Psalms 119:109
Psalms 119:109 in Multiple Translations
I constantly take my life in my hands, yet I do not forget Your law.
My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.
My soul is continually in my hand; Yet do I not forget thy law.
My soul is ever in danger; but I still keep the memory of your law.
My life is always at risk, but I will not forget your law.
My soule is continually in mine hande: yet doe I not forget thy Lawe.
My soul [is] in my hand continually, And Thy law I have not forgotten.
My soul is continually in my hand, yet I won’t forget your law.
My soul is continually in my hand: yet I do not forget thy law.
My enemies are often trying to kill me [IDM], but I do not forget your laws.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 119:109
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 119:109 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
נַפְשִׁ֣/י
בְ/כַפִּ֣/י
תָמִ֑יד
וְ֝/תֽוֹרָתְ/ךָ֗
לֹ֣א
שָׁכָֽחְתִּי
נַפְשִׁ֣/י
nephesh
H5315
soul
N-cs | Suff
בְ/כַפִּ֣/י
kaph
H3709
palm
Prep | N-fs | Suff
תָמִ֑יד
tâmîyd
H8548
continually
N-ms
וְ֝/תֽוֹרָתְ/ךָ֗
tôwrâh
H8451
instruction
Conj | N-fs | Suff
לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
שָׁכָֽחְתִּי
shâkach
H7911
to forget
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 119:109
נַפְשִׁ֣/י
nephesh
H5315
"soul"
N-cs | Suff
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Definition: 1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion 1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man 1b) living being 1c) living being (with life in the blood) 1d) the man himself, self, person or individual 1e) seat of the appetites 1f) seat of emotions and passions 1g) activity of mind 1g1) uncertain 1h) activity of the will 1h1) uncertain 1i) activity of the character 1i1) uncertain
Usage: Occurs in 683 OT verses. KJV: any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it. See also: Genesis 1:20; Leviticus 26:43; Judges 18:25.
בְ/כַפִּ֣/י
kaph
H3709
"palm"
Prep | N-fs | Suff
In the Bible, this word refers to the palm of the hand, like in Exodus 29 where it describes the priest's hands being filled with offerings. It can also symbolize power or strength, like in Psalm 16. It's about the hand or its shape.
Definition: : palm/hand 1) palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand 1a) palm, hollow or flat of the hand 1b) power 1c) sole (of the foot) 1d) hollow, objects, bending objects, bent objects 1d1) of thigh-joint 1d2) pan, vessel (as hollow) 1d3) hollow (of sling) 1d4) hand-shaped branches or fronds (of palm trees) 1d5) handles (as bent)
Usage: Occurs in 180 OT verses. KJV: branch, [phrase] foot, hand((-ful), -dle, (-led)), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon. See also: Genesis 8:9; 2 Chronicles 6:13; Psalms 7:4.
תָמִ֑יד
tâmîyd
H8548
"continually"
N-ms
This Hebrew word means continually or constantly, like the daily sacrifice in the Bible. It describes something that happens regularly, like every day. It is used in books like Leviticus and Numbers to describe regular offerings.
Definition: 1) continuity, perpetuity, to stretch 1a) continually, continuously (as adverb) 1b) continuity (subst)
Usage: Occurs in 103 OT verses. KJV: alway(-s), continual (employment, -ly), daily, (n-)ever(-more), perpetual. See also: Exodus 25:30; Nehemiah 10:34; Psalms 16:8.
וְ֝/תֽוֹרָתְ/ךָ֗
tôwrâh
H8451
"instruction"
Conj | N-fs | Suff
The Hebrew word for instruction or law, referring to the Ten Commandments or the first five books of the Bible, guiding human behavior and moral code.
Definition: 1) law, direction, instruction 1a) instruction, direction (human or divine) 1a1) body of prophetic teaching 1a2) instruction in Messianic age 1a3) body of priestly direction or instruction 1a4) body of legal directives 1b) law 1b1) law of the burnt offering 1b2) of special law, codes of law 1c) custom, manner 1d) the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law
Usage: Occurs in 213 OT verses. KJV: law. See also: Genesis 26:5; Nehemiah 8:7; Psalms 1:2.
לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
שָׁכָֽחְתִּי
shâkach
H7911
"to forget"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
To forget something means to mislay it or be oblivious to it. This Hebrew word is used in the Bible to describe when people forget things, like God's commands. The KJV translates it as 'to forget' or 'at all'.
Definition: 1) to forget, ignore, wither 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to forget 1a2) to cease to care 1b) (Niphal) to be forgotten 1c) (Piel) to cause to forget 1d) (Hiphil) to make or cause to forget 1e) (Hithpael) to be forgotten Aramaic equivalent: she.khach (שְׁכַח "to find" H7912)
Usage: Occurs in 95 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, (cause to) forget. See also: Genesis 27:45; Psalms 106:13; Psalms 9:13.
Study Notes — Psalms 119:109
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 119:109 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 119:109
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 119:109
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 119:109
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 119:109
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
- Sermons on Psalms 119:109
Context — Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet
107I am severely afflicted, O LORD; revive me through Your word.
108Accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me Your judgments.
109I constantly take my life in my hands, yet I do not forget Your law.
110The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from Your precepts. 111Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judges 12:3 | When I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come today to fight against me?” |
| 2 | Job 13:14 | Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands? |
| 3 | 1 Corinthians 15:31 | I face death every day, brothers, as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
| 4 | Psalms 119:152 | Long ago I learned from Your testimonies that You have established them forever. |
| 5 | 1 Samuel 20:3 | But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.” |
| 6 | Psalms 119:117 | Uphold me, and I will be saved, that I may always regard Your statutes. |
| 7 | Psalms 119:83 | Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes. |
| 8 | 2 Corinthians 11:23 | Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death. |
| 9 | Romans 8:36 | As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” |
| 10 | 1 Samuel 19:5 | He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?” |
Psalms 119:109 Summary
The psalmist is saying that even though he is in a very difficult and dangerous situation, he is not going to forget what God has taught him. He is choosing to trust in God's law, even when it's hard, just like it says in Proverbs 3:5-6 to trust in the Lord with all our heart. This means that no matter what is happening around us, we can always rely on God's Word to guide us and keep us safe, as promised in Psalms 121:7-8.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to 'take my life in my hands' in Psalms 119:109?
This phrase means to put oneself in a risky or vulnerable position, similar to how Esther did in Esther 4:16 when she approached the king without being summoned, but the psalmist trusts in God's law to guide and protect him, as seen in Psalms 119:98.
How can I, like the psalmist, remember God's law in the midst of danger or uncertainty?
By cultivating a habit of meditation on Scripture, as encouraged in Psalms 1:2, and by seeking to apply its teachings to everyday life, just as the psalmist does in Psalms 119:109.
Is it normal to feel like my life is in danger because of my faith?
Yes, it is normal for believers to face persecution or hardship because of their faith, as Jesus warned in Matthew 10:28 and the apostle Paul experienced in 2 Corinthians 11:26.
What role does trust in God's law play in the psalmist's ability to withstand danger?
Trust in God's law gives the psalmist confidence and courage, as seen in Psalms 119:42, and reminds him of God's faithfulness and goodness, as expressed in Psalms 100:5.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways am I putting my life at risk for the sake of following God, and how can I trust in His law to guide me?
- How do I typically respond when faced with danger or uncertainty, and what can I learn from the psalmist's example in Psalms 119:109?
- What are some ways I can cultivate a deeper trust in God's law, and how can I apply its teachings to my everyday life?
