Psalms 119:9 (ASV)

Passage

Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed [thereto] according to thy word.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:7 I will give thanks unto thee with uprightness of heart, When I learn thy righteous judgments.

Psalms 119:8 I will observe thy statutes: Oh forsake me not utterly. BETH.

Psalms 119:9 Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed [thereto] according to thy word.

Psalms 119:10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: Oh let me not wander from thy commandments.

Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I laid up in my heart, That I might not sin against thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wherewith", "shall", "young", "cleanse", "taking", "heed", "thereto", and "word". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wherewith" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "I will observe thy statutes Oh forsake..." into verse 10's "With my whole heart have I sought...", so "wherewith" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wherewith" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.