Psalms 119:31 — Word Study
WLCדָּבַ֥קְתִּי בְעֵֽדְוֹתֶ֑יךָ יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַל־ תְּבִישֵֽׁנִי׃
BSAI clingdâbaq■ [to closely follow, adhere to] to Your testimoniesʻêdûwth [instructions, divine laws] O LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] let me notʼal [under no circumstances] be put to shamebûwsh▸ [be disgraced, experience guilt]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| דָּבַ֥קְתִּי | I have clung | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| בְעֵֽדְוֹתֶ֑יךָ | to testimonies your | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| יְ֝הוָ֗ה | O Yahweh | Noun proper |
| אַל־ | may not | Particle |
| תְּבִישֵֽׁנִי׃ | you put to shame me | Verb hiphil imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I cling to Your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame. |
| KJV | I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. |
| ASV | I cleave unto thy testimonies: O Jehovah, put me not to shame. |
| YLT | I have adhered to Thy testimonies, O Jehovah, put me not to shame. |
| WEB | I cling to your statutes, Yahweh. Don’t let me be disappointed. |
| BBE | I have been true to your unchanging word; O Lord, do not put me to shame. |
Where they part company is תְּבִישֵֽׁנִי — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause presents the psalmist's commitment, while the subordinate clause expresses his plea for divine assistance, creating a clear structure of devotion and request.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbדָּבַק
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 119:31
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Meditation on God's Lawgenerated
Psalm 119:31 is part of a larger reflection on the psalmist's relationship with God's commandments. The psalmist emphasizes the importance of clinging to God's testimonies as a source of guidance and strength. This verse highlights a personal commitment to following divine laws while expressing a desire for God's help in avoiding shame, which is a recurring theme throughout this section of the psalm.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 119:48–115 | I lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love, and I meditate on Your statutes. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 4:4 | But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive to this day, every one of you. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 10:20 | You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name. |
| 4 | Proverbs 23:23 | Invest in truth and never sell it— in wisdom and instruction and understanding. |
| 5 | John 8:31 | So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — דָּבַק, da.Vak.tigenerated
The verb דָּבַק, transliterated as dabaq, means to cling or cleave. It indicates a strong attachment or adherence, suggesting that the psalmist is not just passively following God's laws but actively pursuing them with dedication.
This perfect tense form indicates a completed action with ongoing relevance, showing that the psalmist has made a conscious choice to adhere to God's testimonies. The word encompasses both physical and metaphorical closeness, reflecting a deep commitment to living according to God's will.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is דָּבַקְתִּי, I have clung, which governs the structure. The phrase בְעֵֽדְוֹתֶ֑יךָ serves as the object, indicating what is being clung to, while the final phrase אַל־ תְּבִישֵֽׁנִי expresses a plea related to the action.
The sentence structure emphasizes the psalmist's commitment to God's testimonies and his desire for divine assistance, creating a clear connection between devotion and the need for support.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates דָּבַק as ἐκολλήθην, which also means to cling or adhere. This choice reflects a similar emphasis on attachment, suggesting that the translators understood the depth of the psalmist's commitment.
The use of μή for אַל indicates a strong negation, aligning with the psalmist's plea not to be shamed, reinforcing the emotional weight of the request.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 119:31 expresses the psalmist's strong commitment to following God's laws. He clings to God's testimonies and asks not to be put to shame, highlighting the importance of divine support in his faith journey.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To cling to God's testimonies means to closely follow and adhere to His laws and instructions, making them a central part of one's life.
The psalmist seeks assurance that his commitment to God's ways will not lead to disgrace or guilt, reflecting a desire for God's favor.
We can apply this verse by actively pursuing God's teachings and seeking His guidance, ensuring that we remain steadfast in our faith.
Testimonies refer to God's laws and instructions, which serve as guidance for living a righteous life.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I strengthen my commitment to following God's teachings?
- How do I seek God's help when I feel ashamed or guilty?
- What does it mean to me to cling to God's testimonies in my daily life?
- How can I encourage others to adhere to God's laws and find strength in them?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 119:31 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI have stuck unto thy testimonies,.... The word of God, the Scriptures of truth, and the doctrines contained in them.
Read John Gill on Psalms 119 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame - disappoint not my hope.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 119 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI have stuck unto thy testimonies; I have resolutely persisted in the practice of thy precepts, in spite of all temptations, reproaches, persecutions, and discouragements, to which I was exposed in and for so doing. Put me not to shame; either, 1. By giving me over to apostacy or transgression, which will bring shame; or rather, 2. By the disappointment of my hopes and confidence in those promises of the blessings of this life. as well as of the next, which thou hast made to the obedient, of which I have made in boast.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 119 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 119:31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.Ver. 31. I have stuck unto thy testimonies] Hitherto I have done so; let me now shrink from them, or hang loose to them, lest I lose the things that I have wrought, and shame myself for ever by my backsliding.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 119 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 31. I have stuck] דבקתי dabakti, I have cleaved to, been glued to, them: the same word as in Psalms 119:25. My soul cleaves as much to thy testimonies, as my life has cleaved to the dust. O Lord, put me not to shame.] Let my sins and follies be blotted out by thy mercy; and so hide and cover them that they shall never appear, either in this or the coming world, to my shame and confusion! How many need to be importunate with God in this prayer!
