Psalms 40:6

¶ Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Sacrifice {H2077} and offering {H4503} thou didst not desire {H2654}{H8804)}; mine ears {H241} hast thou opened {H3738}{H8804)}: burnt offering {H5930} and sin offering {H2401} hast thou not required {H7592}{H8804)}.

Sacrifices and grain offerings you don't want; burnt offerings and sin offerings you don't demand. Instead, you have given me open ears;

Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.

Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in; Mine ears hast thou opened: Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.

Commentary

Context of Psalms 40:6

Psalm 40 is a psalm of thanksgiving and deliverance, attributed to David. It opens with the psalmist recounting how God delivered him from a desperate situation. Verse 6, however, shifts focus, expressing a profound truth about God's desires beyond the ritualistic sacrifices prescribed by the Mosaic Law. This verse is often seen as having a dual meaning: David's understanding of true worship, and a prophetic foreshadowing of the Messiah's perfect obedience.

Key Themes in Psalms 40:6

  • Obedience Over Ritual: The core message is that God values a willing heart and obedient spirit more than mere outward religious observances. The psalmist declares that God "didst not desire" or "hast not required" animal sacrifices as the ultimate expression of devotion. This principle is consistent throughout the Old Testament, as seen in the prophet Samuel's declaration that "to obey is better than sacrifice".
  • The Inadequacy of Animal Sacrifices: While the Old Testament sacrificial system was ordained by God, it was always a temporary measure and a shadow of a greater reality. These sacrifices could not ultimately take away sin or fully satisfy God's righteous demands. Psalm 40:6 highlights this inherent limitation, paving the way for a more perfect solution.
  • A Prepared Heart/Body: The phrase "mine ears hast thou opened" speaks to a deep, personal willingness to hear and obey God's voice. It signifies a heart made receptive to divine instruction and committed to doing God's will. This concept is often understood prophetically, particularly through its quotation in the New Testament.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew phrase translated "mine ears hast thou opened" is karah oznaim, which literally means "dug ears" or "bored ears." This can imply two things:

  • Ears made attentive: A common understanding is that God has made the psalmist's ears receptive to His commands, signifying a readiness to listen and obey.
  • A slave's ear: Less commonly, it could allude to the practice in Exodus 21:6, where a slave who chose to remain with his master had his ear pierced (bored) as a sign of perpetual service. This would emphasize a lifelong commitment to God's will.
Crucially, the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) renders this phrase as "a body hast thou prepared me." This interpretation is adopted and expounded upon in the New Testament, notably in Hebrews 10:5-7. This shift from "ears opened" to "a body prepared" highlights the prophetic nature of Psalm 40:6, pointing directly to Jesus Christ, who came into the world with a prepared body to offer the ultimate, perfect sacrifice of obedience.

Significance and Application

Psalm 40:6 holds immense theological significance, particularly when viewed through the lens of the New Covenant. It reveals that God's ultimate desire has always been for a relationship characterized by heartfelt obedience and a willing spirit, rather than mere outward ritual. The Old Testament sacrifices, including "burnt offering and sin offering," were types that pointed to the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He came not merely to offer a sacrifice, but to be the sacrifice, fulfilling the will of God through His obedient life and death on the cross.

For believers today, this verse emphasizes that true worship is not about external performance, but about internal transformation and a life lived in submission to God's will. We are called to offer ourselves as a "living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," which is our reasonable service. It encourages us to cultivate "opened ears" to hear God's voice through His Word and to respond with obedient hearts, trusting in the sufficiency of Christ's one-time, perfect sacrifice for sin.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Isaiah 1:11

    To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

  • Hebrews 10:5

    Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

  • Hebrews 10:12

    But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

  • 1 Samuel 15:22

    And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.

  • Psalms 51:16

    For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give [it]: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

  • Hosea 6:6

    For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

  • Matthew 12:7

    But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
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