Psalms 4:4 (KJV)

Passage

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Nearby Context

Psalms 4:2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.

Psalms 4:3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.

Psalms 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalms 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

Psalms 4:6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "stand", "commune", "heart", "upon", "still", and "selah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "stand" and "commune", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "But know that the LORD hath set..." into verse 5's "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put...", so "stand" and "commune" 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 "stand" and "commune" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.