Psalms 32:9 (DBY)

Passage

Be ye not as a horse, as a mule, which have no understanding: whose trappings must be bit and bridle, for restraint, or they will not come unto thee.

Nearby Context

Psalms 32:7 Thou art a hiding-place for me; thou preservest me from trouble; thou dost encompass me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee the way in which thou shalt go; I will counsel [thee] with mine eye upon thee.

Psalms 32:9 Be ye not as a horse, as a mule, which have no understanding: whose trappings must be bit and bridle, for restraint, or they will not come unto thee.

Psalms 32:10 Many sorrows hath the wicked; but he that confideth in Jehovah, loving-kindness shall encompass him.

Psalms 32:11 Rejoice in Jehovah, and be glad, ye righteous; and shout for joy, all ye upright in heart.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "horse", "mule", "understanding", "whose", "trappings", "must", "bridle", and "restraint". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "horse" and "mule", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "I will instruct thee and teach thee..." into verse 10's "Many sorrows hath the wicked but he...", so "horse" and "mule" 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 "horse" and "mule" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.