Psalms 41:7

"All that hate me whisper together against me;

Against me do they devise my hurt.

An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him;

And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,

Who did eat of my bread,

Hath lifted up his heel against me."

"All that hate me whisper together against me" (Psalms 41:7). From his sick-bed, David could see certain people gathered together in small groups whispering evil things against the king. A rebellion, led by Absalom, was under way; but David's illness evidently prevented his finding out much about it until it was almost too late.

"An evil disease, they say, cleaveth fast unto him" (Psalms 41:8). Of special interest is this expression "evil disease." It means, "Something dastardly has fastened upon him."[11] The very vagueness of the report was part of its effectiveness; and this is also a mark of many other slanders that can be very damaging to their victims.

"Mine own familiar friend ... lifted up his heel against me" (Psalms 41:9). This entire verse was quoted by Our Lord himself in John 13:18 in his comment upon the treachery of Judas Iscariot. This has led some scholars to label this as a Messianic Psalm; but there does not seem to be any justification for that. Leupold admitted that, "It is indirectly Messianic," and especially as it regards Psalms 41:9.

Our Lord, knowing that David was a type of himself, and remembering that David indeed had been betrayed by a very close friend, Ahithophel, Jesus at once applied these words to Judas. As far as we can see, there is no other reference to Jesus Christ in this psalm.

There are circumstances that seem to make Ahithophel a kind of type of Judas Iscariot. Both betrayed their Lord; both held positions of trust; but were accustomed to 'eat bread' with the one betrayed; both were friends of the one to whom they were disloyal; both were defeated in their purpose; and both committed suicide when the extent of their mistake became evident to them.

"Who did eat of my bread" (Psalms 41:9). "At Oriental courts, the king's counselors (of whom Ahithophel was numbered) habitually ate at the king's table";[12] and Judas was dipping his hand in the same dish with Jesus on the very night in which he betrayed him.

"Hath lifted up his heel against me" (Psalms 41:9). This appears to be a metaphor drawn from an example of a trusted animal that, on one occasion, viciously kicked his owner.