Psalms 119:53 — Word Study
WLCזַלְעָפָ֣ה אֲ֭חָזַתְנִי מֵרְשָׁעִ֑ים עֹ֝זְבֵ֗י תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃
BSA◂Ragezalʻâphâh [hot indignation, scorching heat] has taken hold of meʼâchaz■ [seized, grasped] because of the wickedrâshâʻ [morally wrong, guilty of sin] who rejectʻâzab [forsake, abandon] Your lawtôwrâh [instruction, divine guidance]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| זַלְעָפָ֣ה | burning indignation | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| אֲ֭חָזַתְנִי | it has seized me | Verb qal perfect third person feminine singular, suffix |
| מֵרְשָׁעִ֑ים | from wicked [people] | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| עֹ֝זְבֵ֗י | [who] forsake | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine plural common |
| תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃ | law your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Rage has taken hold of me because of the wicked who reject Your law. |
| KJV | Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. |
| ASV | Hot indignation hath taken hold upon me, Because of the wicked that forsake thy law. |
| YLT | Horror hath seized me, Because of the wicked forsaking Thy law. |
| WEB | Indignation has taken hold on me, because of the wicked who forsake your law. |
| BBE | I am burning with wrath, because of the sinners who have given up your law. |
The translations agree on the rendering of the verse, emphasizing the psalmist's rage against the wicked who forsake God's law.
The sentence has one main clause supported by two subordinate clauses that specify the cause of the psalmist's rage.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectזַלְעָפָה
verbעָזַב
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 119:53
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 — The Emotional Response to Wickednessgenerated
Psalm 119:53 captures the psalmist's deep emotional turmoil as he reflects on the wicked who forsake God's law. This verse is situated within a larger meditation on God's judgments and statutes, emphasizing the psalmist's commitment to divine instruction even in the face of moral decay. The surrounding verses highlight his feelings of comfort and the contrast with his indignation towards the wicked.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 119:136–158 | My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed. |
| 2 | Ezra 9:3–14 | When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror. |
| 3 | Ezra 10:6 | Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. And while he stayed there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 13:17 | But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive. |
| 5 | Daniel 4:19 | For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,” replied Belteshazzar, “may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies! |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — זַלְעָפָה, zal.'a.Fahgenerated
The word זַלְעָפָה (zal`aphah) is a noun that denotes a state of intense heat or fervor, often associated with horror or terror. It is derived from a root that implies overwhelming conditions, conveying a sense of burning indignation. This term appears in contexts where God's anger is expressed, illustrating the severity of the psalmist's feelings towards those who act wickedly.
In this verse, it emphasizes the psalmist's emotional state, which is not just anger but a consuming rage that has taken hold of him due to the actions of the wicked. This intense emotion reflects the seriousness of the moral situation he observes.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the rendering of the verse, emphasizing the psalmist's rage against the wicked who forsake God's law.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb אֲ֭חָזַתְנִי ('A.cha.zat.ni), meaning 'has seized me,' governs the entire sentence. The structure reveals that the subject, זַלְעָפָה (zal`aphah), is the source of the psalmist's emotional turmoil, while the prepositional phrase מֵרְשָׁעִ֑ים (me.re.sha.'Im) specifies the cause of this rage.
The sentence's emphasis is on the emotional impact of the wicked's actions, with the subject placed prominently at the beginning to highlight the intensity of the psalmist's feelings.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word זַלְעָפָה is rendered as ἀθυμία, which conveys a sense of despondency or lack of spirit. This choice reflects a slightly different emotional nuance, focusing on the psalmist's despair rather than just his rage.
This translation choice may indicate a broader interpretation of the psalmist's feelings, suggesting that the emotional response encompasses both anger and a sense of hopelessness regarding the wicked's actions.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 119:53 shows the psalmist feeling intense anger because of the wicked who reject God's law. He expresses how this rage has taken hold of him, highlighting his emotional struggle against those who act immorally.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist's 'rage' refers to a deep, burning indignation he feels towards those who act wickedly and abandon God's law.
This verse illustrates the psalmist's strong commitment to God's law and his emotional response to its rejection by others.
We can learn the importance of valuing and upholding divine instruction, as well as recognizing the emotional weight that comes with witnessing moral decay.
