TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Complete Jewish Bible
Sacrifices and grain offerings you don't want; burnt offerings and sin offerings you don't demand. Instead, you have given me open ears;
Berean Standard Bible
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.
American Standard Version
Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in; Mine ears hast thou opened: Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.
World English Bible Messianic
Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Sacrifice and offering thou didest not desire: (for mine eares hast thou prepared) burnt offring and sinne offering hast thou not required.
Young's Literal Translation
Sacrifice and present Thou hast not desired, Ears Thou hast prepared for me, Burnt and sin-offering Thou hast not asked.
In the KJVVerse 14,532 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 40 verses 6–10
6 ¶ Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
The psalmist, being struck with amazement at the wonderful works that God had done for his people, is strangely carried out here to foretel that work of wonder which excels all the rest and is the foundation and fountain of all, that of our redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ. God's thoughts, which were to us-ward concerning that work, were the most curious, the most copious, the most gracious, and therefore to be most admired. This paragraph is quoted by the apostle (Heb 10:5, etc.) and applied to Christ and his undertaking for us. As in the institutions, so in the devotions, of the Old Testament saints were aware of; and, when the apostle would show us the Redeemer's voluntary undertaking of his work, he does not fetch his account out of the book of God's secret counsels, which belong not to us, but from the things revealed. Observe,
I. The utter insufficiency of the legal sacrifices to atone for sin in order to our peace with God and our happiness in him: Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; thou wouldst not have the Redeemer to offer them. Something he must have to offer, but not these (Heb 8:3); therefore he must not be of the house of Aaron, Heb 7:14. Or, In the days of the Messiah burnt-offering and sin-offering will be no longer required, but all those ceremonial institutions will be abolished. But that is not all: even while the law concerning them was in full force it might be said, God did not desire them, nor accept them, for their own sake. They could not take away the guilt of sin by satisfying God's justice. The life of a sheep, which is so much inferior in value to that of a man (Mat 12:12), could not pretend to be an equivalent, much less an expedient to preserve the honour of God's government and laws and repair the injury done to that honour by the sin of man. They could not take away the terror of sin by pacifying the conscience, nor the power of sin by sanctifying the nature; it was impossible, Heb 9:9; Heb 10:1-4. What there was in them that was valuable resulted from their reference to Jesus Christ, of whom they were types - shadows indeed, but shadows of good things to come, and trials of the faith and obedience of God's people, of their obedience of God's people, of their obedience to the law and their faith in the gospel. But the substance must come, which is Christ, who must bring that glory to God and that grace to man which it was impossible those sacrifices should ever do.
II. The designation of our Lord Jesus to the work and office of Mediator: My ears hast thou opened. God the Father disposed him to the undertaking (Isa 50:5, Isa 50:6) and then obliged him to go through with it. My ear hast thou digged. It is supposed to allude to the law and custom of binding servants to serve for ever by boring their ear to the doorpost; see Exo 21:6. Our Lord Jesus was so in love with his undertaking that he would not go out free from it, and therefore engaged to persevere for ever in it; and for this reason he is able to save us to the uttermost, because he has engaged to serve his Father to the uttermost, who upholds him in it, Isa 42:1.
III. His own voluntary consent to this undertaking: "Then said I, Lo, I come; then, when sacrifice and offering would not do, rather than the work should be undone; I said, Lo, I come, to enter the lists with the powers of darkness, and to advance the interests of God's glory and kingdom." This intimates three things: - 1. That he freely offered himself to this service, to which he was under no obligation at all prior to his own voluntary engagement. It was no sooner proposed to him than, with the greatest cheerfulness, he consented to it, and was wonderfully well pleased with the undertaking. Had he not been perfectly voluntary in it, he could not have been a surety, he could not have been a sacrifice; for it is by this will (this animus offerentis - mind of the offerer) that we are sanctified, Heb 10:10. 2. That he firmly obliged himself to it: "I come; I promise to come in the fulness of time." And therefore the apostle says, "It was when he came into the world that he had an actual regard to this promise, by which he had engaged his heart to approach unto God." He thus entered into bonds, not only to show the greatness of his love, but because he was to have the honour of his undertaking before he had fully performed it. Though the price was not paid, it was secured to be paid, so that he was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 3. That he frankly owned himself engaged: He said, Lo, I come, said it all along to the Old Testament saints, who therefore knew him by the title of ho erchomenos - He that should come. This word was the foundation on which they built their faith and hope, and which they looked and longed for the accomplishment of.
