Psalms 119:38 (LSB)

Passage

Cause Your word to be established for Your slave, As that which produces fear for You.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:36 Cause my heart to incline to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain.

Psalms 119:37 Cause my eyes to turn away from looking at worthlessness, And revive me in Your ways.

Psalms 119:38 Cause Your word to be established for Your slave, As that which produces fear for You.

Psalms 119:39 Cause my reproach which I dread to pass away, For Your judgments are good.

Psalms 119:40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Cause my eyes to turn away from..." into verse 39's "Cause my reproach which I dread to...", so "cause" 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 "cause" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.