Psalms 119:116 · Bible study
Psalms 119:116 Commentary: Uphold Me According to Your Word
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Psalm 119:116: a prayer for sustaining grace, the link between God's word and hope, and the fear of hope being disappointed.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A prayer for God to sustain the psalmist so that his hope in God's promise is not disappointed.
- Key words: Uphold (samakh, to support, prop up), live (chayah, physical/spiritual life), ashamed (bush, to be disappointed/disgraced), hope (seber, confident expectation).
- Main debate: Whether 'live' refers primarily to physical preservation or spiritual vitality, and whether 'ashamed of my hope' concerns personal disappointment or public dishonor.
- Theological theme: Dependence on God's grace, the reliability of His word, and the connection between divine upholding and the vindication of hope.
- Best use: A prayer for perseverance, often used in times of trial when faith is tested and hope needs reinforcement.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Sustain me as You promised, that I may live; let me not be ashamed of my hope.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Uphold me according to your word, that I may live. Let me not be ashamed of my hope.
KJV King James Version 1769
Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live; And let me not be ashamed of my hope.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Sustain me according to Thy saying, And I live, and Thou puttest me not to shame Because of my hope.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Uphold me according to thy *word, that I may live; and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Susténtame conforme á tu palabra, y viviré: y no me avergüences de mi esperanza.
Sustenta-me conforme a tua promessa, para que eu viva; e não me faças ser humilhado em minha esperança.
Soutiens-moi selon ta promesse, afin que je vive,
Erhalte mich durch dein Wort, daß ich lebe; und laß mich nicht zu Schanden werden über meiner Hoffnung.
Ondersteun mij naar Uw toezegging, opdat ik leve; en laat mij niet beschaamd worden over mijn hope.
Sostienmi secondo la tua parola, ond’io viva, e non rendermi confuso nella mia speranza.
Utwierdźże mię według słowa twego, abym żył, a nie zawstydzaj mię w oczekiwaniu mojem.
求你照你的話 扶持我，使我存活，也不 叫我因失望 而害羞。
Be my support as you have said, and give me life; let not my hope be turned to shame.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 119:116
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse is a plea for sustaining grace rooted in God's promise. Adam Clarke renders the Hebrew verb samakh as 'prop me up,' emphasizing total dependence. Barnes observes that 'uphold me' covers trials, temptations, and opposition, and he sees in 'according to your word' both the requirement and the promise of the word. Matthew Henry notes that the psalmist pleads the promise: if God does not uphold, his hope would be made ashamed, but those who hope in God's word will not be disappointed. Gill likewise connects the request to the promise that God will never leave his people. The Cambridge Bible adds that the psalmist needs sustaining grace to keep God's commandments. The shared core: God’s upholding is the basis for living faithfully and for hope that will not fail.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The psalmist prays for God to sustain him based on His word so that he may live and his hope will not be disappointed.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the prayer | It is a petition for sustaining grace, acknowledging that the psalmist cannot stand on his own. | Some emphasize it as a prayer for perseverance in obedience (Gill), while others highlight deliverance from external enemies (Barnes). |
| Meaning of 'live' | It encompasses more than mere biological existence, including spiritual vitality and life in God's favor. | Gill stresses spiritual life and living 'honourably,' while Barnes includes protection from physical danger and sinking under burdens. |
| Shame of hope | The psalmist prays that his hope will not be shown false or disappointed. | Some understand shame as personal embarrassment (Henry), others as public disgrace when enemies see hope fail (Barnes). |
| Role of God's word | The word is the foundation for both the hope and the request for upholding. | Barnes sees 'according to your word' as referring to both the requirements and promises of the word; others focus on the promise alone. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 119 is an elaborate acrostic poem, the longest in the Psalter, celebrating the beauty and power of God's word. Each eight-verse stanza corresponds to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This verse belongs to the Samekh stanza, which opens with a rejection of double-mindedness (v.113) and closes with trembling before God's judgments (v.120). The cultural backdrop includes a shame-honor society where to be 'ashamed' (bush) was to suffer public disgrace and the collapse of one's reputation. The psalmist's hope (seber) is not vague optimism but a confident expectation rooted in God's promises.
The verb uphold (samakh) evokes physical support, like a pillar or a prop, signalling complete dependence. The echo of previous verses connects this prayer to a life of obedience: the psalmist has already said 'I hope in your word' (v.114) and called on evildoers to depart (v.115). Now he asks for the grace to persevere so that his hope will not be shown false. The verse's placement in a stanza that contrasts the fate of the righteous and the wicked underscores the stakes: those who stray will be rejected (v.118), while those upheld by God will live and not be put to shame.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 119:116. The reading is stable across Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions.
Reception History
This verse has been a staple in Christian prayer for perseverance. Matthew Henry used it to illustrate the connection between divine support and the avoidance of shame in hope. The Geneva Bible's note reads: 'Stablish me according to thy promise, that I may live, and disappoint me not of mine hope.' In the Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke saw it as a cry for God to be the psalmist's prop. The Targum paraphrases 'uphold me in thy word,' underscoring the link between God's word and sustaining grace. Throughout church history, it has been used in liturgies and personal devotion to express trust in God's faithfulness when circumstances threaten to undermine hope.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The prayer for upholding: The psalmist asks God to sustain him, using the Hebrew verb samakh which pictures being propped up. This is not a request for occasional help but for constant support.