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 119 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges31. The protestation of a good conscience is continued. I cleave unto thy testimonies (cp. Deuteronomy 10:20; Deuteronomy 11:22; Deuteronomy 13:4; Deuteronomy 30:20); put me not to shame; let me not be disappointed of the blessings promised to faithful obedience.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 119 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleI have stuck unto thy testimonies - The word here rendered “stuck” is the same which in Psalms 119:25 is rendered “cleave:” - “My soul cleaveth unto the dust.” It means here that he had adhered to
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 119 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bibleã, Daleth.25-32. My soul cleaveth unto the dust—Now is presented a soul in deep affliction, as if the trial in the previous division had gone against him; as if he had suffered the loss of all things, and worse was yet to follow.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 119 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
I cling to Your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame.
I cling to your statutes, Yahweh. Don’t let me be disappointed.
I cling to Your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame.
I hold fast to your rules. O Lord, do not let me be ashamed!
Tyndale line
I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
I cleave unto thy testimonies: O Jehovah, put me not to shame.
I cleave unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
I have adhered to thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
I haue cleaued to thy testimonies, O Lord: confound me not.
Strictly literal
I cleave unto thy testimonies; Jehovah, let me not be ashamed.
I have adhered to Thy testimonies, O Jehovah, put me not to shame.
I have adhered to Your testimonies, || O YHWH, do not put me to shame.
I have adhered unto thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame.
I cling to your covenant decrees; Yahweh, do not let me be shamed.
Simplified
I hold on to your teachings, Lord. Don't let me be ridiculed.
I have been true to your unchanging word; O Lord, do not put me to shame.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in the wording of this verse, showing consistency in the translation of key terms. The Dead Sea Scrolls partially restore the text but align with the Masoretic Text in the main elements of the verse.
דָּבַ֥קְתִּי בְעֵֽדְוֹתֶ֑יךָ יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַל־ תְּבִישֵֽׁנִי׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[דבקתי] [בעדותי׳ך] [יהוה] [אל] תביש׳ני
nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 119:31
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
דָּבַק, transliterated as dabaq, is a Hebrew verb meaning to cling or cleave. It encompasses a range of actions such as adhering closely, pursuing, and being joined together. The word appears in various forms, including Qal, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating different nuances of the action. Notably, it can describe both physical and metaphorical closeness.
דָּבַק, דָּבֵק vb. cling, cleave, keep close
Qal
cling, cleave to
cling, cleave to
Pu. of crocodile’s scales, they are joined together
Hiph.
cause to cling or cleave to
pursue closely
overtake
Hoph. and my tongue is made to cleave (to) my gums
base
H1692 דָּבַק, דָּבֵק cling, cleave, keep close
1692 dabaq daw-bak'
a primitive root; properly, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere;
figuratively, to catch by pursuit:--abide fast, cleave (fast
together), follow close (hard after), be joined (together),
keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.
דָּבַק (da.vaq) — to cleave.
1) to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cling, cleave to
1a2) to stay with
1b) (Pual) to be joined together
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to cleave to
1c2) to pursue closely
1c3) to overtake
1d) (Hophal) to be made to cleave
Aramaic equivalent: de.vaq (דְּבֵק "to cleave" H1693)
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
עֵדוּת (eduwth) is a feminine noun meaning 'testimony' or 'witness.' It is derived from the root word עֵד (ed), which also relates to the concept of testimony. The term appears in various contexts in the Old Testament, emphasizing its significance in legal and religious settings.
עֵדוּת 19 and עֵדֻת 27 n.f. testimony
base
H5715 עֵדוּת, עֵדֻת testimony
5715 `eduwth ay-dooth'
feminine of 5707; testimony:--testimony, witness.
see HEBREW for 05707
עֵדוּת (e.dut) — testimony.
testimony
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp2ms
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
אַל (al) is a negative particle meaning 'not' or 'no,' often used to express a wish or prohibition rather than an objective fact. It can also function as a noun meaning 'nothing.' The lexicons highlight its use in various contexts, including deprecative forms, but do not show significant disagreement.
אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
base
H408 אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
408 'al al
a negative particle (akin to 3808); not (the qualified
negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun,
nothing:--nay, neither, + never, no ,nor, not, nothing
(worth), rather than.
see HEBREW for 03808
אַל (al) — not.
1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference)
1a) do not, let not (with a verb)
1b) let there not be (with a verb understood)
1c) not, no (with substantive)
1d) nothing (as substantive)
Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)
Part — ParticleHTn
בּוֹשׁ (buwsh) is a Hebrew root meaning 'to be ashamed.' It encompasses feelings of shame, disappointment, and disconcertion. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal (to feel shame), Piel (to delay in shame), and Hiphil (to put to shame). The entries indicate a range of uses, from personal feelings of shame to actions that cause shame to others.
בּוֹשׁ 109 vb. be ashamed
Qal
abs. feel shame
sq. מִן, be ashamed of, i.e. disconcerted, disappointed by reason of
with obj. I am ashamed to ask
Polel delay (in shame)
Hiph.
put to shame
put to shame
act shamefully
to be put to shame
be ashamed
Hithp. ashamed before one another
base
H954 בּוֹשׁ be ashamed
954 buwsh boosh
a primitive root; properly, to pale, i.e. by implication to
be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or
delayed:--(be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with,
a-)shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry,
delay, be long.
בּוֹשׁ (bush) — be ashamed.
1) to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to feel shame
1a2) to be ashamed, disconcerted, disappointed (by reason of)
1b) (Piel) to delay (in shame)
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to put to shame
1c2) to act shamefully
1c3) to be ashamed
1d) (Hithpolel) to be ashamed before one another
V-Hiphil-Juss-2ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVhi2ms/Sp1bs