Psalm 119:50 kjv
This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
Psalm 119:50 nkjv
This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.
Psalm 119:50 niv
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
Psalm 119:50 esv
This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
Psalm 119:50 nlt
Your promise revives me;
it comforts me in all my troubles.
Psalm 119 50 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 8:3 | "...that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone..." | God's word sustains life, not just food. |
| Prov 4:20-22 | "My son, give attention to my words... For they are life to those who find..." | Wisdom (God's words) is life and health. |
| Matt 4:4 | "But He answered and said, 'It is written, "Man shall not live... by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."'" | Jesus quoting Deut 8:3, emphasizing the Word's sustenance. |
| Jn 6:63 | "It is the Spirit who gives life... The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." | Jesus' words are life-giving through the Spirit. |
| Rom 8:2 | "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free..." | The Spirit's law, based on Christ's life-giving truth. |
| Col 2:13 | "...made you alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses." | Spiritual life given through Christ. |
| 1 Pet 1:23 | "having been born again... through the living and abiding word of God..." | Spiritual regeneration by the Word. |
| Jn 5:24 | "He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life..." | Eternal life through hearing and believing Jesus' word. |
| Ps 42:5 | "Why are you cast down, O my soul?... Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him..." | Hope in God (and His word) in distress. |
| Ps 119:49 | "Remember Your word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope." | Direct connection: God's promise is the basis of hope. |
| Ps 119:76 | "May Your faithful love be my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant." | Comfort linked to God's love and word. |
| Ps 119:81 | "My soul longs for Your salvation; I hope in Your word." | Salvation (deliverance) and hope linked to the Word. |
| Ps 23:4 | "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me..." | God's presence, implied through His word, comforts in affliction. |
| 2 Cor 1:3-4 | "...the Father of mercies and God of all comfort... comforts us in all our tribulation..." | God's ultimate nature is comfort, to be shared. |
| Rom 15:4 | "...through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope." | Scriptures provide patience and hope. |
| Heb 6:18 | "...by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, that we might have strong consolation..." | God's unchanging word gives strong comfort/hope. |
| 1 Thes 4:18 | "Therefore comfort one another with these words." | God's word is the basis for mutual comfort. |
| Ps 119:71 | "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes." | Affliction can lead to deeper engagement with the Word. |
| Ps 119:75 | "I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me." | God's faithfulness even in affliction, leading to reliance on His Word. |
| Job 23:10 | "But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." | God's sovereignty over affliction and refining process. |
| Heb 12:10-11 | "...that we may be partakers of His holiness... Afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness..." | Discipline (affliction) brings fruit of righteousness. |
| Jer 17:7-8 | "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord." | Trust in God, who reveals Himself through His Word. |
| Is 40:8 | "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." | The eternal and enduring nature of God's word. |
Psalm 119 verses
Psalm 119 50 Meaning
Psalm 119:50 expresses the psalmist's deep conviction that God's spoken word and promises serve as the sole and ultimate source of comfort in times of severe personal suffering and distress. It proclaims that the divine word not only offers solace but actively revives and sustains the psalmist's life, implying spiritual vitality, renewed hope, and enduring strength amidst affliction.
Psalm 119 50 Context
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, a majestic acrostic poem (divided into 22 sections, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet) entirely devoted to extolling the excellence, sufficiency, and transformative power of God's Word, often using its many synonyms like law, statutes, precepts, commandments, testimonies, and judgments. Verse 50 is part of the "Kaph" (כ) section (verses 49-56). In this segment, the psalmist continues to express his reliance on God's word for hope, strength, and comfort amidst various challenges, including the scorn of the proud (v. 51) and the unrighteous actions of the wicked (v. 53). Historically, the psalmist likely lived in a time or circumstances marked by significant opposition, persecution, or personal suffering, where his faith and devotion to God's law made him an outcast or a target. This verse, therefore, serves as a poignant declaration that despite his suffering, his true solace and spiritual vitality come directly from the divine promise and instruction.
