Psalms 18:9 (DRB)

Passage

The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes.

Nearby Context

Psalms 18:7 His going out is from the end of heaven, And his circuit even to the end thereof: and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat.

Psalms 18:8 The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls: the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones.

Psalms 18:9 The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes.

Psalms 18:10 The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves.

Psalms 18:11 More to be desired than gold and many precious stones: and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "justices", "lord", "right", "rejoicing", "hearts", "commandment", and "lightsome". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "justices", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "The law of the Lord is unspotted..." into verse 10's "The fear of the Lord is holy...", so "light" and "justices" 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 "light" and "justices" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.