Psalms 119:40 (KJV)

Passage

Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.

Psalms 119:39 Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.

Psalms 119:40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.

Psalms 119:41 Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

Psalms 119:42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "longed", "after", "precepts", "quicken", and "righteousness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "longed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "Turn away my reproach which I fear..." into verse 41's "Let thy mercies come also unto me...", so "behold" and "longed" 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 "behold" and "longed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.