Psalms 119:137

You are righteous, Yahweh. Your judgments are upright.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

You are righteous, LORD. Your judgements are upright.

BSB

Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments.

KJV

צ TZADDI. Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.

ASV

Righteous art thou, O Jehovah, And upright are thy judgments.

BBE

O Lord, great is your righteousness, and upright are your decisions.

YLT

Tzade. Righteous art Thou, O Jehovah, And upright are Thy judgments.

DARBY

TZADE. Righteous art thou, Jehovah, and upright are thy judgments.

Original Hebrew

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צַדִּיק tza·dik [are] righteous adjective · absolute H6662 אַתָּה 'a·tah you pronoun H859 יְהוָה yah·weh O Yahweh noun H3068 וְיָשָׁר ve·ya·shar and [are] upright adjective · absolute H3477 מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ mish·pa·tei·kha judgments your noun · construct H4941
Study this passageThe verses around Psalms 119:137: translations side by side, notes, key words and a guided study

Study notes

Whole chapter

On Psalms 119:1–176

This psalm blends wisdom, lament, praise, thanksgiving, and confession. It often uses eight Hebrew words translated as:

  • “Instructions”

  • “law”

  • “words”

  • “commandments”

  • “statutes”

  • “judgments”

  • “promises”

  • “precepts“

These words encourage love for and obedience to God's instructions in the Scriptures (see 2 Timothy 3:14–17). A deep commitment to these instructions unifies the psalm.

On Psalms 119:137–144

Tsadhe (צ) is the eighteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and marks the beginning of the next section of this psalm.

God is righteous, and his word is right and just, especially in contrast to the deceptions of the wicked.

On this section Psalms 119:1–176

Psalm 119 talks about the Mount Sinai covenant as a blessing for God’s people. It praises God for how wonderful his laws are. These are the laws recorded in the Law of Moses. Obeying them leads to wisdom, joy and life.

The poem is divided into 22 sections. Each section has eight verses. At the beginning of each section there is a word in the Hebrew language. These are the names of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 119 is an alphabet poem.

Tyndale Open Study Notes (adapted by Mission Mutual) and Biblica Study Notes, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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The early church

Thus, then, as if giving a reason why he had cause to weep much, and to mourn deeply for his sin, he says, "Righteous are You, O Lord, and true is Your judgment" [Psalm 119:137]. "You have commanded Your testimonies, righteousness, and Your truth exceedingly" [Psalm 119:138]. This righteousness of God and righteous judgment and truth, is to be feared by every sinner: for thereby all who are condemned are condemned of God; nor is there one who can righteously complain against the righteous God of his own damnation. Therefore the tears of the penitent are needful; since if his impenitent heart were condemned, he would be most justly condemned. He indeed calls the testimonies of God righteousness: for He proves himself righteous by giving righteous commandments. And this is truth also, that God may become known by such testimonies.
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Henry (concise) · Verses 137–144

God never did, and never can do wrong to any. The promises are faithfully performed by Him that made them. Zeal against sin should constrain us to do what we can against it, at least to do more in religion ourselves. Our love to the word of God is evidence of our love to God, because it is designed to make us partake his holiness. Men's real excellency always makes them low in their own eyes. When we are small and despised, we have the more need to remember God's precepts, that we may have them to support us. The law of God is the truth, the standard of holiness, the rule of happiness; but the obedience of Christ alone justifies the believer. Sorrows are often the lot of saints in this vale of tears; they are in heaviness through manifold temptations. There are delights in the word of God, which the saints often most sweetly enjoy when in trouble and anguish. This is life eternal, to know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, Joh 17:3. May we live the life of faith and grace here, and be removed to the life of glory hereafter.

Read Henry (concise) on Psalm 119 →

What other commentators say on this verse

Henry (complete)Verses 137–138JFBVerses 137–139ClarkeVerse 137CalvinVerses 1–176WesleyVerses 136–139Geneva notesVerses 136–137ScofieldVerses 74–153

Cross-references

15

Topics

God

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.