I have restrained my feet from every evil way, So that I may keep Your word.
Parallel translations
- WEB I have kept my feet from every evil way, that I might observe your word.
- KJV I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
- BSB I have kept my feet from every evil path, that I may keep Your word.
- NKJV I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.
- NLT I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
He has restrained his feet from every evil path in order to keep God's word. Obedience requires deliberate avoidance of sin.
Overview
The psalmist describes active self-discipline, holding himself back from wicked ways so that he may obey God's word. Keeping the word involves not only doing good but refusing evil. This guarding of one's steps anticipates the call to walk in the light and to put off sin, made possible by Christ who keeps His own from falling (Prov. 4:14-15; Jude 24).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Pet 3:10–11For, “He who would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.
- Prov 1:15My son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
- Ps 119:104Through your precepts, I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. NUN
- Isa 55:7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
- Ps 119:59–60I considered my ways, and turned my steps to your statutes.
- Titus 2:11–12For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
- 1 Pet 2:1–2Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
- Isa 53:6All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
- Ps 18:23I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
- Ps 119:126It is time to act, Yahweh, for they break your law.
- Jer 2:36Why do you go about so much to change your ways? You will be ashamed of Egypt also, as you were ashamed of Assyria.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 119:101 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.