Psalm 119 84

Psalm 119:84 kjv

How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

Psalm 119:84 nkjv

How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?

Psalm 119:84 niv

How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors?

Psalm 119:84 esv

How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me?

Psalm 119:84 nlt

How long must I wait?
When will you punish those who persecute me?

Psalm 119 verses

Psalm 119 84 Meaning

Psalm 119:84 expresses the Psalmist's urgent plea to God for divine intervention and justice against relentless persecutors. The verse contains two rhetorical questions that convey profound distress, a sense of dwindling time, and a desperate longing for God to uphold righteousness. The first question, "How many are the days of Your servant?", highlights the brevity and frailty of human life, implying that the suffering is prolonged beyond human endurance and that the servant's time is finite. The second question, "When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?", is a cry for vindication, imploring God, as the ultimate Judge, to swiftly bring an end to the injustice inflicted upon His faithful servant. It underscores the Psalmist's unwavering belief in God's righteousness and His ultimate authority over all earthly matters.

Psalm 119 84 Context

Psalm 119 is an extended acrostic poem, celebrating and meditating upon the Law of the Lord. Each of its 22 eight-verse stanzas begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verse 84 falls within the Pey (or Pe) section (verses 81-88). This section, like many others in Psalm 119, highlights the Psalmist's profound distress and affliction ("My soul wastes away... eyes fail... broken like a jar in the smoke") despite his steadfast commitment to God's statutes. He feels like a victim of oppression, surrounded by enemies who disregard God's law. His reliance is entirely on God's word and righteousness for salvation and deliverance. The historical context is general oppression experienced by a devout believer rather than a specific national calamity or personal event. It reflects the ongoing tension between righteousness and ungodliness within society. The implied polemic is against any false notion that injustice goes unpunished or that earthly oppressors hold ultimate authority, asserting instead that Yahweh is the true, righteous Judge whose intervention is inevitable.

Psalm 119 84 Word analysis

• How many (מָה־רַבּ֨וּ – mah-rabbu):
  • Word: This phrase uses the interrogative particle "מָה" (mah - "what" or "how") with the participle "רַבּוּ" (rabbu - "many," "great," "numerous").
  • Significance: It is a rhetorical question, not seeking a precise number, but conveying a deep sense of impatience, desperation, and the dwindling of life. It implies "my time is running out," or "there aren't many days left for me to endure this." This urgency underpins the plea for immediate divine action.
• are the days (יְמֵי – y'mei):
  • Word: Refers to the span of a person's life, from יָמִים (yamim), "days."
  • Significance: Emphasizes the transient and finite nature of human existence, highlighting the brevity of life (e.g., Ps 90:10). The Psalmist implicitly argues that the time available for God to act on his behalf is short, or that his allotted days are insufficient to bear the prolonged persecution.
• of Your servant (עַבְדֶּךָ – ‘avdekha):
  • Word: "עַבְדֶּךָ" (‘avdekha) literally means "your slave" or "your servant."
  • Significance: This term defines the Psalmist's relationship with God—one of belonging, obedience, and devoted submission (e.g., Ps 116:16). This identity serves as the foundation for his petition, implying that as God's servant, he has a legitimate claim to God's protection and vindication. It appeals to God's faithfulness to those who serve Him, distinguishing him from his ungodly persecutors.
• When (מָתַ֬י – matai):
  • Word: An interrogative adverb meaning "when?"
  • Significance: Another rhetorical question, expressing a fervent longing and impatience for God's action. It implies a delay that is hard to bear, a cry similar to "how long?" found in other laments (e.g., Ps 13:1). It highlights the psychological distress caused by the prolonged suffering.
• will You execute judgment (תַּעֲשֶׂה־שְׁפָטִים – ta‘aseh-sh’fatim):
  • Word: "תַּעֲשֶׂה" (ta‘aseh) from עָשָׂה (‘asah) "to do" or "to make/perform"; "שְׁפָטִים" (sh’fatim) is the plural of מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), "judgment," "justice," "ordinance."
  • Significance: This is a direct plea for God to act as a righteous Judge. "Executing judgments" here means upholding justice, rendering fair decisions, vindicating the righteous, and punishing the wicked. It emphasizes God's sovereign authority and His moral order. The Psalmist trusts that God's judgments are always just and will ultimately bring relief to the oppressed.
• on those who persecute me (בְּרֹדְפָֽי – b'rod'fay):
  • Word: "בְּרֹדְפָֽי" (b'rod'fay) is from רָדַף (radaph), meaning "to pursue," "to persecute," "to chase." It is here with the prefix "בְּ" (b' - "against" or "upon").
  • Significance: Identifies the direct cause of the Psalmist's distress: adversaries who actively pursue him with malice and oppression. These persecutors are those who disregard God's law (as is characteristic throughout Psalm 119), making God's judgment all the more necessary for the upholding of His divine order and the vindication of His servant.

Words-group analysis

• "How many are the days of Your servant?": This rhetorical question highlights the psalmist's sense of limited time coupled with intense, prolonged suffering. It implies that the duration of his affliction has exhausted his finite human capacity for endurance, appealing to God's mercy based on the brevity of life.
• "When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?": This question expresses a deep longing for divine justice. It’s a petition for God, the ultimate and righteous Judge, to intervene and correct the injustices suffered by His faithful servant. The "when" signifies impatience and a desire for prompt action against those who act contrary to God’s law.

Psalm 119 84 Bonus section

The two rhetorical questions in Psalm 119:84 function as an emphatic lament, highlighting a universal human tension: the finite nature of our existence contrasted with the seemingly endless period of suffering or injustice. This verse appeals to God's character as both compassionate and just; the "servant" identity positions the Psalmist as one who has a divine master obligated, in a covenantal sense, to defend his own. The plea is not a demand for personal vengeance but a cry for God to act consistently with His nature as the righteous Judge of all the earth. The very act of asking "When?" demonstrates unwavering faith that judgment will indeed come, focusing on its timing rather than its certainty. This tension between divine patience and human suffering is a recurring theme throughout the Scriptures, often inviting believers to grow in their trust of God's perfect timing and His ultimate eschatological fulfillment of all justice (Rev 22:12).

Psalm 119 84 Commentary

Psalm 119:84 encapsulates the fervent plea of a suffering believer, expressing both the brevity of life and the desperate need for divine justice. The Psalmist, identifying as God's "servant," underscores his covenant relationship, making his plea a rightful appeal for God's protection and vindication against persistent adversaries. The rhetorical questions, "How many are the days...?" and "When will You execute judgment...?", are not seeking literal answers but conveying profound anguish, urgency, and impatience for the resolution of his affliction. It reveals a faith that knows God is righteous and will indeed judge, but simultaneously wrestles with the perceived delay of His justice. This verse provides a pattern for believers to bring their deep pain and longing for righteousness before God, entrusting the timing and execution of justice to Him, while maintaining their identity as His loyal servants even amidst persecution. It reminds us that God hears the cries of His oppressed and, in His perfect timing, will indeed repay those who afflict His own.