What does Psalm 119:4 mean?
ESV: You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
NIV: You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
NASB: You have ordained Your precepts, That we are to keep them diligently.
CSB: You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept.
NLT: You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.
KJV: Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
NKJV: You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.
Verse Commentary:
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 119; verse-level content coming soon!
Verse Context:
Psalm 119:1–8 begins each verse with the Hebrew letter aleph. The psalmist expresses his devotion to God's law. Those who order their lives according to God's Word are blessed. So, the writer commits to keeping that law diligently. Psalm 1, Joshua 1:7–8, and multiple Proverbs (Proverbs 3:5–8; 8:34–36) express similar benefits of devoting oneself to God's commands.
Chapter Summary:
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.
Chapter Context:
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.
Book Summary:
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.
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