Psalms 119:38 (DBY)

Passage

Establish thy word unto thy servant, who is [devoted] to thy fear.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to gain.

Psalms 119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; quicken me in thy way.

Psalms 119:38 Establish thy word unto thy servant, who is [devoted] to thy fear.

Psalms 119:39 Turn away my reproach which I fear; for thy judgments are good.

Psalms 119:40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "establish", "word", "servant", "devoted", and "fear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "establish" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity..." into verse 39's "Turn away my reproach which I fear...", so "establish" 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 "establish" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.