Psalms 119:92 — Word Study
WLCלוּלֵ֣י ת֭וֹרָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י אָ֝֗ז אָבַ֥דְתִּי בְעָנְיִֽי׃
BSAIf Your lawtôwrâh [instruction, divine guidance] had notlûwlêʼ been my delightshaʻshuaʻ [enjoyment, pleasure] thenʼâz [at that time, previously] I would have perishedʼâbad■ [been destroyed, lost] in my afflictionʻŏnîy [state of trouble, misery, hardship]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לוּלֵ֣י | if not | Particle |
| ת֭וֹרָתְךָ | law your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י | [had been] delight my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| אָ֝֗ז | then | Adverb |
| אָבַ֥דְתִּי | I perished | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| בְעָנְיִֽי׃ | in affliction my | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. |
| KJV | Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. |
| ASV | Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction. |
| YLT | Unless Thy law [were] my delights, Then had I perished in mine affliction. |
| WEB | Unless your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. |
| BBE | If your law had not been my delight, my troubles would have put an end to me. |
Where they part company is in the interpretation of the relationship between delight and survival.
The sentence structure presents a conditional relationship, emphasizing the cause and effect between delight in God's law and the psalmist's survival.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbאָבַד
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 119:92
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 119:92 reflects the psalmist's deep appreciation for God's law, which serves as a source of joy and strength during difficult times. The verses surrounding it emphasize the steadfastness of God's ordinances and the psalmist's commitment to remember and seek them, highlighting the transformative power of divine guidance in the believer's life.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 119:24–77 | Your testimonies are indeed my delight; they are my counselors. |
| 2 | Romans 15:4 | For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. |
| 3 | Psalm 27:13 | Still I am certain to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. |
| 4 | Psalm 94:18–19 | If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me. |
| 5 | Proverbs 6:22–23 | When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תּוֹרָתְךָ, To.ra.te.khagenerated
The word תּוֹרָה (torah) means instruction or law, derived from the root that conveys guidance and direction. It encompasses not just legal directives but also moral teachings, particularly those found in the first five books of the Bible.
In this verse, the psalmist emphasizes that without the delight found in God's law, he would have faced destruction in his affliction. The construct form indicates a close relationship between the law and the psalmist's personal experience of joy.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as well as the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE, all agreeing on the essential meaning of the psalmist's reliance on God's law.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb אָבַדְתִּי (avadti, I perished) governs the main clause, indicating the psalmist's condition. The structure includes a conditional phrase introduced by לוּלֵ֣י (lu'lay, if not), which sets the stage for the consequence of perishing in affliction.
The adverb אָ֝֗ז (az, then) connects the condition to the outcome, emphasizing the temporal relationship between the psalmist's delight in God's law and his survival.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תּוֹרָתְךָ as σου (sou, your), which maintains the personal connection to God's law, emphasizing its significance in the psalmist's life.
The choice of ἀπωλόμην (apōlōmēn, I perished) reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew verb, preserving the sense of destruction linked to the absence of delight in God's instruction.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 119:92 expresses that without delight in God's law, the psalmist would have perished in his troubles. This highlights the importance of God's guidance in difficult times.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist refers to God's instructions and teachings, which guide moral behavior and provide direction in life.
Delight in God's law provides strength and hope during affliction, helping the believer to endure and find joy even in hardship.
To perish in affliction means to be overwhelmed or destroyed by troubles and hardships without the support and guidance of God's law.
Delighting in God's law can be achieved through studying Scripture, meditating on its teachings, and applying them in daily life.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's law as a source of delight in my life?
- How can I better incorporate God's teachings into my daily routine?
- What are some afflictions I face that could be eased by a deeper understanding of God's guidance?
- How can I encourage others to find joy in God's law?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators, such as Augustine of Hippo, reference this verse to discuss the importance of delighting in God's law as a source of spiritual strength.
He then looks back towards the source of this earth's deliverance, which caused it to abide when founded; and adds, "If my delight had not been in Your law,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 119:92 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleUnless thy law [had been] my delights,.... Not the law of works, the voice of words, which they that heard entreated they might hear no more; which is terrible, and works wrath in the conscience; is
Read John Gill on Psalms 119 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryUnless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. "Thy law " - namely, its consolations and promises (cf.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 119 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThen; at the very instant; I could not have outlived one stroke of thine afflicting hand.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 119 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 119:92 Unless thy law [had been] my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.Ver. 92. Unless thy law had been my delight] Unless it had been settled in my heart (as well as it is in heaven) for my singular comfort, I had been crushed. I should then (or long since) have perished] The Landgrave of Hesse told me at Dresden, saith Melancthon, that it had been impossible for him to have borne up under the manifold miseries of so long an imprisonment, nisi habuisset consolationem ex verbo divino in suo corde, but for the comforts of the Scriptures in his heart (Joh. Manl. loc. com. 139).
Read John Trapp on Psalms 119 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 92. Unless thy law had been my delights] Had we not had the consolations of religion, we should long ago have died of a broken heart.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 119 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges92. then] emphatically, in that case. But for the refreshment of God’s law, he would have utterly lost heart in affliction (Isaiah 40:29-31). This had revived him (Psalms 119:93), in this (Psalms 119:95) he had found consolation when his life was in peril.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 119 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleUnless thy law had been my delights - See Psalms 119:16, note; Psalms 119:24, note. Unless I had had pleasure in thy law, thy word, thy truth; unless I had derived support and consolation in that.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 119 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bibleì, Lamed.89-96. Thy word is settled in heaven—This lofty declaration of the character of the word, gives the reason why it may be trusted.
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
If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction.
Unless your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction.
If I had not found encouragement in your law, I would have died in my sorrow.
Tyndale line
Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in my affliction.