- The purpose of life: 'That I may live' points beyond mere physical existence to a life marked by obedience and vitality in relationship with God. As Gill comments, this includes 'living comfortably on the word of promise' and 'living honourably.'
- The protection of hope: To be 'ashamed of my hope' means to see that hope disappointed and publicly discredited. The psalmist prays that his trust in God's word will be vindicated, not proved empty.
Five-point outline
- Complete dependence: The verb samakh implies a leaning that cannot stand alone. We need God's support every moment.
- Grounded in the word: 'According to your word' ties the request to God's promises. The word is both the content of hope and the basis for the plea.
- The goal of life: 'That I may live' encompasses survival, spiritual vitality, and the ability to keep walking in God's ways.
- The fear of shame: Shame in this context is the failure of hope. The psalmist dreads the thought that his trust in God might be seen as foolish.
- Confident trust: Despite the risk, the prayer itself expresses faith. The one who prays this way believes God will answer.
Illustration hooks
- A parent waiting for a prodigal child to return, praying that their long-held hope will not be in vain.
- A person undergoing medical treatment, hoping for recovery but fearing bad news, crying out for God to sustain them through the uncertainty.
- A Christian in a season of prolonged suffering, wondering if their hope in God's goodness will hold, asking for the grace to keep believing.
Questions your congregation is asking
- What if I have placed my hope in God and it doesn't work out? Does that mean my faith was misplaced?
- How can I know that God will uphold me when I feel like I'm about to fall?
- Is it okay to be afraid that my hope will be disappointed? Does that show a lack of trust?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 119:116 is a prayer of a person who is holding on to God's promises in a difficult place. The psalmist knows that without divine support he will slip, and he fears that his hope might end in shame. This passage invites us to examine where we place our hope and how we respond when that hope is tested.
Discussion questions
- What does the image of being 'upheld' suggest about our need for God's daily support?
- In what ways have you experienced God 'propping you up' during a hard time?
- What does it mean to be 'ashamed of my hope'? Have you ever felt that your hope in God might be disappointed?
- How does the phrase 'according to your word' shape the way we pray for help?
- Read verses 114-117 together. How do the surrounding verses reinforce the message of 116?
- Why is it important that the psalmist prays this rather than just trying to be stronger on his own?
- How can this verse encourage someone who is afraid that their faith will not hold up in a crisis?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 25:2 | My God, I have trusted in you. Don’t let me be shamed. Don’t let my enemies triumph over me. |
| Psalms 37:17 | For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Yahweh upholds the righteous. |
| Psalms 37:24 | Though he stumble, he shall not fall, for Yahweh holds him up with his hand. |
| Psalms 41:12 | As for me, you uphold me in my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. |
| Psalms 54:4 | Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul. |
| Psalms 63:8 | My soul stays close to you. Your right hand holds me up. |
| Psalms 94:18 | When I said, “My foot is slipping!” Your loving kindness, Yahweh, held me up. |
| Isaiah 41:10 | Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke sharply contrasts two responses to God: he fiercely rejects the wicked, driving them from his presence, while simultaneously pleading for God to prop him up and be his support. For Clarke this is not passive avoidance but an active, personal separation from evil.Clarke insists that rejecting evil is an active, personal separation: he drives the wicked from his presence. At the same time, he pleads for God to prop him up and be his support, showing that holy living requires both pulling away from sin and leaning entirely on God.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes makes a precise distinction about the prayer "let me not be ashamed of my hope." It does not ask for boldness to profess one's faith. It asks that the hope itself not prove false or empty, that God's promises actually hold true when tested by trials and enemies.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin pushes back against the common assumption that Psalm 119 is a jumble of unrelated thoughts. He insists the psalm has a coherent twofold aim: urging believers toward godly living and laying out the true pattern of worship by centering on God's law. The variations in topic do not mean it lacks connection.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
But in order to keep God ’s commandments, he needs sustaining grace. Cp. Psa_51:12 ; Psa_3:5 ; Psa_37:17 ; Psa_37:24 . be ashamed of my hope ] Be disappointed and put to shame by the failure of my hope of deliverance. Cp. Psa_119:166 .
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes highlight the psalmist's plea that God would confirm him by the promise itself, so his hope would not be disappointed. The request ties ongoing spiritual life directly to the faithfulness of God's word, not to the psalmist's own strength. Hope rests on the promise, not on circumstances.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the psalmist pleads for divine upholding based on God's promise, not just to prevent physical stumbling but to sustain spiritual life and faithful walking. He distinguishes this from mere physical existence: the hope in God is secure, rooted in grace and Christ, so those who hold it will never be put to shame.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights that the psalmist's hope rests entirely on God's word, unshaken by people who are inwardly divided between faith and naturalism. The commentator notes the threat of those who try to combine worship of Yahweh with paganism, and underscores the psalmist's dependence on grace to persevere and his reverent fear of God's swiftly executing judgments.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that despite its artificial alphabetical form, Psalm 119 is not
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry focuses on David's double plea for grace — "Uphold me" and "Hold thou me up" — showing he saw himself unable to stand or keep going by his own strength. The prayer rests on God's promise; without that support, David would fall into sin or despair and be ashamed of his hope.