Psalms 119:71 (LSB)

Passage

It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:69 The arrogant have smeared me with lying; With all my heart I will observe Your precepts.

Psalms 119:70 Their heart is covered with fat, But I delight in Your law.

Psalms 119:71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.

Psalms 119:72 The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Psalms 119:73 Your hands made me and established me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good", "afflicted", "learn", and "statutes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "good" and "afflicted", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 70's "Their heart is covered with fat But..." into verse 72's "The law of Your mouth is better...", so "good" and "afflicted" 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 "good" and "afflicted" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.