- What are some areas of my life where I feel vulnerable or at risk, and how can I seek God's protection and guidance in those areas?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 119:109
My soul [is] continually in my hand,.... In the utmost jeopardy, always exposed to danger, ever delivered unto death; killed all the day long, or liable to be so: this is the sense of the phrase; see
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 119:109
My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
Ver. 109. In my hand; exposed to perpetual and extreme danger, as any precious and frail thing is which a man carrieth openly in his hand, whence it may easily fall or be snatched away by a violent hand. See the same or like phrase, .
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
Psalms 119:109 My soul [is] continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law. Ver. 109. My soul (or life) is continually in my hand] i.e. Continually hazarded and ready to be laid down for righteousness’ sake. I am neither fond of life nor afraid of death in this case; I make no more of life than a child doth of his bird, which he carrieth in the palm of his hand held open. See Judges 12:3 Job 13:14. Yet do I not forget thy law] Notwithstanding all these dangers; nay, I love it, and like it so much the better, as those, Psalms 44:17 Romans 8:2-4, and that holy martyr who caught up the Revelation cast into the same fire with himself, and cried, O beata Apocalypsis, &c. Oh blessed revelation.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
(109) My soul.—For this figure of peril see Judges 12:3; 1 Samuel 19:5, &c.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
Verse 109. My soul is continually in my hand] נפשי naphshi, my life; that is, it is in constant danger, every hour I am on the confines of death. The expression signifies to be in continual danger. So Xenarchus in Athenaeus, lib. xiii., c. 4: Εντῃχειριτηνψυχηνεχοντα, "having the life in the hand;" which signifies continual danger and jeopardy. There is some thing like this in the speech of Achilles to Ulysses, HOM. Il. ix., ver. 322: - Αιειεμηνψυχηνπαραβαλλομενοςπολεμιζειν· "Always presenting my life to the dangers of the fight." My soul is in thy hand, is the reading of the Syriac, Septuagint, AEthiopic, and Arabic; but this is a conjectural and useless emendation.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 119:109
109. ‘To put one’s life in one’s hand’ is a metaphor for hazarding it (Judges 12:3; 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Samuel 28:21; Job 13:14), apparently because a treasure carried in the hand instead of being concealed is liable to be lost or snatched away. The reading of some MSS of the LXX in thy hands is doubtless a correction of a phrase which was not understood.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 119:109
My soul is continually in my hand - The Septuagint renders this, “My soul is always in thy hands,” but the Hebrew will not admit of this construction. The idea in the original is that his soul - his life - was always in jeopardy.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 119:109
ð, Nun.105-112. Thy word is a lamp—The writer comes to an experience like that of a traveller by night on a dangerous road.
Sermons on Psalms 119:109
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
An Invitation to Die by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of dying daily as a key to experiencing supernatural strength and revelation. He references 1 Corinthians 15:31 where Paul sta |
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They That Love the Lord Shall Be as the Sun by Hans R. Waldvogel | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the simplicity and power of the Apostle Paul's teachings. He highlights Paul's focus on dying to oneself and being united with Jesus Christ. |
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Meekness by Don McClure | In this sermon, the speaker reflects on a personal transformation and the passing of authority from a powerful man to a seemingly insignificant Christian. The speaker acknowledges |
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Npg Summer Session 81 Tape 2 - Union Life Women’s Week by Norman Grubb | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concept of the complete position in the Bible and the process of the Spirit of God. He emphasizes the importance of pressing towards the m |
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It Is a Faithful Saying: For if We Be Dead With Him by John Calvin | John Calvin preaches about the hidden life of the faithful in this world, drawing parallels to trees in winter that appear dry and lifeless but show strength in spring. He emphasiz |
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Perverted Pauline Texts Quoted Against Holiness. by Daniel Steele | Daniel Steele preaches about the misunderstood texts in St. Paul's epistles regarding Christian perfection and holiness. He clarifies that St. Paul, in Philippians 3:12, is not dis |
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(Epistle) to the Romans by Ignatius of Antioch | Ignatius of Antioch, in his letter to the Church in Rome, expresses his desire to see them and hopes to be able to greet them as a prisoner in Christ Jesus. He urges the Church not |