Psalms 139:21 (LSB)

Passage

Do I not hate those who hate You, O Yahweh? And do I not revile those who rise up against You?

Nearby Context

Psalms 139:19 Oh that You would slay the wicked, O God! O men of bloodshed, depart from me.

Psalms 139:20 For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain.

Psalms 139:21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O Yahweh? And do I not revile those who rise up against You?

Psalms 139:22 I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.

Psalms 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hate", "yahweh", "revile", "rise", and "against". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hate" and "yahweh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "For they speak against You wickedly And..." into verse 22's "I hate them with the utmost hatred...", so "hate" and "yahweh" 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 "hate" and "yahweh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.