Psalms 119:4 (DRB)

Passage

The sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay waste.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:2 O Lord, deliver my soul from wicked lips, and a deceitful tongue.

Psalms 119:3 What shall be given to thee, or what shall be added to thee, to a deceitful tongue?

Psalms 119:4 The sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay waste.

Psalms 119:5 Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! I have dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar:

Psalms 119:6 My soul hath been long a sojourner.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sharp", "arrows", "mighty", "coals", and "waste". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sharp" and "arrows", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "What shall be given to thee or..." into verse 5's "Woe is me that my sojourning is...", so "sharp" and "arrows" 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 "sharp" and "arrows" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.