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Selected Verse: Psalms 119:109 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ps 119:109 |
King James |
My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| 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, Jdg 12:3; Sa1 28:21; Job 13:14; compare Sa1 19:5), and exposed to crafty enemies, his safety and guidance is in the truth and promises of God. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
My soul is continually in my hand - The Septuagint renders this, "My soul is always in thy hands," but the Hebrew will not admit of this construction. The idea in the original is that his soul - his life - was always in jeopardy. The expression seems to be proverbial. Anything taken in the hand is liable to be rudely snatched away. Thus a casket of jewels, or a purse of gold in the hand, may at any moment be seized by robbers. See the notes at Job 13:14. Compare Sa1 19:5; Jdg 12:3. The meaning here is, that his life was constantly in danger.
Yet do I not forget thy law - Notwithstanding the danger to which I am exposed, and the care necessary to defend my life, I do not allow my mind to be turned from meditating on thy law, nor do I suffer any danger to deter me from obeying it. Compare the notes at Psa 119:61. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Is - Exposed to perpetual danger. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
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. |
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?
14 Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
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?
61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.
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?
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?
14 Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?