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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/psalms/40-6.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/7/19_Psa_040_006.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Psalm 40:6 - I Waited Patiently for the LORD" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/psalms/40-6.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/psalms/40-6.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/psalms/">Psalms</a> > <a href="/psalms/40.htm">Chapter 40</a> > Verse 6</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad6.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/psalms/40-5.htm" title="Psalm 40:5">◄</a> Psalm 40:6 <a href="/psalms/40-7.htm" title="Psalm 40:7">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/psalms/40.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/psalms/40.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened — burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/psalms/40.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand— you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/psalms/40.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/psalms/40.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/psalms/40.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/psalms/40.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/psalms/40.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />You have not desired sacrifice and meal offering; You have opened my ears; You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/psalms/40.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/psalms/40.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Sacrifice and meal offering Thou hast not desired; My ears Thou hast opened; Burnt offering and sin offering Thou hast not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/psalms/40.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/psalms/40.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Sacrifice and meal offering You do not desire, <i>nor</i> do You delight in them; You have opened my ears <i>and</i> given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word]; Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/psalms/40.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />You do not delight in sacrifice and offering; you open my ears to listen. You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/psalms/40.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />You do not delight in sacrifice and offering; You open my ears to listen. You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/psalms/40.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in; Mine ears hast thou opened: Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/psalms/40.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Sacrifices and offerings are not what please you; gifts and payment for sin are not what you demand. But you made me willing to listen and obey. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/psalms/40.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/psalms/40.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />You were not pleased with sacrifices and offerings. You have dug out two ears for me. You did not ask for burnt offerings or sacrifices for sin. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/psalms/40.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />You do not want sacrifices and offerings; you do not ask for animals burned whole on the altar or for sacrifices to take away sins. Instead, you have given me ears to hear you, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/psalms/40.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />You take no delight in sacrifices and offerings— you have prepared my ears to listen— you require no burnt offerings or sacrifices for sin.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/psalms/40.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/psalms/40.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. You make that quite clear to me! You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/psalms/40.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me. Whole burnt offering and sin offering you did not require.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/psalms/40.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; my ears hast thou opened: burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/psalms/40.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/psalms/40.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Sacrifice and present You have not desired, "" But a body You have prepared for me, "" Burnt and sin-offering You have not asked.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/psalms/40.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Sacrifice and present Thou hast not desired, Ears Thou hast prepared for me, Burnt and sin-offering Thou hast not asked.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/psalms/40.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Sacrifice and a gift thou didst not delight in; the ears thou didst pierce to me: burnt-offering and sin thou didst not ask.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/psalms/40.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require : <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/psalms/40.