Psalms Chapter 41 verse 8 Holy Bible
An evil disease, `say they', cleaveth fast unto him; And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
read chapter 41 in ASV
They say, He has an evil disease, which will not let him go: and now that he is down he will not get up again.
read chapter 41 in BBE
A thing of Belial cleaveth fast unto him; and now that he is laid down, he will rise up no more.
read chapter 41 in DARBY
An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
read chapter 41 in KJV
All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.
read chapter 41 in WBT
"An evil disease," they say, "has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more."
read chapter 41 in WEB
A thing of Belial is poured out on him, And because he lay down he riseth not again.
read chapter 41 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 8. - An evil disease (literally, a thing of Belial), say they, cleaveth fast unto him. (On the meaning of "Belial," see the comment on Psalm 18:4.) The "thing of Belial" here intended may, perhaps, be the disease from which David was suffering, but is more probably some disgraceful charge or infamous calumny which had been circulated concerning him, and was now crushing him down. This calumny is represented as poured out upon him like a coating of molten metal (see Job 41:23, 24), and so cleaving to him. And now that he lieth; i.e. "now that he is prostrate upon a sick-bed." He shall rise up no more. He shall not recover, but die of his malady.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) An evil disease.--Margin, thing of Belial. (For "Belial," see Deuteronomy 13:13.) The expression may mean, as in LXX. and Vulg., "a lawless speech," so the Chaldee, "a perverse word." Syriac, "a word of iniquity," or "a physical evil," as in Authorised Version, or "a moral evil." The verse is difficult, not only from this ambiguity, but also from that of the verb, which, according to the derivation we take, may mean "cleave" or "pour forth." Modern scholars prefer the latter, understanding the image as taken from the process of casting metal. An incurable wound is poured out (welded) upon him. (Comp. "molten," 1Kings 7:24; 1Kings 7:30.) This does not, however, suit the context nearly so well as the reading,"A wicked saying have they directed against me:Let the sick man never rise again,"which has the support of the LXX. and Vulg., though they make of the last clause a question, "Shall not the sleeper rise again?"
