Psalm 119:158 kjv
I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.
Psalm 119:158 nkjv
I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word.
Psalm 119:158 niv
I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word.
Psalm 119:158 esv
I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands.
Psalm 119:158 nlt
Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart,
because they care nothing for your word.
Psalm 119 158 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 139:21-22 | Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. | Righteous hatred of God's enemies. |
| Psa 119:136 | My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law. | Grieving over widespread disobedience to God's law. |
| Ezek 9:4 | Go through the city... and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations. | Sorrow and distress over prevalent sin and rebellion. |
| Rom 9:1-3 | I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers... | Paul's deep sorrow and burden for unbelieving Israel. |
| Psa 119:97 | Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. | Psalmist's profound love for God's Law. |
| Psa 119:103 | How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! | Deep delight and appreciation for God's Word. |
| Psa 1:2 | but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. | The righteous find delight in God's law. |
| Deut 28:15 | But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments... all these curses shall come upon you. | Grave consequences for disobeying God's Word. |
| Prov 13:13 | Whoever despises the word will pay for it, but he who respects the commandment will be rewarded. | Peril and punishment for despising divine instruction. |
| Num 15:30-31 | But the person who does anything with a high hand... has despised the word of the Lord, and that person shall be cut off. | Severe penalty for defiant rejection of God's commands. |
| Mt 7:26-27 | And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. | Danger of hearing God's words without practicing them. |
| Jas 1:22 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | Exhortation to active obedience to the Word. |
| Jas 4:4 | You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. | Worldly alignment results in hostility towards God. |
| Rev 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless... their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. | Final judgment and fate of the faithless and treacherous. |
| 2 Tim 3:1-5 | But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self... having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. | Characteristics of godless and treacherous men in the end times. |
| Jude 1:4 | For certain people have crept in unnoticed... who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. | Infiltration by ungodly individuals who betray Christian truth. |
| 1 Kgs 19:10 | I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant... | Elijah's righteous zeal over Israel's spiritual apostasy. |
| Jn 2:17 | His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” | Jesus' zealous actions driven by love for God's glory. |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? | Principle of separation from the influence of ungodly behavior. |
| 1 Jn 2:19 | They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. | Those who truly belong to God's people remain faithful. |
| Heb 2:2 | For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just penalty... | God's unwavering judgment against disobedience. |
| Psa 119:139 | My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words. | Psalmist's consuming zeal over deliberate disregard for God's words. |
| Isa 24:16 | ...but I heard them say: "I pine away! I pine away! Woe to me! For traitors deal treacherously; indeed, traitors deal very treacherously." | Prophetic lament over the widespread treachery. |
Psalm 119 verses
Psalm 119 158 Meaning
Psalm 119:158 expresses the Psalmist's profound personal grief, sorrow, and deep moral abhorrence for those who act treacherously. This intense emotional reaction is specifically triggered by their failure to obey or "keep" God's revealed Word, His divine law and commands. The verse illustrates the Psalmist's unwavering devotion to God's decrees, wherein the rejection of divine revelation evokes a strong and righteous indignation.
Psalm 119 158 Context
Psalm 119, the Bible's longest chapter, is an intricate acrostic poem structured around the Hebrew alphabet. It serves as an extensive meditation on the divine Law (Torah), utilizing various synonyms to emphasize the multifaceted nature of God's revealed will—His statutes, precepts, commands, judgments, decrees, testimonies, ways, and words. The Psalmist consistently articulates an deep, unwavering affection for these divine instructions throughout the Psalm.
Verse 158 is found within the "Resh" section (verses 153-160), which typically includes appeals for God's intervention and mercy amidst adversity, alongside unwavering declarations of devotion to God's righteous judgments. The Psalmist frequently depicts himself surrounded by antagonists, often identified as "the proud" or "the wicked," who disdain God's law (e.g., Psa 119:21, 51, 69, 78). The "traitors" of verse 158 fit within this narrative of ungodly opposition to God and His commands. The Psalmist's fervent emotional response in this verse is not rooted in personal malice but stems from profound loyalty to God and deep spiritual distress over the deliberate rejection of divine truth, which inherently undermines righteousness, order, and faithfulness in the world.
Psalm 119 158 Word analysis
I behold (רָאִיתִי, ra'iti): From the Hebrew verb ra'ah, meaning "to see," "to perceive," or "to discern." This is not a superficial glance but an active observation and understanding, indicating the Psalmist has thoroughly grasped the true nature and conduct of the "traitors."
the traitors (בֹּֽגְדִ֣ים, bogdim): Derived from the root bagad, meaning "to deal treacherously," "to act faithlessly," or "to break covenant." These individuals are more than mere sinners; they are covenant-breakers or apostates who deliberately turn away from, or act in betrayal of, a sacred trust or commitment to God (cf. Isa 24:16, Jer 12:6, Mal 2:13-16). Their actions are characterized by profound disloyalty.
and loathe them (וָאֶתְקוֹטָֽטָה, va'etqotata): This Hebrew verb, qotat (or related to qut), conveys a strong sense of grief, profound vexation, moral disgust, weariness, or abhorrence. It denotes an intense emotional reaction, often translated as "grieved," but "loathe" or "abhor" conveys a stronger, more active revulsion, indicative of righteous indignation rather than simple sadness. This reaction is a spiritual aversion to the wickedness they embody, not personal animosity.
because (אֲשֶׁ֖ר, asher): This is a causal conjunction here, clearly stating the direct reason for the Psalmist's deep emotional distress, establishing a direct link between the "loathing" and the "traitors'" action.
they do not keep (לֹא־שָׁמְר֥וּ, lo'-shamru): From the Hebrew verb shamar, meaning "to keep," "to guard," "to observe," or "to protect," negated by lo'. This indicates a deliberate, consistent, and unrepentant neglect, disregard, or defiance of God's Word, signifying a fundamental lack of allegiance.
your word (אִמְרָתֶֽךָ, imratekha): One of several terms for God's divine revelation in Psalm 119 (davar, torah, etc.), derived from imrah. It refers to God's specific utterances, commands, and promises, representing the complete expression of His communicated will and truth, which is the core object of both the Psalmist's devotion and the "traitors'" rejection.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "I behold the traitors": This highlights the Psalmist's conscious awareness and understanding of those who exemplify profound spiritual disloyalty and treachery against God's revealed truth and covenant. It speaks to a recognition of destructive spiritual rebellion.
- "and loathe them": This phrase expresses the Psalmist's fervent, internal, and righteous indignation. It is a profound, moral revulsion stemming from his alignment with God's holiness and truth, signifying not merely sadness but a holy abhorrence for sin and apostasy.
- "because they do not keep your word": This statement precisely defines the foundational reason for the Psalmist's distress. The "traitors" are defined not just by general sin, but by their active and persistent rejection, neglect, or contravention of God's specific, revealed commands and instruction, underscoring the absolute centrality of divine revelation as the standard.
Psalm 119 158 Bonus section
The Hebrew term for "traitors," bogdim, carries a strong implication of a breach of covenant or sacred trust. Within the historical context of Israel, whose relationship with Yahweh was established on covenant, the "traitors" could represent not only external pagan adversaries but also, and perhaps more intensely, internal apostates or covenant-breakers within Israel itself. This possibility intensifies the Psalmist's emotional response, implying a profound betrayal from within God's own people.
The intensity of the emotion conveyed by "loathe" (qotat) can be understood as an outflow of the consuming zeal for God seen in figures like Elijah (1 Kgs 19:10) and Jesus (Jn 2:17). It represents a fervent love for God's honor and truth, which feels deeply wounded when neglected or scorned. This divine alignment of the Psalmist's heart reflects God's own grief over human disobedience and faithlessness. The "suffering" described here is primarily a sharing in God's pain concerning how His holy and perfect Word is treated by His creation.
Psalm 119 158 Commentary
Psalm 119:158 succinctly articulates a fundamental aspect of biblical fidelity: a profound love for God's Word that results in deep spiritual anguish when that Word is willfully scorned. The Psalmist, whose entire work is an extensive praise for the divine Law, observes "traitors"—individuals who have forsaken their covenant allegiance to God's truth. This is not merely an act of observation, but a discerning perception of the pernicious nature of their faithlessness.
His emotional response, often rendered as "grieved" or more powerfully as "loathe," signifies a righteous indignation—a strong revulsion born not from personal animosity, but from profound spiritual loyalty. It mirrors God's own displeasure towards treachery (Mal 2:16) and expresses a desire for His standards to be upheld. The core transgression, the specific cause of this deep aversion, is their failure to "keep God's word." This "keeping" implies not only intellectual acknowledgment but active obedience and faithful safeguarding of divine truth.
Therefore, this verse presents a critical spiritual tension: a complete love for God's Word so absolute that its rejection by others brings anguish to the heart of the faithful believer. It serves as a reminder that devotion to God includes not only embracing His truth but also grieving when that truth is deliberately abandoned by those who should know better, or who destabilize the community of faith and wider society through their ungodly actions. It highlights that true love for God extends to abhorring that which God Himself abhors: sin and unfaithfulness.
- Practical Application Example: When a believer witnesses a widespread dismissal of biblical principles regarding truth or morality in the surrounding culture, the essence of Psalm 119:158 can evoke a spiritual sorrow. This is not a call to hateful judgment, but an inward grief over humanity's rejection of God's life-giving Word. Similarly, if within a Christian community, individuals persistently disregard explicit biblical teachings for personal gain or convenience, a deep concern and sadness can arise in a believer's heart, leading to prayer for their repentance and a renewed commitment to faithfulness rather than personal animosity.