Key Verse Spotlight
Psalms 119:39 - Meaning and Application
Understand how this verse speaks to what you're facing and how to apply it today
Translation: World English Bible — Catholic Edition
" Take away my disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good. "
Psalms 119:39
Verse in Context
Understanding the surrounding verses prevents misinterpretation:
37 Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, that you may be feared.
39 Take away my disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good.
40 Behold, I long for your precepts! Revive me in your righteousness.
41 Let your loving kindness also come to me, LORD, your salvation, according to your word.
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David prays here against shame, as he did before (Psalm 119:22). He knew that he had done things that could give the Lord’s enemies a reason to speak against God. That would also harm his own name and bring disgrace on his family. So he asks God, who holds all hearts and tongues in his hand, to keep this from happening. He wants to be delivered from all his sins, so that he will not become the reproach of foolish people, which he feared (Psalm 39:8). Or he may mean the shame his enemies were wrongly putting on him. He asks that their lying lips be silenced.
He also appeals to the goodness of God’s judgments. The Lord sits on the throne, and his judgments are right and good, fair and kind to those who are wronged. So David brings his case to God instead of accepting the unfair and harsh judgments of people. It is a small thing to be judged by human opinion, when the one who judges us is the Lord. Or he may mean this: God’s word, his ways, and his holy religion are all good, but the insults aimed at David would fall on them too. So he asks the Lord to turn the reproach away, so that religion would not be wounded through his side.
From This Chapter
Psalms 119:1
"Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the LORD’s law."
Psalms 119:2
"Blessed are those who keep his statutes, who seek him with their whole heart."
Psalms 119:3
"Yes, they do nothing wrong. They walk in his ways."
Psalms 119:4
"You have commanded your precepts, that we should fully obey them."
Psalms 119:5
"Oh that my ways were steadfast to obey your statutes!"
Psalms 119:6
"Then I wouldn’t be disappointed, when I consider all of your commandments."
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