Psalm 119 50 Word analysis
- This: A demonstrative pronoun, pointing directly to the concept about to be stated. It gives immediate emphasis to the succeeding declaration.
- is my comfort: Nechamah (נֶחָמָה). This Hebrew word implies solace, consolation, and alleviation from grief or pain. It speaks of a deep, inward assurance and peace that calms distress. It's "my" comfort, deeply personal and possessed by the psalmist.
- in my affliction: Oniyi (עָנְיִי). This word signifies misery, suffering, distress, oppression, or poverty. It refers to a state of being greatly burdened or afflicted. The psalmist is not saying God's word removes the affliction, but rather provides comfort within it, serving as a sustaining power during the hardship.
- For: The conjunction "for" (כִּי, ki) introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding statement. It establishes a causal relationship: the Word is comfort because it gives life.
- Your word: Imratekha (אִמְרָתֶךָ). From imra, meaning a spoken word, a promise, a divine oracle, or decree. This refers to God's specific promises and utterances rather than the general body of law. The personal suffix "-thekha" ("Your") highlights the intimate and direct nature of God's communication with the psalmist.
- has given me life: Chiyyatani (חִיָּתַנִי). This verb is the Hiphil perfect of chayah, meaning to cause to live, preserve life, revive, or restore to life. It signifies an active impartation of life, not merely sustenance. This "life" is multifaceted: spiritual vitality, renewed hope in despair, deliverance from the "death" of overwhelming suffering, preservation from utter destruction, and a fresh sense of purpose. It speaks of divine enablement to live fully even when conditions are dire.
Words-group analysis:
- "This is my comfort in my affliction": This phrase establishes the psalmist's foundational reality during hardship. His comfort isn't from external circumstances, human help, or cessation of trouble, but from a singular, internal source. It portrays a robust faith that finds solace precisely in the midst of distress, not outside of it.
- "For Your word has given me life": This clause provides the reason for the comfort. The comfort is directly attributable to the life-giving power of God's specific spoken promises or decrees. It implies an active, powerful, and restorative function of the Word of God, able to revive a soul from the depths of despair or hopelessness that affliction often brings. It suggests that without God's word, the affliction would be deadly or unbearable.
Psalm 119 50 Bonus section
The active and transformative nature of God's Word is a consistent theme throughout the Bible, and this verse powerfully illustrates it. The Word is not just information; it is the very instrument of God's active will in creation, redemption, and personal sustenance. The Hebrew verb "has given me life" (חִיָּתַנִי) carries a strong causative sense, implying that God's word causes life to flow into the psalmist's being. This highlights that the psalmist is not merely remembering or intellectually assenting to God's word but is experiencing its dynamic and operative power personally. This divine impartation of life speaks to a holistic revival: not only enduring suffering but thriving spiritually despite it, showing the resilience enabled by a deep, living connection to God's revelation. The contrast between deep "affliction" and the profound "life" provided by the Word underscores the supernatural nature of God's comfort and power.
Psalm 119 50 Commentary
Psalm 119:50 is a profound declaration of reliance on God's active, spoken Word as the ultimate source of solace and spiritual sustenance in suffering. It presents the divine promise not as a passive comfort but as a dynamic force that revives and invigorates the human spirit when overwhelmed by "affliction." The psalmist experiences a real and vitalizing effect from God's "imra"—His personal, revealed pronouncements. This "life" imparted by the Word transcends mere physical existence; it speaks to the restoration of hope, peace, and spiritual vitality. The verse reveals that genuine comfort during trials is not found in the absence of hardship but in the unwavering, life-giving power of God's truth permeating and sustaining the soul through it.
Examples of practical usage:
- When facing chronic illness, recalling God's promises of strength and presence (e.g., Is 41:10) can provide renewed hope and courage, acting as comfort and life.
- In moments of deep sorrow, meditating on the Scriptures that speak of God's faithfulness and resurrection power (e.g., 1 Thes 4:13-18) can lift the spirit and sustain emotional well-being.
- When encountering professional setbacks, resting on scriptural assurances of God's plans and purpose (e.g., Jer 29:11) can provide spiritual endurance and direction.