and his two sons, and of Hushai, who though loyal to

David, and willing to share his exile, went back to Jerusalem and defeated the counsel of

Ahithophel, so that Ahithophel, like Judas, "hanged himself" (II Sam. 17: 23;

Matt. 27: 5).

Whenever we are faced with a difficulty in the translation of an O.T. passage, it is

always a wise thing to see how the translators of the LXX version have rendered it; for it

is clear that these Hebrews, 200 years B.100:, knew something of their mother tongue.

We find that they used the word suniemi, which is translated 24 times "to understand",

once "be wise" and once "consider". About half these occurrences are found in the

quotations made from Isa. 6: and the explanations that follow. This is very suggestive,

for Israel as a nation have not "considered the afflicted" but have refused Him. In

Eph. 5: 16, 17 the word is associated with evil days as it is in Psa. 41:

We regret that in this article we have been obliged to deal with our subject a little in

the manner of the lexicon.  It would have been easier to have enlarged upon the

blessedness of having compassion on the poor, or of passing on one's blessings in

fellowship, but such a treatment would have been a betrayal of the truth, and we shun the

slightest approximation to the counsel of Ahithophel. These men "considered wisely the

afflicted" and received blessing from the Lord.

How far can this passage be true of ourselves? The Lord Jesus is denied His lawful

sovereignty here, and has left us in this scene of His betrayal, and we, too, are called

upon to remember Him, His rightful claims and His coming glory. Quite apart from our

assured acceptance in the Beloved, we are told that "if we endure, we shall also reign

with Him" (II Tim. 2: 12).

The Psalmist in Psa. 41: 1 speaks of deliverance in the day of evil. In like manner,

the apostle writing to the Ephesians as overcomers, says:--

A comforting thought is expressed in the third verse of the Psalm: "Thou wilt make

all his bed in his sickness" (Psa. 41: 3). The margin reads "turn", as in Psa. 66: 6: "He

turned the sea into dry land." The meaning of the verse is rather as follows:--