The psalmist feels strong indignation because he sees the wicked forsaking God's law, which he holds dear and believes is essential for righteous living.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond to injustice or wickedness in my surroundings?
- What role does God's law play in my life, and how do I uphold it?
- In what ways can I express my feelings about moral decay in a constructive manner?
- How can I support others who are struggling with similar indignation towards wickedness?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers, such as Augustine of Hippo, reference this verse to discuss themes of weariness and the challenges of confronting wickedness.
"Weariness has held me; for the ungodly that forsake Your law" [Psalms 119:53].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
So there you are, I have said a few words to prevent the boats from sinking. Something much more dreadful happened at that catch of fish, and that is that the nets were broken. The nets were broken, heresies arose.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 119:53 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHorror hath taken hold upon me,.... Trembling, sorrow, and distress, to a great degree, like a storm, or a blustering, scorching, burning wind, as the word (h) signifies, which is very terrible;
Read John Gill on Psalms 119 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHorror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law .
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 119 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHorror; a mixed passion made up of indignation at their persons as sinful, and abhorrency of their sins, and dread and sorrow at the consideration of the judgments of God coming upon them. Because of the wicked that forsake thy law; for the dishonour which they bring to God, the scandal and mischief to others, and their own certain ruin.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 119 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 119:53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.Ver. 53. Horror hath taken hold upon me] Horripilatio, turbo, vortex, a horrible tempest, Psalms 11:6, such as surpriseth holy Habakkuk, Habakkuk 3:16. Because of the wicked] To think of their heinous sins and horrible punishments, which they dread not, dream not off See Daniel 4:19.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 119 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(53) Horror.—Rather, violent indignation, a storm of rage, hot and fierce as the simoon. For the word, see Psalms 11:6, Note.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 119 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 53. Horror hath taken hold upon me] The word זלעפה zilaphah, which we render horror, is thought to signify the pestilential burning wind called by the Arabs simoom. Here it strongly marks the idea that the psalmist had of the destructive nature of sin; it is pestilential; it is corrupting, mortal.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 119 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges53. Horror &c.] Hot indignation seizes me. It was not unmingled with sorrow, Psalms 119:136. that forsake thy law] Careless or apostate Israelites are clearly meant.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 119 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHorror hath taken hold upon me - Has seized me; has overpowered and overwhelmed me. I shudder; I tremble; I am afraid; I am filled with distress.
Read Albert Barnes 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
Rage has taken hold of me because of the wicked who reject Your law.
Indignation has taken hold on me, because of the wicked who forsake your law.
Rage has taken hold of me because of the wicked who reject Your law.
Rage takes hold of me because of the wicked, those who reject your law.
Tyndale line
Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
Hot indignation hath taken hold upon me, Because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
Hot indignation hath taken hold upon me, because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
Feare is come vpon mee for the wicked, that forsake thy Lawe.
Strictly literal
Burning indignation hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked who forsake thy law.
Horror hath seized me, Because of the wicked forsaking Thy law.
Horror has seized me, || Because of the wicked forsaking Your law.
Horror seized on me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
Hot anger has taken hold of me because of the wicked who reject your law.
Simplified
I am angry with the wicked because they have rejected your law.
I am burning with wrath, because of the sinners who have given up your law.
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 on the wording of this verse, with all five Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the psalmist's emotional state across these textual traditions.
זַלְעָפָ֣ה אֲ֭חָזַתְנִי מֵרְשָׁעִ֑ים עֹ֝זְבֵ֗י תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃
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.
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 119:53
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.
זַלְעָפָה (zal`aphah) refers to a state of intense heat or fervor, often associated with fever, famine, or a burning wind. It conveys a sense of horror or terror as well. The term is derived from another Hebrew root, indicating its connection to consuming or overwhelming conditions.
זַלְעָפָה n.f. raging heat
of fever heat of famine
of burning wind
fig. of zeal
base
H2152 זַלְעָפָה, זִלְעָפָה
2152 zal`aphah zal-aw-faw'
or ziliaphaph {zil-aw-faw'}; from 2196; a glow (of wind or
anger); also a famine (as consuming):--horrible, horror,
terrible.
see HEBREW for 02196
זַלְעָפָה (zal.a.phah) — scorching.
burning heat, raging heat
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
The Hebrew word אָחַז (achaz) means to grasp, take hold of, or seize. It has various forms, including Qal (to grasp), Niphal (to be caught), Piel (to enclose), and Hophal (to be fastened). The entries highlight its use in contexts of possession and holding, but do not provide specific verse references.
