Psalm 119:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

NIV: How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.

NASB: How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.

CSB: How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word.

NLT: How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.

KJV: BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

NKJV: How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.

Psalm 119:9–16 begins each verse with the Hebrew letter beth. This passage emphasizes how knowledge of Scripture helps a person maintain a pure, moral life. The psalmist commits himself to applying God's Word to life. This requires memorizing and careful study. These ideas parallel 1 Timothy 4:13–16, Joshua 1:7–8, and Proverbs 1:4–5.

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 8:54:45 AM