Psalms 119:116 (DBY)

Passage

Uphold me according to thy word, that I may live; and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:114 Thou art my hiding-place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

Psalms 119:115 Depart from me, ye evil-doers; and I will observe the commandments of my God.

Psalms 119:116 Uphold me according to thy word, that I may live; and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

Psalms 119:117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe; and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

Psalms 119:118 Thou hast set at nought all them that wander from thy statutes; for their deceit is falsehood.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "uphold", "word", "live", "ashamed", and "hope". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "uphold" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 115's "Depart from me ye evil-doers and I..." into verse 117's "Hold thou me up and I shall...", so "uphold" and "word" 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 "uphold" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.