Psalm 119 166

Psalm 119:166 kjv

LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.

Psalm 119:166 nkjv

LORD, I hope for Your salvation, And I do Your commandments.

Psalm 119:166 niv

I wait for your salvation, LORD, and I follow your commands.

Psalm 119:166 esv

I hope for your salvation, O LORD, and I do your commandments.

Psalm 119:166 nlt

I long for your rescue, LORD,
so I have obeyed your commands.

Psalm 119 verses

Psalm 119 166 Meaning

Psalm 119:166 conveys the psalmist's profound reliance on God for salvation, which is expressed through a patient and active hope, and is concurrently validated by a commitment to obey His commandments. It presents a dynamic interaction where heartfelt expectation of divine deliverance naturally flows into a life of devoted obedience, demonstrating that faith is not passive but works through righteous action.

Psalm 119 166 Context

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, a majestic acrostic poem (with each of its 22 stanzas corresponding to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet and comprising 8 verses, each starting with that letter). Its central theme is the excellency, perfection, and centrality of God's law, word, statutes, precepts, commandments, and testimonies in the life of a believer. The psalmist frequently expresses deep love, meditation, and obedience to God's Word, often in the midst of affliction or persecution from the wicked.

Verse 166 falls within the Tsade (צ) section (verses 161-168). This section, like many others, often reflects on the opposition from princes and those who scorn the psalmist, yet the psalmist's heart stands in awe of God's Word and seeks peace from it. In this context of adversity, the dual commitment to hope in God's salvation and continued obedience becomes a pillar of the psalmist's faith and resilience, demonstrating a practical and spiritual response to life's challenges. Historically, the audience would understand "salvation" (Hebrew: yeshua) as encompassing deliverance from various troubles—enemies, sin, sickness—and the fulfillment of God's covenant promises, all experienced through diligent adherence to the divine Torah.

Psalm 119 166 Word analysis

• I have hoped:

  • Hebrew: qiviti (קִוֵּיתִי), from the root qavah (קָוָה). This is a Piel perfect verb, indicating a sustained, intensive, and completed action.
  • Significance: It implies an earnest, active, and patient expectation, not merely a wish or passive waiting. It denotes a stretching forth, a longing, and an eager looking for, with full confidence in what is anticipated. It's a settled attitude of waiting on the Lord.

• for your salvation, O Lord,

  • for your salvation: Hebrew: lishu'atecha (לִישׁוּעָתְךָ). Yeshuah (יְשׁוּעָה) means salvation, deliverance, help, or victory.
  • Significance: It's God's salvation, highlighting divine initiative and power. It points to ultimate deliverance from all forms of oppression, including sin and its consequences, culminating in full spiritual redemption. The suffix '-cha' indicates it is Your salvation, underscoring its divine origin and power.
  • O Lord: Hebrew: Yehovah (יְהוָה). This is the covenant name of God.
  • Significance: Use of Yahweh emphasizes the personal, covenantal relationship the psalmist has with God. This hope is anchored in the faithful character and promises of the God of Israel, who acts sovereignly to save His people.

• and I have performed:

  • Hebrew: umitzvotecha asiti (וּמִצְוֹתֶיךָ עָשִׂיתִי). Asiti (עָשִׂיתִי) is from the root asah (עָשָׂה), meaning "to do, make, perform, keep, observe." It is a Qal perfect verb.
  • Significance: Indicates active, tangible obedience. It's not just intellectual assent or passive agreement, but the concrete action of carrying out God's commands. The "and" (וְ) connects this action directly to the preceding hope, showing they are not separate but interconnected.

• your commandments.

  • Hebrew: mitzvoteycha (מִצְוֹתֶיךָ). Mitzvot (מִצְוֹת) refers to divine precepts, ordinances, or laws, particularly those given by God in the Torah.
  • Significance: These are specific instructions and moral decrees, not vague principles. The suffix '-eycha' again emphasizes they are Your (God's) commandments, stressing their divine authority and perfect wisdom.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "I have hoped for your salvation, O Lord, and I have performed your commandments."
    • This phrasing indicates a simultaneous, co-existent reality in the life of the faithful. It expresses a vital truth about faith and action: true hope in God's deliverance (salvation) manifests in and is proven by diligent obedience to His divine will (commandments). It counters any notion of passive faith that does not result in action, or of obedience that does not stem from a foundational trust in God.
    • The order is significant: hope precedes performance, suggesting that obedience flows from and is sustained by trust in God's saving power, not as a means to earn it. This harmonious relationship rejects legalism and antinomianism.

Psalm 119 166 Bonus section

The intertwining of hope and obedience in Ps 119:166 provides a foundational bridge to New Testament theology, where grace and works are often discussed. This verse helps illustrate that true faith (the basis of Christian hope and salvation) is never barren; it invariably produces the fruit of obedience (Jas 2:17). The New Covenant perspective reveals that this obedience is empowered by the Holy Spirit (Ezek 36:27, Rom 8:4), transforming the keeping of commands from a legalistic striving into a joyful response of love for God (1 John 5:3). The psalmist's hope for salvation finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ's accomplished work, which secures spiritual deliverance, and it calls for a continued commitment to living out the renewed heart by performing His commandments, which are now perfectly summarized and embodied in Christ and His teachings (Matt 22:37-40). The verse therefore points to a life wholly consecrated to God—waiting for Him and walking with Him.

Psalm 119 166 Commentary

Psalm 119:166 beautifully encapsulates the organic connection between sincere faith and practical piety. The psalmist asserts an enduring, expectant hope in God's ultimate deliverance ("salvation"). This hope is not a wishful thought, but a confident reliance on the Lord's character and power, particularly in times of distress, recognizing that only He can bring about true and lasting rescue. Crucially, this robust hope is not detached from daily conduct. Rather, it finds its tangible expression and validation in active obedience to God's divine instructions. The "performance" of His commandments is presented not as a burden or a means to earn favor, but as the natural outflow and evidence of a heart truly fixed on God and trusting in His salvation. It underscores a key biblical principle: genuine faith (hope) inevitably leads to and is evidenced by Spirit-empowered obedience, testifying to a living, transformational relationship with the Divine Lawgiver.