Passage
May the arrogant be ashamed, for they wrong me with lying; But I shall muse on Your precepts.
Psalms 119:78 (LSB)
Nearby Context
Psalms 119:76 Oh may Your lovingkindness comfort me, According to Your word to Your slave.
Psalms 119:77 May Your compassion come to me that I may live, For Your law is my delight.
Psalms 119:78 May the arrogant be ashamed, for they wrong me with lying; But I shall muse on Your precepts.
Psalms 119:79 May those who fear You turn to me, And those who know Your testimonies.
Psalms 119:80 May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "arrogant", "ashamed", "wrong", "lying", "shall", "muse", and "precepts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "arrogant" and "ashamed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 77's "May Your compassion come to me that..." into verse 79's "May those who fear You turn to...", so "arrogant" and "ashamed" 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 "arrogant" and "ashamed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.