Psalms 119:98 (YLT)

Passage

Than mine enemies Thy command maketh me wiser, For it <FI>is<Fi> before me to the age.

Nearby Context

Psalms 119:96 Of all perfection I have seen an end, Broad <FI>is<Fi> Thy command--exceedingly!

Psalms 119:97 <FI> Mem.<Fi> O how I have loved Thy law! All the day it <FI>is<Fi> my meditation.

Psalms 119:98 Than mine enemies Thy command maketh me wiser, For it <FI>is<Fi> before me to the age.

Psalms 119:99 Above all my teachers I have acted wisely. For Thy testimonies <FI>are<Fi> my meditation.

Psalms 119:100 Above elders I understand more, For Thy precepts I have kept.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "than", "mine", "enemies", "command", "maketh", "wiser", and "before". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "than" and "mine", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 97's "FI Mem Fi O how I have..." into verse 99's "Above all my teachers I have acted...", so "than" and "mine" 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 "than" and "mine" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.