IV. The reason why he came, in pursuance of his undertaking - because in the volume of the book it was written of him, 1. In the close rolls of the divine decree and counsel; there it was written that his ear was opened, and he said, Lo, I come; there the covenant of redemption was recorded, the counsel of redemption was recorded, the counsel of peace between the Father and the Son; and to that he had an eye in all he did, the commandment he received of his Father. 2. In the letters patent of the Old Testament. Moses and all the prophets testified of him; in all the volumes of that book something or other was written of him, which he had an eye to, that all might be accomplished, Joh 19:28.
V. The pleasure he took in his undertaking. Having freely offered himself to it, he did not fail, nor was discouraged, but proceeded with all possible satisfaction to himself (Psa 40:8. 9): I delight to do thy will, O my God! It was to Christ his meat and drink to go on with the work appointed to him (Joh 4:34); and the reason here given is, Thy law is within my heart; it is written there, it rules there. It is meant of the law concerning the work and office of the Mediator, what he was to do and suffer; this law was dear to him and had an influence upon him in his whole undertaking. Note, When the law of God is written in our hearts our duty will be our delight.
VI. The publication of the gospel to the children of men, even in the great congregation, Psa 40:9, Psa 40:10. The same that as a priest wrought out redemption for us, as a prophet, by his own preaching first, then by his apostles, and still by his word and Spirit, makes it know to us. The great salvation began to be spoken by the Lord, Heb 2:3. It is the gospel of Christ that is preached to all nations. Observe, 1. What it is that is preached: It is righteousness (Psa 40:9), God's righteousness (Psa 40:10), the everlasting righteousness which Christ has brought in (Dan 9:24); compare Rom 1:16, Rom 1:17. It is God's faithfulness to his promise, and the salvation which had long been looked for. It is God's lovingkindness and his truth, his mercy according to his word. Note, In the work of our redemption we ought to take notice how brightly all the divine attributions shine, and give to God the praise of each of them. 2. To whom it is preached - to the great congregation, Psa 40:9 and again Psa 40:10. When Christ was here on earth he preached to multitudes, thousands at a time. The gospel was preached both to Jews and Gentiles, to great congregations of both. Solemn religious assemblies are a divine institution, and in them the glory of God, in the face of Christ, ought to be both praised to the glory of God and preached for the edification of men. 3. How it is preached - freely and openly: I have not refrained my lips; I have not hid it; I have not concealed it. This intimates that whoever undertook to preach the gospel of Christ would be in great temptation to hide it and conceal it, because it must be preached with great contention and in the face of great opposition; but Christ himself, and those whom he called to that work, set their faces as a flint (Isa 50:7) and were wonderfully carried on in it. It is well for us that they were so, for by this means our eyes come to see this joyful light and our ears to hear this joyful sound, which otherwise we might for ever have perished in ignorance of.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–10. Public domain.
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Hebrews 10:1-14AD 69
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. [Psalms 40:6-8] By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Hilary of PoitiersAD 367
HOMILY ON PSALM 53(54).13
[Christ] offered himself to the death of the accursed that he might break the curse of the Law, offering himself voluntarily a victim to God the Father, in order that by means of a voluntary victim the curse that attended the discontinuance of the regular victim might be removed. Now of this sacrifice mention is made in another passage of the psalms: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body have you prepared for me”; that is, by offering to God the Father, who refused the legal sacrifices, the acceptable offering of the body that he received. Of this offering the holy apostle thus speaks: “For this he did once for all when he offered himself up,” securing complete salvation for the human race by the offering of this holy, perfect victim.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 40
"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire" [Psalm 40:6], says the Psalm to God. For the men of old time, when as yet the true Sacrifice, which is known to the faithful, was foreshown in figures, used to celebrate rites that were figures of the reality that was to be hereafter; many of them understanding their meaning; but more of them in ignorance of it. For the Prophets and the holy Patriarchs understood what they were celebrating; but the rest of the "stiff-necked people" were so carnal, that what was done by them was but to symbolize the things that were to come afterwards; and it came to pass, when that first sacrifice was abolished; when the burnt-offerings of "rams, of goats, and of calves," and of other victims, had been abolished, "God did not desire them." Why did God not desire them? And why did He at the first desire them? Because all those things were, as it were, the words of a person making a promise; and the expressions conveying a promise, when the thing that they promise has come, are no longer uttered....Those sacrifices then, as being but expressions of a promise, have been abrogated. What is that which has been given as its fulfilment? That "Body;" which you know; which you do not all of you know; which, of you who do know it, I pray God all may not know it unto condemnation. Observe the time when it was said; for the person is Christ our Lord, speaking at one time for His members, at another in His own person. "Sacrifice and offering," said He, "You did not desire." What then? Are we left at this present time without a sacrifice? God forbid!
