Psalms 119:79 Meaning: When the God-Fearing Turn Away
Let those who fear you turn to me. They will know your statutes.
Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.
Let those that fear thee turn unto me; And they shall know thy testimonies.
Those fearing Thee turn back to me, And those knowing Thy testimonies.
Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that know thy testimonies.
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 119:79: the psalmist asks the God-fearing to turn to him, implying they had distanced themselves.
Context
The psalmist is in deep affliction, but he trusts that God's judgments are righteous and that his suffering is faithful (v75). He cries out for comfort and mercy (v76-77), while the proud oppress him (v78). In the same breath, he prays for those who fear God to turn toward him. Many see this as a reference to godly people who had kept their distance, perhaps because of his sin (as with Bathsheba, suggests Gill) or because his suffering looked like divine rejection. The psalmist wants them back, not for his own sake alone, but so that together they can know God's statutes more deeply.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for 'turn' (shuv) is the same word used throughout the Old Testament for repentance: turning back to God or to a right path. Here it means turning toward a person. The psalmist asks these God-fearers to redirect their attention, their steps, their fellowship back to him.
'Those who fear you' (yare) describes people marked not by terror but by reverent awe, the kind that listens and obeys. And 'know' (yada) is far beyond intellectual knowledge. It is deep, personal, experiential knowing. In Hebrew poetry, the two descriptions go together: those who fear God are those who truly know His testimonies. The psalmist is not asking for mere company; he is asking for a community grounded in shared, lived experience of God's word.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse in different ways. Matthew Henry sees the psalmist valuing the good will of saints and seeking communion with them. Barnes focuses on the desire for faithful friends over the powerful ones who persecute him. Gill suggests a specific historical context: after David's sin with Bathsheba, faithful people may have distanced themselves, and now he longs for their return. The Cambridge Bible notes the variant readings of the Hebrew text, but points to the psalmist's hope that his experience of mercy will teach the godly the blessedness of keeping God's testimonies. Throughout, the common thread is a desire for fellowship with those who truly revere God.
A common misunderstanding
Some think this verse is simply about the psalmist wanting admiration from religious people. In fact, the word 'turn' (shuv) implies that these God-fearers had distanced themselves. The psalmist is not seeking praise; he is seeking reconciliation. He wants those who know God to see God's work in his affliction and return to him, so that together they can learn from God's word.
Living This Out
This week, consider someone in your church or family who is going through a difficult season. Maybe they have failed publicly, or they are suffering in a way that makes others uncomfortable. It is easy to keep a safe distance. This verse invites you to turn toward them instead. Not with advice or judgment, but with presence. And if you are the one suffering, it is okay to pray for the fellowship of the faithful, even when you feel alone. God wants His people to turn toward one another.
Main takeaway: True fellowship among God's people is restored when we turn toward each other in the very places where suffering and shame make us want to turn away.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes we stop being friends with someone because they are sad or made a mistake. But God wants us to turn back to them and be their friend again. That shows we love God.
For ages 9, 12
When someone you know is going through a hard time, it’s easy to avoid them. But this verse shows us that we should turn toward them, not away. You can learn about God’s love by sticking with someone who is struggling.
Questions People Ask
Why does the psalmist ask others to 'turn to me'?
The phrase suggests that those who fear God had distanced themselves from him. He wants them to come back, likely because his affliction or sin made them withdraw.
Are 'those who fear you' the same as 'those who know your testimonies'?
In Hebrew poetry, the two descriptions run parallel, describing the same group. Those who revere God are precisely those who know His testimonies deeply.
Does this verse imply the psalmist was in sin?
Some commentators (like Gill) connect this to David's sin with Bathsheba, which caused godly people to avoid him. Others see it as a general plea for fellowship during suffering.
How does this verse connect to the surrounding context?
The psalmist is in affliction but trusts God's faithfulness. He contrasts the proud who wrong him with the God-fearing whom he wants to return to him.
What does 'know your testimonies' mean?
The Hebrew word 'yada' implies deep, personal, experiential knowledge, not just head knowledge. It is the kind of knowing that comes from walking with God through trials.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study