Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God.
Parallel translations
- WEB Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.
- KJV Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.
- BSB Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may obey the commandments of my God.
- NKJV Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God!
- NASB Leave me, you evildoers, So that I may comply with the commandments of my God.
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 commands evildoers to depart so that he may keep God's commandments. Faithful obedience sometimes requires separating from corrupting company.
Overview
The psalmist resolutely tells evildoers to leave him so that he can keep the commandments of his God. He recognizes that ungodly companionship hinders obedience, so he distances himself. This call to separation anticipates the New Testament summons to come out and be separate, and to walk as children of light in Christ (2 Cor. 6:17; Eph. 5:8-11).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Cor 15:33Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”
- Ps 6:8Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for Yahweh has heard the voice of my weeping.
- Matt 7:23Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
- Ps 119:106I have sworn, and have confirmed it, that I will obey your righteous ordinances.
- Ps 139:19If only you, God, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
- Ps 26:5I hate the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked.
- Matt 25:41Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;
- Ps 26:9Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men;
- Josh 24:15If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 119:115 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.