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br /><V 39:7>Sacrifice and oblation, you did not want. But you have perfected ears for me. Holocaust and sin offering, you did not require.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/psalms/40.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering you do not want; you opened my ears. Holocaust and sin-offering you do not request; <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/psalms/40.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/psalms/40.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Sacrifices and offerings thou didst not desire; but as for me, I now have understanding; burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/psalms/40.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />With sacrifices and with offerings you have not been pleased, but you have pierced the ears for me; burnt peace offerings for sin you have not requested.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/psalms/40.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Sacrifice and meal-offering Thou hast no delight in; Mine ears hast Thou opened; Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast Thou not required.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/psalms/40.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; but a body hast thou prepared me: whole-burnt-offering and <i>sacrifice</i> for sin thou didst not require.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/psalms/40-6.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFaD2oDhKPc?start=4727" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/psalms/40.htm">I Waited Patiently for the LORD</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">5</span>Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, and the plans You have for us—none can compare to You—if I proclaim and declare them, they are more than I can count. <span class="reftext">6</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/2077.htm" title="2077: ze·ḇaḥ (N-ms) -- A sacrifice. From zabach; properly, a slaughter, i.e. The flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice.">Sacrifice</a> <a href="/hebrew/4503.htm" title="4503: ū·min·ḥāh (Conj-w:: N-fs) -- From an unused root meaning to apportion, i.e. Bestow; a donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering.">and offering</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō- (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">You did not</a> <a href="/hebrew/2654.htm" title="2654: ḥā·p̄aṣ·tā (V-Qal-Perf-2ms) -- A primitive root; properly, to incline to; by implication to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire.">desire,</a> <a href="/hebrew/241.htm" title="241: ’ā·zə·na·yim (N-fd) -- An ear. From 'azan; broadness. I.e. the ear.">but my ears</a> <a href="/hebrew/3738.htm" title="3738: kā·rî·ṯā (V-Qal-Perf-2ms) -- To dig, to plot, to bore, open. A primitive root; properly, to dig; figuratively, to plot; generally, to bore or open.">You have opened.</a> <a href="/hebrew/lî (Prep:: 1cs) -- "></a> <a href="/hebrew/5930.htm" title="5930: ‘ō·w·lāh (N-fs) -- Whole burnt offering. Or mowlah; feminine active participle of alah; a step or; usually a holocaust.">Burnt offerings</a> <a href="/hebrew/2401.htm" title="2401: wa·ḥă·ṭā·’āh (Conj-w:: N-fs) -- Sin, sin offering. Feminine of chet'; an offence, or a sacrifice for it.">and sin offerings</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">You did not</a> <a href="/hebrew/7592.htm" title="7592: šā·’ā·lə·tā (V-Qal-Perf-2ms) -- To ask, inquire. Or shael; a primitive root; to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand.">require.</a> </span><span class="reftext">7</span>Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll:…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/10-5.htm">Hebrews 10:5-10</a></span><br />Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. / In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight. / Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/15-22.htm">1 Samuel 15:22</a></span><br />But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/1-11.htm">Isaiah 1:11-17</a></span><br />“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/7-21.htm">Jeremiah 7:21-23</a></span><br />This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! / For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices, / but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/5-21.htm">Amos 5:21-24</a></span><br />“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. / Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/6-6.htm">Micah 6:6-8</a></span><br />With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? / Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? / He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6</a></span><br />For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/9-13.htm">Matthew 9:13</a></span><br />But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/12-33.htm">Mark 12:33</a></span><br />and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/12-1.htm">Romans 12:1</a></span><br />Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/1-18.htm">1 Peter 1:18-19</a></span><br />For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, / but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/12-7.htm">Matthew 12:7</a></span><br />If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/21-3.htm">Proverbs 21:3</a></span><br />To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/51-16.htm">Psalm 51:16-17</a></span><br />For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. / The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/66-3.htm">Isaiah 66:3</a></span><br />Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; my ears have you opened: burnt offering and sin offering have you not required.