אָחַז 68 vb. grasp, take hold of, take possession
Qal grasp, take hold of
Niph. be caught
Pi. enclose, overlay
Hoph. fastened
base
H270 אָחַז grasp, take hold of, take possession .grasp, take hold of
. be caught
. enclose, overlay
270 'achaz aw-khaz'
a primitive root; to seize (often with the accessory idea of
holding in possession):--+ be affrighted, bar, (catch, lay,
take) hold (back), come upon, fasten, handle, portion, (get,
have or take) possess(-ion).
אָחַז (a.chaz) — to grasp.
1) grasp, take hold, seize, take possession
1a) (Qal) to grasp, take hold of
1b) (Niphal) to be caught, grasped, be settled
1c) (Piel) to enclose, overlay
1d) (Hophal) fastened
V-Qal-Perf-3fs | Suff — Verb qal perfect third person feminine singular · suffixHVqp3fs/Sp1bs
רָשָׁע (rasha`) refers to someone who is wicked or criminal, encompassing meanings such as guilty and ungodly. It is derived from a root that implies moral wrongdoing. The term is used to describe individuals who are hostile to God or guilty of sin against others.
רָשָׁע 263 adj. wicked, criminal
base
H7563 רָשָׁע wicked, criminal
7563 rasha` raw-shaw'
from 7561; morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad
person:--+ condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did
wrong.
see HEBREW for 07561
רָשָׁע (ra.sah) — wicked.
1) wicked, criminal
1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst)
1b) wicked (hostile to God)
1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)
Prep | Adj — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa
pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…
עָזַב (azab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to leave, forsake, or let loose. It encompasses a range of actions from abandoning or neglecting to setting free. The entries suggest it can also imply restoration or repair, though this aspect is less emphasized. Notably, the term can describe both active and passive states, such as being forsaken or deserted.
עָזַב 213 vb. leave, forsake, loose
Qal
leave, c. acc.
leave, abandon, forsake
let loose, set free, let go
Niph.
be left to
be forsaken, of house of God
H5800a עָזַב leave, forsake, loose .. leave, c. acc.
. leave, abandon, forsake
. let loose, set free, let go
. . be left to
. be forsaken, of house of God
. (or Qal pass.) be deserted, of city
H5800b עָזַב restore, repair(?)
5800 `azab aw-zab'
a primitive root; to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit,
etc.:--commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave
(destitute, off), refuse, X surely.
עָזַב (a.zav) — to leave: forsake.
1) to leave, loose, forsake
1a) (Qal) to leave
1a1) to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone
1a2) to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise
1a3) to let loose, set free, let go, free
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be left to
1b2) to be forsaken
1c) (Pual) to be deserted
עָזַב (a.zav) — to restore.
1) to restore, repair
1a) (Qal) to repair
עָזַב (a.zav) — to leave: release.
1) to leave, loose, forsake
1a) (Qal) to leave
1a1) to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone
1a2) to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise
1a3) to let loose, set free, let go, free
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be left to
1b2) to be forsaken
1c) (Pual) to be deserted
עָזַב (a.zav) — Forsaken.
This name means to restore, repair
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
עָזַב (a.zav) — to leave: neglect.
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine plural commonHVqrmpc
תּוֹרָה (towrah) encompasses concepts of direction, instruction, and law, particularly relating to divine or human guidance. It refers to legal directives, customs, and teachings, including the Decalogue and the Pentateuch. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, such as prophetic and priestly instruction, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
תּוֹרָה n.f. direction, instruction, law
instruction
law (prop. direction)
custom, manner
base
H8451 תּוֹרָה direction, instruction, law . instruction
. law (prop. direction)
. custom, manner
8451 towrah to-raw'
or torah {to-raw'}; from 3384; a precept or statute,
especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch:--law.
see HEBREW for 03384
תּוֹרָה (to.rah) — instruction.
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
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms