Psalms 119 · Verse 109

Psalms 119:109

My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.
Psalms 119:109, King James Version

Psalms 119:109 in other translations

BSBI constantly take my life in my hands, yet I do not forget Your law.
WEBMy soul is continually in my hand, yet I won’t forget your law.
ASVMy soul is continually in my hand; Yet do I not forget thy law.
YLTMy soul is in my hand continually, And Thy law I have not forgotten.
DARBYMy life is continually in my hand; but I do not forget thy law.
BBEMy soul is ever in danger; but I still keep the memory of your law.
WebsterMy soul is continually in my hand: yet I do not forget thy law.

What does Psalms 119:109 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 119:109-110
109-110. In the midst of deadly perils (the phrase is drawn from the fact that what we carry in our hands may easily slip from them, Jud 12:3; 1Sa 28:21; Job 13:14; compare 1Sa 19:5), and exposed to crafty enemies, his safety and guidance is in the truth and promises of God.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 109 My soul is continually in my hand - נפשי naphshi, my life; that is, it is in constant danger, every hour I am on the confines of death. The expression signifies to be in continual danger. So Xenarchus in Athenaeus, lib. xiii., c. 4: Εν τῃ χειρι την ψυχην εχοντα, "having the life in the hand;" which signifies continual danger and jeopardy. There is some thing like this in the speech of Achilles to Ulysses, Hom. Il. ix., ver. 322: - Αιει εμην ψυχην παραβαλλομενος πολεμιζειν· "Always presenting my life to the dangers of the fight." My soul is in thy hand, is the reading of the Syriac, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic; but this is a conjectural and useless emendation.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 119:105-112

The word of God directs us in our work and way, and a dark place indeed the world would be without it. The commandment is a lamp kept burning with the oil of the Spirit, as a light to direct us in the choice of our way, and the steps we take in that way. The keeping of God's commands here meant, was that of a sinner under a dispensation of mercy, of a believer having part in the covenant of grace. The psalmist is…

Read the full comment on Psalms 119:105-112 →

Psalms 119:109 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

נַפְשִׁ֣יnaf.Shilife myH5315
בְכַפִּ֣יve.kha.Pi[is] in hand myH3709
תָמִ֑ידta.MidcontinuallyH8548
וְ֝תֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ve.to.ra.te.khaand law yourH8451
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
שָׁכָֽחְתִּי\׃sha.Kha.che.tiI forgetH7911

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 119:109

  • Judges 12:3

    And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?

  • Job 13:14

    Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

  • 1 Corinthians 15:31

    I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

  • 1 Samuel 19:5

    For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

  • 1 Samuel 20:3

    And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

  • Psalms 119:83

    For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

  • Psalms 119:152

    Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.

  • 2 Corinthians 11:23

    Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

  • Psalms 119:117

    Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

  • Romans 8:36

    As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
My soul.Rather, "My life {naphshee} is continually in my hand;" i.e., it is in constant danger; every hour I am on the confines of death. The LXX., Syriac, and Ethiopic read, "in thy hand;" but this is a conjectural and useless alteration.
Jud 12:3; 1Sa 19:5; 20:3; Job 13:14; Ro 8:36; 1Co 15:31; 2Co 11:23
yet do I not.
83,117,152

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 119:108

    Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments.

  • Psalms 119:109

    My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.

  • Psalms 119:110

    The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.

Read all of Psalms 119

Psalms 119:109 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		De continuo está mi alma en mi mano: mas no me he olvidado de tu ley.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ma vie est continuellement dans ma main, mais je n’oublie pas ta loi.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Mein Leben ist stets in meiner Hand, aber dein Gesetz habe ich nicht vergessen.