Psalm 119:7 kjv
I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
Psalm 119:7 nkjv
I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.
Psalm 119:7 niv
I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.
Psalm 119:7 esv
I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.
Psalm 119:7 nlt
As I learn your righteous regulations,
I will thank you by living as I should!
Psalm 119 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 9:1 | I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart... | Praising God with a complete and sincere heart. |
| Psa 103:1 | Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! | Praise engaging the entirety of one's being. |
| Psa 111:1 | Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart... | Echoes the commitment to wholehearted praise. |
| Psa 19:7-9 | The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul... judgments are true, and righteous altogether. | God's perfect law and true judgments as objects of meditation and delight. |
| Psa 119:62 | At midnight I rise to give thanks to you for your righteous judgments. | The psalmist's constant thankfulness for God's decrees. |
| Psa 119:10 | With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! | Seeking God with integrity and adherence to His commands. |
| Psa 119:34 | Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. | Prayer for understanding to obey with sincerity. |
| Jer 24:7 | I will give them a heart to know me... | God's work in giving a heart receptive to His knowledge. |
| Deut 4:5-6 | See, I have taught you statutes and rules... keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom... | Learning and obeying God's laws as the foundation of true wisdom. |
| Deut 4:8 | What great nation is there that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? | The uniqueness and perfection of God's righteous judgments. |
| Isa 1:19 | If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land... | Connection between obedience/learning and divine blessing. |
| Matt 5:6 | Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. | Desiring righteousness leads to fulfillment, echoing learning judgments. |
| John 13:17 | If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. | The blessing of applying learned truth through obedience. |
| Rom 12:2 | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind... | Transformation through understanding God's will, leading to right living. |
| Eph 5:19-20 | Addressing one another in psalms and hymns... singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks... | Worship from the heart that is rich in content. |
| Phil 1:9-10 | And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more... so that you may approve what is excellent... | Discerning God's excellent will leads to blameless living. |
| Col 3:16 | Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly... teaching and admonishing one another... singing psalms and hymns... | Word dwelling richly produces wise living and heartfelt worship. |
| Heb 5:14 | But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice... | Maturation in faith involves trained discernment of good and evil, related to judgments. |
| Jas 1:22-25 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves... | Emphasis on the application and living out of God's word, not just hearing. |
| Rev 19:2 | For his judgments are true and righteous... | God's righteous judgments affirmed even in ultimate divine justice. |
| 1 Pet 3:16 | ...so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. | Living with integrity/uprightness impacts how others perceive faith. |
Psalm 119 verses
Psalm 119 7 Meaning
Psalm 119:7 expresses the psalmist's resolute intention to offer praise to God that springs from the deepest sincerity and moral integrity, a praise made possible and perfected through the diligent study and internalizing of God's holy and just laws. It posits a crucial connection: genuine worship flows from a heart shaped by divine truth, acknowledging God's perfect standards and His righteous character revealed in His commandments.
Psalm 119 7 Context
Psalm 119 is an extended acrostic poem, each section of eight verses beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, making it a masterpiece devoted to the profound significance, perfection, and benefit of God's Word (often referred to as law, statutes, precepts, commandments, judgments, testimonies, etc.). This verse falls within the 'Daleth' section, which continues the themes of seeking God wholeheartedly and longing to follow His way. The entire psalm is a testament to the psalmist's intense love for, devotion to, and delight in God's Torah, portraying it not as a burdensome legal code, but as a living revelation, a source of life, wisdom, and joy. The historical context reflects a desire for fidelity to God's covenant in a world often hostile or indifferent to divine truth. It counters the prevalent human tendency to devise one's own standards of right and wrong, asserting God's judgments as the absolute measure.
Psalm 119 7 Word analysis
- I will praise (אֹודֶךָ, ‘ôdekā): From the root יָדָה (yādāh), meaning "to praise, thank, give thanks, confess." It often involves an outstretched hand, implying open, grateful acknowledgment. It is not merely a verbal expression but an act of worship flowing from one's entire being. The future tense "will praise" indicates a settled, firm resolve and commitment, a deliberate choice of the will.
- Thee/You: Refers directly to YHWH, the LORD God. The focus of the praise is God alone.