</p><p class="hdg">Sacrifice</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/50-8.htm">Psalm 50:8</a></b></br> I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, <i>to have been</i> continually before me.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/51-16.htm">Psalm 51:16</a></b></br> For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give <i>it</i>: thou delightest not in burnt offering.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_samuel/15-22.htm">1 Samuel 15:22</a></b></br> And Samuel said, Hath the LORD <i>as great</i> delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey <i>is</i> better than sacrifice, <i>and</i> to hearken than the fat of rams.</p><p class="hdg">mine ears</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/exodus/21-6.htm">Exodus 21:6</a></b></br> Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/33-16.htm">Job 33:16</a></b></br> Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/50-4.htm">Isaiah 50:4,5</a></b></br> The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to <i>him that is</i> weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned… </p><p class="hdg">opened [heb.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/psalms/8-7.htm">Beasts</a> <a href="/psalms/39-3.htm">Burned</a> <a href="/psalms/20-3.htm">Burnt</a> <a href="/psalms/20-3.htm">Burnt-Offering</a> <a href="/psalms/37-23.htm">Delight</a> <a href="/job/22-6.htm">Demanded</a> <a href="/psalms/38-12.htm">Desire</a> <a href="/psalms/27-4.htm">Desired</a> <a href="/psalms/39-12.htm">Ear</a> <a href="/psalms/39-12.htm">Ears</a> <a href="/psalms/40-2.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/job/31-39.htm">Fruits</a> <a href="/psalms/20-3.htm">Meal</a> <a href="/nehemiah/10-33.htm">Meal-Offering</a> <a href="/nehemiah/13-9.htm">Oblation</a> <a href="/psalms/38-1.htm">Offering</a> <a href="/psalms/22-25.htm">Offerings</a> <a href="/psalms/39-9.htm">Open</a> <a href="/psalms/39-9.htm">Opened</a> <a href="/psalms/38-2.htm">Pierced</a> <a href="/psalms/37-23.htm">Prepared</a> <a href="/psalms/14-5.htm">Present</a> <a href="/psalms/21-4.htm">Request</a> <a href="/psalms/10-13.htm">Require</a> <a href="/psalms/10-13.htm">Required</a> <a href="/psalms/27-6.htm">Sacrifice</a> <a href="/psalms/39-11.htm">Sin</a> <a href="/ezra/8-35.htm">Sin-Offering</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/psalms/49-12.htm">Beasts</a> <a href="/psalms/46-9.htm">Burned</a> <a href="/psalms/50-8.htm">Burnt</a> <a href="/psalms/51-16.htm">Burnt-Offering</a> <a href="/psalms/40-8.htm">Delight</a> <a href="/psalms/137-3.htm">Demanded</a> <a href="/psalms/40-8.htm">Desire</a> <a href="/psalms/51-6.htm">Desired</a> <a href="/psalms/45-10.htm">Ear</a> <a href="/psalms/44-1.htm">Ears</a> <a href="/psalms/41-2.htm">Earth</a> <a href="/psalms/78-46.htm">Fruits</a> <a href="/psalms/124-3.htm">Meal</a> <a href="/isaiah/43-23.htm">Meal-Offering</a> <a href="/psalms/96-8.htm">Oblation</a> <a href="/psalms/45-12.htm">Offering</a> <a href="/psalms/50-5.htm">Offerings</a> <a href="/psalms/45-10.htm">Open</a> <a href="/psalms/66-14.htm">Opened</a> <a href="/psalms/69-26.htm">Pierced</a> <a href="/psalms/57-6.htm">Prepared</a> <a href="/psalms/45-12.htm">Present</a> <a href="/psalms/55-1.htm">Request</a> <a href="/ezekiel/3-18.htm">Require</a> <a href="/psalms/137-3.htm">Required</a> <a href="/psalms/50-5.htm">Sacrifice</a> <a href="/psalms/41-4.htm">Sin</a> <a href="/proverbs/14-34.htm">Sin-Offering</a><div class="vheading2">Psalm 40</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/40-1.htm">The benefit of confidence in God</a></span><br><span class="reftext">6. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/40-6.htm">Obedience is the best sacrifice</a></span><br><span class="reftext">11. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/40-11.htm">The sense of David's evils inflames his prayer</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; 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In the Old Testament, sacrifices were a central part of worship, yet prophets like Samuel (<a href="/1_samuel/15-22.htm">1 Samuel 15:22</a>) and Hosea (<a href="/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6</a>) emphasized that God desires mercy and knowledge of Him more than burnt offerings. This reflects a deeper spiritual truth that external rituals are meaningless without genuine faith and obedience.<p><b>but my ears You have opened</b><br>The opening of ears signifies understanding and obedience. In ancient Hebrew culture, the ear symbolized the seat of obedience. This phrase may allude to the practice of a servant having their ear pierced as a sign of willing servitude (<a href="/exodus/21-6.htm">Exodus 21:6</a>). Spiritually, it suggests that God enables the psalmist to hear and understand His will, pointing to a relationship based on listening and responding to God's voice.