Psalm 119:174 kjv
I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.
Psalm 119:174 nkjv
I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law is my delight.
Psalm 119:174 niv
I long for your salvation, LORD, and your law gives me delight.
Psalm 119:174 esv
I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight.
Psalm 119:174 nlt
O LORD, I have longed for your rescue,
and your instructions are my delight.
Psalm 119 174 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference/Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 42:1-2 | As a deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. | Intense longing for God's presence and rescue. |
| Ps 63:1 | O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you... | Deep spiritual longing for God. |
| Ps 130:5-6 | I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen... | Patient, expectant waiting for God's action based on His word. |
| Isa 25:9 | It will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us." | Corporate longing and hope for divine salvation. |
| Hab 3:18 | Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. | Joy derived specifically from God as the source of salvation. |
| Lk 2:25-30 | ...Simeon... waiting for the consolation of Israel... For my eyes have seen your salvation... | Simeon's profound waiting and joy in seeing the Christ, God's salvation. |
| Rom 8:23 | ...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption... | Future spiritual salvation, adoption, deliverance from bondage. |
| Ps 1:2 | But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. | Foundational statement on delight in God's law. |
| Ps 19:7-11 | The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. | Description of God's law as perfect, true, righteous, and desirable. |
| Ps 37:4 | Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. | The broader principle of finding joy in God Himself. |
| Jer 15:16 | Your words were found, and I ate them; and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart... | Prophets' experience of finding immense joy in God's words. |
| Rom 7:22 | For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being... | The apostle Paul's inner alignment with God's law. |
| Heb 8:10 | For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel... I will put my laws into their minds... | New covenant promise of inner delight and obedience to God's law. |
| Deut 30:19-20 | ...choose life, that you and your offspring may live, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying his voice... | Connection between choosing life, loving God, and obeying His voice. |
| Isa 45:17 | But Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or disgraced... | God's role as the sole source of eternal salvation. |
| John 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Jesus Christ as the embodiment of God's saving grace and truth. |
| Acts 4:12 | And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. | Exclusivity of salvation through Christ. |
| Rom 1:16 | For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes... | The Gospel as God's means of salvation. |
| Eph 2:8-9 | For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God... | Salvation as a gift of God's grace through faith. |
| Tit 2:11-14 | For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people... looking for the blessed hope... | Grace teaches godliness and prompts longing for future hope/salvation. |
| Heb 5:9 | And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him... | Christ as the perfected source of eternal salvation. |
Psalm 119 verses
Psalm 119 174 Meaning
Psalm 119:174 profoundly expresses a two-fold spiritual condition: a fervent, deep yearning for God's comprehensive deliverance and an equally profound, unwavering delight in His divine instruction. It encapsulates the heart's simultaneous dependence on the Lord's saving power for ultimate redemption and its active joy in His revealed will as a guide for life.
Psalm 119 174 Context
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, an extensive acrostic poem. Divided into 22 sections, each beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, it consistently praises, yearns for, and delights in God's Word. The psalmist expresses deep personal devotion, dependence, and obedience to God's law, even amidst suffering and opposition. Verse 174 belongs to the "Pe" (פ) section, which often features themes related to the "mouth" or utterance, emphasizing speaking of God's decrees. This particular verse harmoniously bridges the anticipation of divine deliverance with a fervent love for God's instructions. Culturally and historically, the "Torah" was understood not merely as legal statutes but as the comprehensive divine instruction for righteous living and knowing God, making the pursuit of "salvation" integral to living in accordance with this sacred teaching. The verse implicitly asserts that true deliverance and delight come only through God and His Word, in contrast to human wisdom or other deities.
Psalm 119 174 Word analysis
"I have longed" (יָאַב, ya'av): This Hebrew verb conveys a strong, active, and fervent yearning or pining. It signifies a deep, personal desire of the heart, characterized by eager expectation and persistent seeking. It describes a profound spiritual appetite.
"for your salvation" (לִֽישׁוּעָתְךָ, lishu'atḵa / יְשׁוּעָה, yeshu'ah): Refers to comprehensive divine deliverance, rescue, and well-being. This "salvation" extends beyond mere physical rescue from danger, encompassing spiritual liberation from sin, vindication, restoration, and ultimate eternal life in God's presence. It is a work entirely performed by God.
"O Lord" (יְהוָה, YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal, immutable, and gracious character. Addressing God by this name reflects an intimate relationship and trust in His faithfulness to His promises of deliverance.
"and your law" (וְתוֹרָתְךָ, v'thorahtaḵa / תּוֹרָה, torah): This term broadly refers to God's divine instruction, teaching, and revealed will. It encompasses His commandments, statutes, judgments, and all principles that guide humanity in righteousness and covenant living. It's His wisdom for life.
"is my delight" (שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי, sha'ashu'ay): Signifies a profound source of joy, pleasure, and inner satisfaction. It implies more than mere intellectual assent; it speaks to an intrinsic enjoyment and personal contentment found in meditating upon, understanding, and living by God's instructions. It reflects a heart transformed by God, where His law is embraced as good and beautiful, not burdensome.
"I have longed for your salvation, O Lord": This phrase emphasizes the believer's profound reliance on God alone for ultimate deliverance and resolution to life's struggles. It highlights a desperate yet hopeful yearning for God's divine intervention, acknowledging that true and lasting salvation originates from His mighty acts and not human effort.
"and your law is my delight": This clause demonstrates an intimate and joyful relationship with God's Word. It suggests that the psalmist finds profound pleasure and contentment in God's instruction, treating it not as a list of prohibitive rules, but as a source of wisdom, life, and personal fulfillment. This delight springs from perceiving God's character and wisdom within His commands.
Harmonious Relationship: The two halves of the verse are complementary. The deep affection for God's law (delight) illuminates the need for God's saving power (salvation) to fully live out that law and to be ultimately rescued from all that hinders full obedience and communion with God. The spiritual desire for God's complete deliverance is informed and nurtured by a love for His revealed will.
Psalm 119 174 Bonus section
This verse stands within the "Pe" (פ) section of Psalm 119, a Hebrew letter associated with the "mouth" or "utterance." This connection reinforces that the longing for salvation and delight in the law are not merely internal feelings but are meant to be articulated and declared. It becomes a confession of faith—speaking out one's dependence on God for deliverance and joy in His Word. The integrated perspective of the psalmist suggests a life where one does not seek salvation as an escape from the law, but rather as the full actualization of the life the law describes and the very means of experiencing God's perfect order. It reflects the truth that the saved life is the obedient life, and true obedience is filled with delight, not drudgery.
Psalm 119 174 Commentary
Psalm 119:174 beautifully captures the essence of a faithful soul: simultaneously looking forward to God's ultimate salvation and finding present joy in His instruction. The intense "longing" for God's salvation (His deliverance, rescue, and comprehensive well-being) underscores a deep spiritual dependency and eschatological hope; the believer knows that complete redemption and flourishing come only from the Lord. This isn't a passive waiting, but an eager anticipation. Concurrently, the psalmist declares God's law to be his "delight." This isn't merely intellectual approval, but a heartfelt pleasure and profound satisfaction derived from meditating on, understanding, and striving to live by God's commands. It signifies that the divine law is cherished as a gift and a guide, not a burden. The verse uniquely fuses these two dimensions—the future hope and the present joy—demonstrating that true godliness involves both active anticipation of God's redemptive work and a fervent love for His revealed will, which points toward that very salvation. This synergy reveals a mature faith where the understanding of God's character (through His law) fuels the longing for His perfect reign (His salvation).