Psalms 119:53 (KJV)

Passage

Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:51 The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.

Psalms 119:52 I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.

Psalms 119:53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.

Psalms 119:54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

Psalms 119:55 I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "horror", "hath", "taken", "hold", "upon", "wicked", and "forsake". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "horror" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 52's "I remembered thy judgments of old O..." into verse 54's "Thy statutes have been my songs in...", so "horror" and "hath" 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 "horror" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.