<p><b>Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require</b><br>This statement underscores the insufficiency of sacrifices to atone for sin without true repentance and faith. The sacrificial system was instituted by God (Leviticus 1-7), yet it was always meant to point beyond itself to a greater reality. The ultimate fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ, who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice (<a href="/hebrews/10-5.htm">Hebrews 10:5-10</a>). This phrase anticipates the New Covenant, where the law is written on hearts rather than tablets of stone (<a href="/jeremiah/31-33.htm">Jeremiah 31:33</a>).<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/d/david.htm">David</a></b><br>The author of <a href="/bsb/psalms/40.htm">Psalm 40</a>, David is expressing a deep understanding of God's desires beyond ritualistic practices.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God</a></b><br>The central figure who communicates His desires for obedience and understanding over mere ritual.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/s/sacrificial_system.htm">Sacrificial System</a></b><br>The context of the Old Testament practice where sacrifices and offerings were made to atone for sin and express devotion.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_god's_desires.htm">Understanding God's Desires</a></b><br>God values obedience and a heart aligned with His will over ritualistic practices. This calls us to examine our motivations in worship and service.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_sacrifices.htm">The Role of Sacrifices</a></b><br>While sacrifices were part of the Old Testament law, they pointed to a deeper need for a heart transformation, ultimately fulfilled in Christ.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/o/open_ears_and_obedience.htm">Open Ears and Obedience</a></b><br>The phrase "my ears You have opened" suggests a readiness to listen and obey God. We should cultivate a posture of listening to God's voice in our lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/christ_as_the_fulfillment.htm">Christ as the Fulfillment</a></b><br>Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of the sacrificial system, offering Himself once for all. Our faith should rest in His completed work.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/l/living_out_true_worship.htm">Living Out True Worship</a></b><br>True worship involves living a life of obedience, justice, and mercy, reflecting God's character in our daily actions.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_psalm_40.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 40</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_hebrews_10_5-7_alter_psalm_40.htm">Hebrews 10:5–7 quotes Psalm 40 differently than the Hebrew text (“a body you prepared” vs. “my ears you have opened”); does this suggest an alteration of Scripture? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_did_sacrifices_fade_by_new_testament.htm">If God is unchanging, why did these explicit sacrificial commands lose prominence by New Testament times (cf. Hebrews 10:1–10)? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_does_the_nt_alter_ot_prophecies.htm">Why does the New Testament misquote or reinterpret Old Testament prophecies?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_is_lifelong_servitude_ethical.htm">In Exodus 21:2–6, how is the practice of permanently marking a servant’s ear and lifelong servitude reconciled with moral or ethical standards? </a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/psalms/40.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(6) <span class= "bld">Mine ears hast thou opened.</span>--Literally, <span class= "ital">Ears hast thou dug for me, </span>which can hardly mean anything but "Thou hast given me the sense of hearing." The words are an echo of <a href="/1_samuel/15-22.htm" title="And Samuel said, Has 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 listen than the fat of rams.">1Samuel 15:22</a>. The attentive ear and obedient heart, not formal rites, constitute true worship. Comp. the words so frequent on the lips of Christ, "He that hath ears to hear let him hear." The fact that the plural <span class= "ital">ears </span>is used instead of the singular, sets aside the idea of <span class= "ital">a revelation, </span>which is expressed in <a href="/isaiah/48-8.htm" title="Yes, you heard not; yes, you knew not; yes, from that time that your ear was not opened: for I knew that you would deal very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb.">Isaiah 48:8</a> by "open the <span class= "ital">ear" </span>and <a href="/1_samuel/9-15.htm" title="Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,">1Samuel 9:15</a> "uncover the <span class= "ital">ear." </span>Not that the idea is altogether excluded, since the outward ears maybe typical of the inward. The same fact excludes allusion to the symbolic act by which a slave was devoted to perpetual servitude (<a href="/exodus/21-6.htm" title="Then his master shall bring him to the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or to the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.">Exodus 21:6</a>), because then also only <span class= "ital">one ear </span>was bored. For the well-known variation in the LXX. see <span class= "ital">New Testament Commentary, </span><a href="/hebrews/10-5.htm" title="Why when he comes into the world, he said, Sacrifice and offering you would not, but a body have you prepared me:">Hebrews 10:5</a>. The latest commentator, Gratz, is of opinion that the text is corrupt, and emends (comp. <a href="/psalms/51-16.htm" title="For you desire not sacrifice; else would I give it: you delight not in burnt offering.">Psalm 51:16</a>) to, "Shouldest thou desire sacrifice and offering I would select the fattest," a most desirable result if his arguments, which are too minute for insertion, were accepted. . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/40.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 6.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire</span>. Will the right return be by sacrifices and burnt offerings? No, the psalmist answers to himself; it is not these which God really "desires." Samuel had already preached the doctrine, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (<a href="/1_samuel/15-22.htm">1 Samuel 15:22</a>). David goes further. Apart from a spirit of obedience, sacrifice and offering are not desired or required at all; rather, as Isaiah says, they are a weariness and an abomination (<a href="/isaiah/1-11.htm">Isaiah 1:11, 12</a>). The one thing needed is obedience - a cheerful, willing obedience to all that God reveals as his will. <span class="cmt_word">Mine ears hast thou opened</span>. Either, "Thou hast taken away my deafness, and given me ears open to receive and embrace thy Law;" or, perhaps, with special reference to <a href="/exodus/21-6.htm">Exodus 21:6</a> and <a href="/deuteronomy/15-17.htm">Deuteronomy 15:17</a>, "Thou hast accepted me as thy voluntary servant, and bored through mine ear, to mark that I am thy servant for ever." <span class="cmt_word">Burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required</span>. Of the four kinds of offering mentioned in this verse, the first (<span class="hebrew">זבח</span>) is the ordinary offering of a victim at the altar in sacrifice; the second (<span class="hebrew">מנחה</span>), the meat offering of flour, with oil and frankincense accompanying it; the third (<span class="hebrew">עולה</span>) is the "whole burnt offering," representative of complete self-sacrifice; and the fourth (<span class="hebrew">חטאה</span>), the "sin offering," or "trespass offering," of which the special intention was expiation. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/psalms/40-6.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Sacrifice</span><br /><span class="heb">זֶ֤בַח</span> <span class="translit">(ze·ḇaḥ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2077.htm">Strong's 2077: </a> </span><span class="str2">A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and offering</span><br /><span class="heb">וּמִנְחָ֨ה ׀</span> <span class="translit">(ū·min·ḥāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4503.htm">Strong's 4503: </a> </span><span class="str2">A donation, tribute, a sacrificial offering</span><br /><br /><span class="word">You did not</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹֽא־</span> <span class="translit">(lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">desire,</span><br /><span class="heb">חָפַ֗צְתָּ</span> <span class="translit">(ḥā·p̄aṣ·tā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2654.htm">Strong's 2654: </a> </span><span class="str2">To incline to, to bend, to be pleased with, desire</span><br /><br /><span class="word">but my ears</span><br /><span class="heb">אָ֭זְנַיִם</span> <span class="translit">(’ā·zə·na·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - fd<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_241.htm">Strong's 241: </a> </span><span class="str2">Broadness, the ear</span><br /><br /><span class="word">You have opened.</span><br /><span class="heb">כָּרִ֣יתָ</span> <span class="translit">(kā·rî·ṯā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3738.htm">Strong's 3738: </a> </span><span class="str2">To dig, to plot, to bore, open</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Burnt offerings</span><br /><span class="heb">עוֹלָ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(‘ō·w·lāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5930.htm">Strong's 5930: </a> </span><span class="str2">Whole burnt offering</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and sin offerings</span><br /><span class="heb">וַ֝חֲטָאָ֗ה</span> <span class="translit">(wa·ḥă·ṭā·’āh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2401.htm">Strong's 2401: </a> </span><span class="str2">An offence, a sacrifice for, it</span><br /><br /><span class="word">You did not</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹ֣א</span> <span class="translit">(lō)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">require.</span><br /><span class="heb">שָׁאָֽלְתָּ׃</span> <span class="translit">(šā·’ā·lə·tā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7592.htm">Strong's 7592: </a> </span><span class="str2">To inquire, to request, to demand</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/psalms/40-6.htm">OT Poetry: Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering you didn't desire (Psalm Ps Psa.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/psalms/40-5.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Psalm 40:5"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Psalm 40:5" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/psalms/40-7.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Psalm 40:7"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Psalm 40:7" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>