"But a Body have You perfected for me." It was for this reason that You did not desire the others; that You might "perfect" this; before You "perfected" this, You desired the others. The fulfilment of the promise has done away with the words that express the promise. For if they still hold out a promise, that which was promised is not yet fulfilled. This was promised by certain signs; the signs that convey the promise are done away; because the Substance that was promised has come. We are in this "Body." We are partakers of this "Body." We know that which we ourselves receive; and you who know it not yet, will know it bye and bye; and when you come to know it, I pray ye may not receive it unto condemnation. "For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation unto himself." [1 Corinthians 11:29] "A Body" has been "perfected" for us; let us be made perfect in the Body.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 40:6 articulates a profound spiritual truth, declaring that God's ultimate desire transcends mere ritualistic sacrifices and offerings. Instead, He seeks a heart made profoundly receptive and obedient to His divine will. This pivotal verse underscores the insufficiency of outward religious observance apart from inward devotion, establishing a foundational principle that anticipates a more perfect and final act of devotion and atonement—a principle that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the obedient life and atoning sacrifice of the Messiah.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalm 40 is a "mixed" psalm, beginning with a fervent song of thanksgiving (vv. 1-10) for God's miraculous deliverance from a state of deep distress, followed by a passionate prayer for continued divine intervention against enemies (vv. 11-17). Verse 6 marks a significant theological and thematic shift within the thanksgiving section. Having recounted God's faithfulness in lifting him from the "horrible pit" and "miry clay" (Psalms 40:2), the psalmist transitions from personal testimony to a universal declaration about the nature of true worship. This verse serves as the theological bedrock for the psalmist's subsequent commitment in Psalms 40:7-8, where he proclaims his delight in doing God's will and having God's law within his heart, thereby contrasting this internal devotion with the external sacrifices mentioned in verse 6. The sequence establishes that God's prior deliverance has cultivated a heart of willing obedience, which is the true response to His grace.
Historical & Cultural Context: The historical setting of Psalm 40 is traditionally attributed to King David, a figure deeply immersed in the Mosaic Law and the elaborate sacrificial system established by God for Israel (e.g., Leviticus/1). In ancient Israel, sacrifices were central to worship, atonement, covenant renewal, and expressing gratitude. However, throughout Israel's history, a recurring tension existed between the mere performance of rituals and the cultivation of a sincere, obedient heart. Prophets frequently condemned the people for offering sacrifices while neglecting justice, righteousness, and true devotion (e.g., 1 Samuel 15:22, Isaiah 1:11-17, Amos 5:21-24). Psalms 40:6 echoes this prophetic critique, emphasizing that God's ultimate desire transcends mere ritual, pointing instead to a deeper, personal relationship rooted in obedience and a transformed heart.
Key Themes: This verse contributes significantly to several major theological themes. Firstly, it powerfully articulates the theme of Obedience Over Ritual, asserting that God values a willing heart and obedient spirit more than outward religious observances. This principle is foundational to understanding true worship throughout Scripture, culminating in the New Covenant. Secondly, it highlights the Inadequacy of Animal Sacrifices as a final solution for sin. While divinely ordained for a specific purpose, these sacrifices were temporary and symbolic, unable to truly take away sin or fully satisfy God's righteous demands, thus pointing to a greater, ultimate sacrifice. Thirdly, the evocative phrase "mine ears hast thou opened" introduces the profound theme of a Prepared Heart and Willingness to Obey, signifying a deep, personal receptivity to divine instruction and a commitment to doing God's will. This concept is often understood prophetically, foreshadowing the perfect obedience of the Messiah, as explicitly referenced and expounded upon in Hebrews 10:5-7.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 40:6 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message. Parallelism is prominently featured, particularly negative parallelism, where the first and third clauses ("Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire;" and "burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.") express similar ideas of God's non-desire for ritual, framing the central, positive declaration. The phrase "mine ears hast thou opened" functions as a potent Metaphor, representing not a literal physical alteration, but a profound spiritual transformation—a heart made receptive and obedient to God's voice. This creates a striking Antithesis between what God does not desire (external ritual) and what He does enable and desire (internal, willing obedience). Furthermore, when viewed through the lens of the New Testament, the verse carries profound Prophetic significance, especially given the Septuagint's rendering, which points directly to the ultimate obedient act of the Messiah.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 40:6 stands as a powerful theological statement, asserting that God's ultimate desire has always been for a relationship characterized by heartfelt obedience and a willing spirit, rather than mere outward ritual. While the Old Testament sacrificial system was divinely instituted for atonement and to teach about the gravity of sin and the need for a substitute, it was always a temporary measure, a shadow pointing to a greater reality. This verse highlights the inherent limitation of animal sacrifices to truly take away sin or fully satisfy God's righteous demands. It aligns with a consistent prophetic theme throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing that true worship stems from an internal disposition of the heart, which then manifests in righteous living and obedience to God's revealed will. This prepares the way for the New Covenant understanding of worship, where the perfect sacrifice of Christ fulfills and supersedes all previous forms of atonement, establishing a new and living way of access to God through faith and obedience.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 40:6 calls us to a profound re-evaluation of our worship and spiritual lives. It challenges the pervasive temptation to equate religious activity or outward performance with true devotion, reminding us that God seeks not merely our service, but our very person—a heart fully yielded and attuned to His voice. In an age where external expressions of faith can sometimes overshadow internal transformation, this verse serves as a vital corrective. It invites us to cultivate "opened ears" to God's Word, to prioritize listening and obeying over merely participating in rituals or fulfilling religious duties. Our most profound act of worship is to live a life of willing obedience, trusting in the sufficiency of Christ's one-time, perfect sacrifice, and offering ourselves as "living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1). This means actively seeking God's will in every area of life, responding with humility and faith, and allowing His Spirit to transform our desires to align with His, embodying a faith that is both heard and lived.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean animal sacrifices were wrong or useless in the Old Testament?
Answer: No, not at all. The animal sacrifices were divinely instituted by God as an integral part of the Mosaic Covenant (Leviticus/1). They served crucial purposes: to provide a temporary means of atonement for sin, to teach the people about the holiness of God and the gravity of sin, and to foreshadow the ultimate, perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Psalms 40:6 does not negate their historical or theological validity within their context. Instead, it highlights that God's ultimate desire was never for the ritual itself as an end, but for the heart behind the ritual. When offered without a sincere, obedient heart, the sacrifices became meaningless, as many prophets warned (e.g., Isaiah 1:11-17). God desired the spirit of repentance and obedience that the sacrifices were meant to foster, not just the blood of animals.
How does the Septuagint's "a body hast thou prepared me" relate to the Hebrew "mine ears hast thou opened"?
Answer: The Septuagint (LXX) is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, widely used in the time of Jesus and the apostles. While the Hebrew phrase "mine ears hast thou opened" (meaning "dug" or "bored ears") emphasizes a spiritual receptivity and willingness to obey (possibly alluding to the perpetual slave's ear in Exodus 21:6), the Septuagint's rendering, "a body hast thou prepared me," offers a theological interpretation rather than a literal translation. The New Testament author of Hebrews directly quotes the Septuagint's version in Hebrews 10:5 to explain the prophetic fulfillment of Psalms 40:6 in Jesus Christ. The connection lies in the underlying theme of complete surrender and obedience to God's will. The "opened ears" signify a willing heart to obey, and for Christ, this willing obedience was embodied in His prepared human body, offered as the ultimate and perfect sacrifice. Both phrases, in their respective contexts, point to a total yielding to God's divine purpose and a perfect alignment with His redemptive plan.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 40:6 finds its profound and ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies the "opened ears" and "prepared body" that God truly desired. The Old Testament sacrificial system, with its burnt offerings and sin offerings, was a temporary shadow, incapable of truly taking away sins (Hebrews 10:4). It pointed forward to the one perfect sacrifice. Jesus, the eternal Son, came into the world not merely to offer a sacrifice, but to be the sacrifice, perfectly fulfilling the Father's will through His obedient life and atoning death. As Hebrews 10:5-7 explains, quoting the Septuagint of Psalms 40:6, Christ declared, "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me... Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God." His incarnation (John 1:14) provided the prepared body. His entire earthly life was an act of perfect obedience, culminating in His death on the cross, where He willingly laid down His life (John 10:18) as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Through His one, perfect, and eternally effective sacrifice, Christ rendered all previous sacrifices obsolete (Hebrews 10:10-14), forever satisfying God's righteous demands and opening the way for us to approach God with "opened ears" and obedient hearts, not through ritual, but through faith in Him.