Psalms 119:161 (LSB)

Passage

Princes persecute me without cause, But my heart is in dread of Your words.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:159 See how I love Your precepts; O Yahweh, revive me according to Your lovingkindness.

Psalms 119:160 The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments is everlasting.

Psalms 119:161 Princes persecute me without cause, But my heart is in dread of Your words.

Psalms 119:162 I rejoice at Your word, As one who finds much spoil.

Psalms 119:163 I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "princes", "persecute", "without", "cause", "heart", "dread", and "words". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "princes" and "persecute", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 160's "The sum of Your word is truth..." into verse 162's "I rejoice at Your word As one...", so "princes" and "persecute" 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 "princes" and "persecute" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.