Psalm 119 41

Psalm 119:41 kjv

Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

Psalm 119:41 nkjv

Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD? Your salvation according to Your word.

Psalm 119:41 niv

May your unfailing love come to me, LORD, your salvation, according to your promise;

Psalm 119:41 esv

Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise;

Psalm 119:41 nlt

LORD, give me your unfailing love,
the salvation that you promised me.

Psalm 119 verses

Psalm 119 41 Meaning

Psalm 119:41 is a prayer wherein the psalmist asks God for His covenant love and delivering salvation. It expresses a deep personal reliance on the Lord, appealing to His faithfulness and the certainty of His promises revealed in His word. The prayer grounds itself not in the psalmist's merit, but in God's character and established covenant relationship, as understood and articulated through divine revelation.

Psalm 119 41 Context

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible, a poetic masterpiece dedicated entirely to extolling the excellencies of God's Word, Torah (instruction, law), precepts, statutes, commandments, testimonies, and judgments. It is structured as an acrostic poem, with 22 stanzas corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet; each stanza contains eight verses, and every verse within a given stanza begins with the same Hebrew letter. Verse 41 belongs to the 'Vav' section. The psalmist expresses deep personal devotion, delight, and obedience to God's Word, interspersed with earnest prayers for understanding, guidance, strength, and deliverance. In this context, verse 41 specifically voices a plea for God's loyal love and active deliverance, firmly anchoring this hope in God's revealed promises and His trustworthy character. The entire Psalm reflects a believer's walk of faith, facing challenges and temptations while consistently turning to the divine standard as the ultimate source of truth and life.

Psalm 119 41 Word analysis

• Let your mercies come: The phrase יְבֹאֻנִי חֲסָדֶךָ (yĕbō'ūní chasadéḵa) literally means "let your loyalties/kindnesses come to me."

  • יְבֹאֻנִי (yĕbō'ūní): Hiphil imperfect form of the verb בּוֹא (bo'), meaning "to come." The Hiphil suggests a causative sense ("let them come" or "cause them to come"), indicating a strong, active desire or request for God to manifest His attributes. It's an earnest, hopeful prayer for God's active intervention.
  • חֲסָדֶךָ (chasadéḵa): Plural of חֶסֶד (chesed). This Hebrew word is foundational to understanding God's character in the covenant. While often translated as "mercy" or "kindness" (as in KJV "mercies"), it conveys a richer meaning: loyal love, steadfast affection, covenant faithfulness, and enduring grace. It speaks of a devotion and commitment that holds firm, particularly in times of adversity. The psalmist is not asking for mere pity but for God's enduring covenant fidelity.

• also unto me: This emphasizes the personal and direct nature of the prayer. The psalmist desires to experience God's active hesed personally.

• O Lord: יְהוָה (Yahweh). This is the personal, covenantal name of God, revealing His self-existent, faithful nature. Addressing God by this name signifies a relationship and appeals to His divine authority and covenant promises.

• even your salvation: תְּשׁוּעָתֶךָ (tĕšūʿātekā). Derived from the verb יָשַׁע (yashaʿ), meaning "to save," "to deliver." This term encompasses a broad range of deliverance, including physical safety, rescue from enemies, spiritual redemption, and ultimate eternal deliverance. It refers to God's powerful acts of rescuing and preserving. The addition of "even" (or "and also") highlights salvation as another specific, desired manifestation of God's faithfulness, intrinsically linked to His hesed.

• according to your word: כְּאִמְרָתֶךָ (kĕ'imrātĕkā). This phrase is central to the psalmist's prayer and worldview throughout Psalm 119.

  • כְּ (kĕ-): "According to," "in accordance with." This preposition indicates the standard, measure, or foundation.
  • אִמְרָתֶךָ (imrātĕkā): From אִמְרָה (imrah), meaning "utterance," "promise," "saying," "word." It refers to God's revealed promises, His expressed will, and the certainty of His spoken truth. This phrase anchors the prayer not in human merit or presumptuous desire, but in God's prior revelation. The psalmist asks for what God Himself has promised or implied in His covenant word.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "Let your mercies come... unto me, O Lord": This segment constitutes a fervent, humble, and personal petition to God. It reflects a dependent heart, acknowledging God's sovereignty and His exclusive ability to grant mercy and loyal love. The plea for hesed implies a request for God's sustained covenant relationship and all the benefits flowing from it.
  • "even your salvation": This addition clarifies the specific manifestation of God's hesed desired by the psalmist—actual deliverance. It demonstrates a holistic understanding that God's love is not just a feeling but active, saving power in real-life situations, encompassing both spiritual and tangible needs.
  • "according to your word": This concluding phrase provides the theological foundation and confidence for the entire prayer. It highlights the psalmist's understanding that God's actions are consistent with His revealed character and promises. The prayer is a claiming of God's pledges, showcasing faith in His infallibility and trustworthiness, making the petition a testament to reliance on divine revelation rather than human expectation.

Psalm 119 41 Bonus section

The positioning of this verse in the 'Vav' section of Psalm 119 (corresponding to the letter Vav, which can pictographically represent a peg or hook, connecting ideas or items) symbolically emphasizes the connection between God's Word, His attributes of mercy and salvation, and the experience of the believer. The prayer in verse 41 powerfully demonstrates how a deep study of and meditation on God's word (as advocated throughout Psalm 119) leads directly to fervent and biblically-informed prayer, binding human need to divine promise. The active voice, "Let your mercies come," reflects an eagerness and certainty that God hears and responds to prayers that align with His declared will, distinguishing this from a passive hope.

Psalm 119 41 Commentary

Psalm 119:41 serves as a profound model of prayer for the believer. It is a plea for God's active hesed – His steadfast, covenantal love and loyalty – and His promised salvation to manifest in the psalmist's life. The strength of this prayer lies in its unwavering dependence on "Your word," signifying that the petition is not a mere wish but an act of faith grounded in God's immutable character and specific divine pledges. The psalmist appeals to God's faithfulness to His own spoken word, affirming that divine action always aligns with divine truth. This verse teaches us to seek God's mercy and deliverance not based on our worthiness, but on the sure foundation of His promises, which are eternally reliable. It is a testament to confident expectation of divine intervention when prayer is rooted in revelation. For instance, a believer facing affliction might pray for comfort and deliverance, not by inventing new promises, but by clinging to promises like "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb 13:5) or "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 Jn 4:4). This embodies the spirit of Psalm 119:41.