- with uprightness (בְּיֹשֶׁר, bəyōsher): From יֹשֶׁר (yōsher), meaning "uprightness, rectitude, straightforwardness, sincerity." It conveys moral integrity and freedom from hypocrisy or double-mindedness. This kind of praise is pure, genuine, and unadulterated, contrasting with outward lip-service or insincere religious displays. It speaks to the alignment of internal disposition with external action.
- of heart (לֵבָב, lēḇāḇ): The Hebrew levav (or lev) encompasses the totality of a person's inner being—their mind, will, emotions, and moral character. Praise from the heart is authentic, sincere, and holistic, involving one's deepest thoughts and affections, rather than merely ritualistic actions or rote recitations. It is the very core of one's personhood dedicated to God.
- when I shall have learned (בְּלָמְדִי, bəlomdî): From the root לָמַד (lāmad), meaning "to learn, teach, study, accustom." This term implies an active, diligent process of acquiring knowledge and understanding, not a passive absorption. It suggests not only intellectual apprehension but also internal assimilation and personal experience of truth, implying a readiness to live by what is learned. It’s an ongoing, committed process.
- Thy righteous (צֶדֶק, tzedeq): Meaning "righteousness, justice, what is right, conformity to a standard." It refers to God's inherent attribute of perfect justice and His standards for all conduct. His judgments are fair, equitable, and holy, rooted in His unblemished character.
- judgments (מִשְׁפְּטֵי, mishpete): From מִשְׁפָּט (mishpāt), referring to God's ordinances, decrees, verdicts, legal decisions, and statutes. These are God's rulings that establish moral order and guide human conduct. They are not arbitrary rules but reflections of His perfect nature, guiding principles for just living and worship. The phrase "righteous judgments" highlights their impeccable integrity and unerring fairness.
Words-group Analysis
- "I will praise Thee with uprightness of heart": This phrase establishes the desired quality of worship – it must be authentic and proceed from a morally sincere inner being. This sincerity is foundational, distinguishing true devotion from outward show. It speaks to a heart purified and oriented toward God, free from duplicity.
- "when I shall have learned Thy righteous judgments": This clause sets the condition and means for the "upright praise." The learning here is more than mere academic study; it implies understanding, internalizing, and living according to God's revealed will. The understanding of God's just decrees empowers one to offer praise that is truly upright, because it aligns with His character and standards. There is an implicit progression from knowing to doing, and from doing to authentic worship. The profound impact of knowing divine truth is seen as prerequisite to genuine, heart-felt adoration. This suggests a symbiotic relationship: as one better grasps God's righteous nature as expressed in His laws, one's capacity for sincere, pure praise grows.
Psalm 119 7 Bonus section
The progression indicated in this verse, from "learning God's judgments" to "praising with uprightness of heart," is crucial. It underscores that spiritual maturity and genuine worship are not achieved by subjective experience alone, but by a grounding in divine truth. This intellectual and spiritual ascent positions knowledge of God's standards as the enabling power for authentic heart devotion. It challenges the notion that worship is only an emotional act, highlighting its foundation in objective truth and ethical living. The 'judgments' are not punitive burdens but expressions of God's good, orderly, and just nature, intended for human flourishing. When understood this way, they naturally evoke gratitude and praise.
Psalm 119 7 Commentary
Psalm 119:7 articulates a profound principle: true worship is inextricably linked to knowing and embracing God's righteous character, especially as revealed in His divine law. The psalmist is not offering an emotional outburst disconnected from truth, but a resolute promise to praise God "with uprightness of heart." This "uprightness" implies a sincere, undivided, and morally sound inner disposition. It is a praise untainted by hypocrisy or deceit, a quality possible only when the worshiper's internal compass is aligned with God's truth. This alignment is achieved through diligently "learning God's righteous judgments." The learning here signifies more than mere intellectual assent; it speaks of deep meditation, personal assimilation, and a practical living out of God's perfect and just standards. Thus, for the psalmist, praise is not just an emotional response but an intelligent, ethically informed act, flowing from a heart transformed by divine revelation. It highlights that the more one understands the impeccable justice and goodness of God's decrees, the more genuinely and sincerely one can laud Him. It underscores the biblical emphasis on 'truth-informed worship' as opposed to merely 'emotion-driven worship.'