Except thy Lawe had bene my delite, I should now haue perished in mine affliction.
Strictly literal
Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Unless Thy law [were] my delights, Then had I perished in mine affliction.
Unless Your law [were] my delights, || Then had I perished in my affliction.
Unless thy law had been my delights, I should long since have been lost in my affliction.
If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
Simplified
If I didn't love your teachings, my suffering would have killed me.
If your law had not been my delight, my troubles would have put an end to me.
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 aligns with the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, with minor differences in wording. The scrolls show some restoration, but the essential message remains consistent across these witnesses.
לוּלֵ֣י ת֭וֹרָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י אָ֝֗ז אָבַ֥דְתִּי בְעָנְיִֽי׃
6 of the 6 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.
[לולי] [תורת׳ך] [שעשע׳י] [אז] אבדתי בעני׳י
nothing on the leather here — 2 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.
לולי תורת׳כה שעשוע׳י אז אבדתי בעוונ׳י
6 words on the leather.
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 119:92
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.
לוּלֵא (luwle') means 'if not' or 'unless.' It is derived from two other Hebrew words, indicating conditions or exceptions. The term appears in various contexts, emphasizing situations that depend on a negative condition.
לוּלֵא, elsewhere לוּלֵי 10 if not, unless
base
H3884 לוּלֵא if not, unless
3884 luwle' loo-lay'
or luwley {loo lay'}; from 3863 and 3808; if not:--except,
had not, if (...not), unless, were it not that.
see HEBREW for 03863
see HEBREW for 03808
לוּלֵא (lu.le) — unless.
unless, if not, except
Conj — ParticleHTc
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
שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים (sha`shua`) refers to delight or enjoyment, derived from the root word for pleasure. It encompasses both the concept of delight itself and the objects that bring delight. The term appears in contexts that emphasize joy and satisfaction.
[שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים], שׁוּעִים– n.[m.]pl.intens. delight
base
H8191 [שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים], שׁוּעִים– delight
8191 sha`shua` shah-shoo'-ah
from 8173; enjoyment:--delight, pleasure.
see HEBREW for 08173
שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים (sha.shu.a) — delight.
1) delight, enjoyment
1a) delight
1b) object of delight
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
אָז (az) is a demonstrative adverb meaning 'at that time' or 'then,' used for both temporal and logical expressions. It can refer to past events or indicate a condition for future actions. The related form מֵאָז (me.az) means 'from that time' or 'since.' The entries highlight its use in various contexts without significant disagreement.
אָז adv. at that time, then whether expressing duration, or inception (= thereupon).
strictly temporal
expressing logical sequence strictly
base
מֵאָז lit. from that time
base
H227a אָז at that time, then H227b מֵאָז, once
227 'az awz
a demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a
conjunction, therefore:--beginning, for, from, hitherto, now,
of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.
אָז (az) — then.
1) then, at that time
1a) temporal expressions
1a1) then (past)
1a2) then, if...then (future)
1a3) earlier
1b) logical expressions
1b1) in that case
1b2) that (being so)
מֵאָז (me.az) — the past.
1) in time past, of old
2)from time of, since
Adv — AdverbHD
אָבַד (abad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to perish or be lost. It encompasses a range of meanings, including dying, vanishing, and destruction, often in a moral or judgment context. The word appears in various forms in the Old Testament, with uses related to individuals, nations, and inanimate objects. The lexicons indicate that it can also imply causing something to perish or stray.
אָבַד vb. perish (M I אבד, As. abâtu Dl W 184 Aram אֲבַד, Syriac).—
Qal Pf. א׳ Nu 21:30 +; אָבְדוּ ψ 10:16 + (+ Ez 6:3 𝔊 Co) etc.; Impf. יֹאבַד Jb 3:3 Je 4:9; יֹאבֵ֑ד Jb 20:7 + 2t.; 3fs. תֹּאבַד Dt 22:3 + 4t.; תֹּאבֵ֑ד Jb 8:13 + 3t.; יֹאבְדוּ Ju 5:31 + 3t.; יֹאבֵ֑דוּ Jb 4:9 +; 3fpl. וַתֹּאבַדְנָה֙ I S 9:3; תֹּאבֵדוּן Dt 4:26 +; נֹאבֵ֑ד Jon 1:6…
Read the full entry →H6 אָבַד perish .. perish, die, of individuals
. fig. perish, vanish, subj. memory
. be lost, strayed
. . cause to perish, destroy, kill
. fig. cause to vanish, blot out, do away with
. cause to stray, lose
. . destroy, put to death, in judgment
. fig. obj. name of kings; hope; voice of mirth etc.
6 'abad aw-bad'
a primitive root; properly, to wander away, i.e. lose
oneself; by implication to perish (causative,
destroy):--break, destroy(- uction), + not escape, fail,
lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, X and surely, take, be
undone, X utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.
אָבַד (a.vad) — to perish.
1) perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) perish, die, be exterminated
1a2) perish, vanish (fig.)
1a3) be lost, strayed
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to destroy, kill, cause to perish, to give up (as lost), exterminate
1b2) to blot out, do away with, cause to vanish, (fig.)
1b3) cause to stray, lose
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to destroy, put to death
1c1a) of divine judgment
1c2) object name of kings (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (אֲבַד "to destroy" H0007)
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
עֳנִי (oniy) refers to affliction, poverty, and misery. It is derived from the root word עָנָה (H6031), which relates to depression or trouble. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to suffering and hardship.
עֳנִי n.m. affliction, poverty
base
H6040 עֳנִי affliction, poverty
6040 `oniy on-ee'
from 6031; depression, i.e. misery: --afflicted(-ion),
trouble.
see HEBREW for 06031
עֳנִי (o.ni) — affliction.
1) affliction, poverty, misery
1a) affliction
1b) poverty
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs