Psalm 119:118 kjv
Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.
Psalm 119:118 nkjv
You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood.
Psalm 119:118 niv
You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their delusions come to nothing.
Psalm 119:118 esv
You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain.
Psalm 119:118 nlt
But you have rejected all who stray from your decrees.
They are only fooling themselves.
Psalm 119 118 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 1:6 | For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. | God's opposite responses to righteous and wicked. |
| Ps 9:17 | The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. | The final end for those forgetting God's laws. |
| Ps 5:5-6 | The boastful shall not stand... You hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies. | God's active hatred and destruction of evildoers and liars. |
| Prov 10:29 | The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, but destruction to evildoers. | Divine consequences for obedience vs. wrongdoing. |
| Mt 7:23 | "Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" | Christ's rejection of those acting outside His will. |
| 2 Pet 2:1 | false teachers... will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master... | The outcome for those who deceive and reject truth. |
| Gal 6:7-8 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Reaping the consequences of deception and straying. |
| Deut 30:17-18 | if your heart turns away... you shall surely perish. | Perishing as a result of turning from God's commands. |
| Isa 30:9-11 | ...a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD. | God's people's willful refusal to hear His law. |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge... | Destruction due to rejection of divine knowledge. |
| Rom 1:21-25 | they became fools... exchanged the truth about God for a lie. | The consequence of choosing deception over truth. |
| Heb 2:2 | For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, | Just punishment for any deviation from divine law. |
| Prov 11:18 | The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a true reward. | The futility and deceitful nature of wicked earnings. |
| Isa 44:25 | who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners. | God actively nullifying human deceit and false wisdom. |
| Jer 8:8-9 | How can you say, 'We are wise... ' Behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. | Accusation against those who pervert God's law through falsehood. |
| Eph 4:22 | put off your old self... and is corrupt through deceitful desires. | Deceit as a characteristic of the old, unredeemed nature. |
| 1 John 1:6 | If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. | The contradiction of claiming truth while living in falsehood. |
| Rev 21:8 | But... all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur... | The eternal fate for those characterized by falsehood. |
| Job 15:35 | They conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity; their womb prepares deceit. | Deceit's internal origin and destructive nature. |
| 2 Tim 3:13 | evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. | The escalating nature of wickedness and self-deception. |
| 1 Cor 3:19 | For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. | Human cunning (worldly wisdom) is seen as foolish by God. |
Psalm 119 verses
Psalm 119 118 Meaning
This verse proclaims God's decisive judgment against those who abandon or deviate from His divine laws. Their clever strategies, deceptions, and attempts to circumvent His truth are fundamentally rooted in falsehood and will inevitably be crushed by Him. It asserts that all who knowingly stray from His established ways face His certain rejection and utter defeat.
Psalm 119 118 Context
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm, and the longest chapter in the Bible, entirely devoted to praising and reflecting upon the excellency, power, and wisdom of God's Word, known by various synonyms such as statutes, precepts, commandments, and laws. It is an acrostic psalm, with sections for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verse 118 falls within the "Tsade" (צ) section (verses 113-120), where the Psalmist expresses his deep hatred for "double-minded" people (Ps 119:113) and those who oppose God's law, contrasting their unrighteousness with his unwavering love and reliance on God's statutes. Historically, the "statutes" refer to the divine laws given by God to Israel, establishing His covenant relationship with them and guiding their life. This verse serves as a declaration of divine justice, emphasizing that while the Psalmist delights in the Law, God Himself actively deals with those who wilfully depart from it through deceit.
Psalm 119 118 Word analysis
- You reject / Thou hast trodden down (KJV: דִּכִּֽיתָ - dakkita): Derived from the root דָּכָה (dakah), meaning "to crush," "tread down," "break in pieces," or "bruise." This is a powerful, active verb signifying God's authoritative and definitive action. It implies a complete subjugation and eradication of those who oppose Him, not merely passive disapproval. It suggests making them utterly defeated and of no account.
- all who stray / all them that err (כָּל־שׁוֹגֵ֥י - kol-shogey): From the verb שָׁגָה (shagah), meaning "to go astray," "wander," or "err." While it can sometimes refer to inadvertent error, in this context, especially paired with "cunning" and "deceit," it denotes those who wilfully deviate, or habitually wander, from the prescribed path of God's truth. It emphasizes a departure from divine principles.
- from Your statutes (מֵחֻקֶּ֑יךָ - mechukekeykha): From חֹק (choq), meaning "statute," "decree," or "ordinance." These are the authoritative, fixed laws and principles established by God. To "stray from Your statutes" means to depart from the very foundation of divine order and truth revealed in God's Word.
- for their cunning is a lie / for their deceit is falsehood (כִּֽי־שֶׁ֖קֶר תָּרְמִיָּה לָ֑מוֹ - ki-sheqer tarmiyyah lamov):
- cunning / deceit (תָּרְמִיָּה - tarmiyyah): A strong term meaning "deceit," "trickery," or "perfidy." It indicates active, intentional deception and crookedness. It's not a simple mistake but a calculated attempt to avoid God's path, perhaps thinking they can outwit divine justice or reality.
- is a lie / is falsehood (שֶׁקֶר - sheqer): Signifies "falsehood," "deception," or "a lie." The use of both tarmiyyah and sheqer creates a powerful emphasis. It highlights that the very nature of their departure is steeped in untruth. Their foundation, their schemes, and their entire way are inherently deceptive and lacking substance. Their cunning methods are not only morally wrong but practically futile because they are built on a lie.
- Words-group Analysis:
- "You reject all who stray from Your statutes": This phrase highlights God's unwavering intolerance for any deviation from His established will. His action is comprehensive ("all who stray") and definitive. It emphasizes divine justice actively removing or crushing those who wilfully disregard His revealed truth.
- "for their cunning is a lie": This clause provides the reason for God's rejection. The problem is not mere ignorance but a fundamental defect of character and action—deliberate deception and strategic untruth. Their methods, no matter how clever or subtle they seem to human eyes, are ultimately based on falsehood, making them inherently doomed to fail when confronted by divine truth. This signifies that there is no lasting foundation or success in any path rooted in deceit against God's word.
Psalm 119 118 Bonus section
The strong imagery of "treading down" connects to God's ultimate sovereignty and His ability to defeat all His enemies, making them a "footstool" (Ps 110:1). The Psalmist's focus throughout Psalm 119 on delighting in God's Law stands in stark contrast to the deceitful ways of those "trodden down" here, highlighting the blessedness of obedience versus the futility of rebellion. The truth expressed in this verse resonates through biblical history, from God's judgment on those who rebelled against His covenant in the Old Testament to the warnings against false teachers and those who reject Christ's words in the New Testament. The Psalmist implies that not only does God punish deliberate sin, but He also exposes and renders impotent the very schemes and intentions that arise from a deceitful heart.
Psalm 119 118 Commentary
Psalm 119:118 powerfully articulates God's character as just and actively opposed to sin. It declares that God unequivocally and severely deals with those who wander from His divine commands. The "treading down" or "rejecting" signifies a thorough and decisive act of judgment, demonstrating that no one can defy His will with impunity. The reason for this severe judgment is profoundly rooted in the nature of their disobedience: it is not accidental but characterized by "cunning" and "deceit," meaning it stems from intentional efforts to circumvent God's truth through treachery and falsehood. Such methods, no matter how clever they appear, are ultimately without substance, built upon a lie, and thus rendered utterly vain and futile in God's sight. This verse contrasts the steadfast truth of God's Word with the emptiness of human falsehood, affirming that those who build their lives on deceitful principles will ultimately collapse under divine scrutiny and opposition. Practically, this implies that attempts to manipulate spiritual truths or to live in a duplicitous manner regarding God's laws are always exposed and defeated by His holy presence.