Psalm 119:80 kjv
Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.
Psalm 119:80 nkjv
Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.
Psalm 119:80 niv
May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.
Psalm 119:80 esv
May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!
Psalm 119:80 nlt
May I be blameless in keeping your decrees;
then I will never be ashamed.
Psalm 119 80 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 25:2-3 | O my God, in You I trust; Let me not be ashamed... Indeed, none who wait for Him will be put to shame. | Trusting God avoids shame. |
| Ps 31:1 | In You, O Lord, I take refuge; Let me never be put to shame! | Seeking refuge in God for security. |
| Isa 45:17 | But Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or disgraced. | Divine salvation prevents eternal shame. |
| Rom 5:5 | ...and hope does not put us to shame... | Hope in God's love secures confidence. |
| Rom 10:11 | For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” | Faith in Christ removes shame. |
| 1 Pet 2:6 | ...“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone... and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” | Believing in Christ assures no disappointment. |
| Phil 1:20 | ...Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ... | Living for Christ brings ultimate glory, not shame. |
| 1 Kgs 8:61 | Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in His statutes... | Praying for a heart wholly devoted to God's statutes. |
| Ps 78:37 | For their heart was not steadfast toward Him; they were not faithful to His covenant. | Unsteady heart leads to unfaithfulness and shame. |
| Prov 11:20 | Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless way are His delight. | Integrity of heart is pleasing to God. |
| Prov 4:23 | Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. | Importance of guarding the heart's purity. |
| Matt 15:19 | For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality... | The heart as the source of all actions. |
| Heb 10:22 | Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith... | A true (sincere) heart in faith for confidence. |
| Ps 24:4 | He who has clean hands and a pure heart... | A pure heart is required for standing before God. |
| Ps 51:10 | Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. | Prayer for divine cleansing and heart stability. |
| Deut 6:17 | You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies and His statutes. | Adherence to all God's commands. |
| Ps 19:7-11 | The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul... | God's law is flawless and beneficial. |
| Ps 119:1 | Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! | Walking in God's law brings blessedness. |
| Isa 42:21 | The Lord was pleased, for His righteousness' sake, to magnify His law and make it glorious. | God's delight in His magnified law. |
| 2 Tim 1:12 | ...for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that Day. | Assurance in God leads to no shame. |
| Ezra 7:10 | For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to practice it... | Setting the heart on God's Law. |
| Job 22:26 | For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. | Right living brings boldness before God. |
Psalm 119 verses
Psalm 119 80 Meaning
Psalm 119:80 is a fervent prayer asking God to make the psalmist's inner being, the heart, completely whole, integrated, and faultless in its devotion to His divine decrees. The ultimate purpose of this plea is to avoid experiencing disgrace, disappointment, or divine judgment, signifying a desire for steadfastness and faithfulness that leads to confident trust rather than humiliation. It expresses a deep longing for moral and spiritual integrity, where one's inner alignment with God's law safeguards against all forms of failure and shame.
Psalm 119 80 Context
Psalm 119 is an extended acrostic poem, each eight-verse stanza beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This verse (Ps 119:80) falls within the "Peh" (פ) section, traditionally representing the mouth or opening, often linking to proclamation or experienced reality. The Psalm as a whole is a profound meditation on the divine Law (Torah), expressing deep affection, devotion, and a yearning for obedience, while acknowledging the constant struggle against sin and the need for God's help. It is a prayerful song, expressing the deep connection between God's word and the believer's life. Historically, it reflects the intense love for God's revealed will that was characteristic of devout Israelites. The desire for a "sound heart" in His "statutes" is a continuous theme, emphasizing inner devotion as crucial for external adherence to the law and for enduring faith amidst affliction.
Psalm 119 80 Word analysis
- Let my heart:
- "Heart" is from the Hebrew lēbāḇ (לֵבָב), which refers not just to the seat of emotions but also to the mind, will, intellect, and conscience – the very core of a person's being and the source of moral choices. It is the center of thought, action, and devotion.
- This opening expresses a profound personal prayer for inner transformation, recognizing that true adherence to God's ways begins from within.
- be sound:
- From the Hebrew tāmîm (תָּמִים), meaning whole, complete, perfect, blameless, flawless, sincere. It is often used for sacrificial animals without blemish (Lev 22:21) or for individuals of perfect integrity (Gen 6:9; Deut 18:13).
- Here, it signifies a heart without division, hypocrisy, or defect in its loyalty and commitment to God's statutes. It’s a plea for unreserved, pure, and unwavering alignment with divine truth.
- in your statutes:
- "Statutes" comes from the Hebrew ḥōq (חֹק), meaning an engraved decree, ordinance, or established rule. It implies something fixed and binding, a settled principle laid down by divine authority. It's one of the many synonyms for God's Law in Psalm 119, highlighting the unwavering, precise, and authoritative nature of God’s commands.
- This phrase indicates the standard and objective truth against which the heart's soundness is measured. The desired inner wholeness is not self-defined but defined by God’s fixed Word.
- so that I may not:
- This conjunction expresses the desired outcome or purpose of the previous request. The motivation for a sound heart is to avoid a negative consequence.
- be put to shame:
- From the Hebrew būš (בּוּשׁ), meaning to be ashamed, disgraced, humiliated, disappointed, or confounded. In a biblical context, "shame" often denotes the experience of profound disappointment when trust or expectations are unmet, especially concerning God's faithfulness or one's own failure to uphold God's standard. It can refer to spiritual failure leading to divine judgment, public disgrace, or even simply the failure of a hope that was not built on God's truth.
- This concluding plea highlights the psalmist’s desire for integrity to avert the painful consequences of unfaithfulness or failure, affirming that living according to God’s perfect will provides genuine confidence and a secure hope.
Psalm 119 80 Bonus section
The term tāmîm (sound/blameless) used here echoes the expectation for Israel in Deut 18:13: "You shall be blameless before the Lord your God." It also connects to Abraham's call to "walk before Me, and be blameless" (Gen 17:1), illustrating that the request for a sound heart is rooted in a foundational biblical requirement for God's people to live lives of integrity before Him. This aligns with the New Testament concept of being "blameless and innocent" children of God (Phil 2:15). The prayer for a "sound heart" implies an ongoing process of sanctification and reliance on divine grace, not a self-achieved perfection. It’s a confession of human vulnerability and a plea for divine enablement to walk in purity and faithfulness, recognizing that without such inner alignment, the risk of spiritual disgrace and condemnation is ever-present.
Psalm 119 80 Commentary
Psalm 119:80 is a profound prayer reflecting the earnest desire of a devout heart to align perfectly with God's will. The request for a "sound" or "blameless" heart emphasizes a holistic, undivided commitment to God's "statutes." This is not a superficial external adherence, but an internal posture of sincerity and completeness, where the entire core of one's being is devoted to God’s fixed and authoritative decrees. The psalmist understands that true obedience originates from the heart (the center of all life's choices), not merely outward actions.
The ultimate aim of this petition—"that I may not be put to shame"—reveals the practical and eschatological implications of a life devoted to God's Word. Shame here encompasses not just social embarrassment but profound spiritual disappointment, the pain of knowing one has failed God, or the just judgment of being found wanting in God’s sight. Conversely, a heart made sound in God's statutes brings assurance, confidence, and freedom from fear, allowing one to stand blameless before God and the world. This verse underscores the Christian principle that purity of heart is indispensable for confident standing before God and for experiencing the unfailing hope that God provides. It serves as a reminder that a sincere, undivided heart pursuing God's truth is foundational for spiritual security and joy.