Psalm 119:116 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope!

NIV: Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.

NASB: Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

CSB: Sustain me as you promised, and I will live; do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

NLT: Lord, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed.

KJV: Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

NKJV: Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

Psalm 119:113–120 begins each verse with the Hebrew letter samekh. As someone devoted to God and His commandments, the psalmist rejects those who turn their back on the Lord's Word. All the writer's hope and faith are placed in God, and this comes with a prayer for rescue from danger. The psalmist fully expects the Lord to bring justice to those who do evil. Unlike the non-believer, the writer "fears" the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).

This song is composed of twenty-two stanzas, each corresponding to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each line in the stanza is an individual verse and each begins with the corresponding letter. The psalmist emphasizes study of God's Word in a variety of circumstances, including persecution, sadness, and rescue. Benefits of taking in the Word include a moral life, joy, wisdom, hope, peace, strength, and freedom. Those who interact with the Word of the Lord should respond with delight, careful study, and obedience.

This is the largest psalm in the book of Psalms. At 176 verses, Psalm 119 is longer than many books of the Old Testament and most books of the New Testament. The psalmist focuses on a proper relationship with God's Word and how those who follow the Lord face persecution. Ideas parallel those found in Psalm 1, 2 Timothy 3:14–17, Proverbs 3:5–8, Hebrews 12:6–11, and more. The psalm is arranged in twenty-two stanzas of eight lines each. Every stanza is associated with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet; each line in that stanza begins with that letter.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 11/21/2024 4:14:55 PM