Psalm 41:3
ESV
The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.
NIV
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.
NASB
The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health.
CSB
The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed; you will heal him on the bed where he lies.
NLT
The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.
KJV
The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
NKJV
The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.
What does Psalm 41:3 mean?
This continues David's statement that God provides healing and protection for those who care for the disadvantaged (Psalm 41:1–2). David knew full well that even righteous people can suffer sickness, death, and defeat (Psalm 12:5; 22:1; 25:17). Yet this general principle applies: those who follow godly wisdom are less likely to suffer consequences than those who choose evil (Proverbs 8:32–36). A strong person who righteously protects the weak reflects that kind of godliness.This verse serves as a transition, where David mentions the idea of the Lord healing someone from illness. In the following verse, he will speak of God's forgiveness of sin as a form of "healing." David's sin in the case of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:7–9) led to drastic consequences. Those included a rebellion by his son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15—18). Other psalms also express David's remorse for his crimes (Psalm 38; 39; 51). He realized that the Lord accepts the prayer of a repentant believer. In the remainder of the psalm, he describes the attacks of his enemies and his confidence that God will bring him through those dangers.
The apostle James speaks of how a believer ailing due to sin can receive healing. He writes: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:14–15).
