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You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness And great faithfulness.
Psalms 119:138 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB You have commanded your statutes in righteousness. They are fully trustworthy.
  • KJV Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.
  • BSB The testimonies You have laid down are righteous and altogether faithful.
  • NKJV Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful.
  • NLT Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy.

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

God has commanded His statutes in righteousness, and they are fully trustworthy. His laws are both just and completely reliable.

Overview

The psalmist affirms that God's statutes are appointed in righteousness and are entirely dependable. The word reflects the righteous character of the God who gave it, so it can be fully trusted. This trustworthiness of God's commands assures believers that His word, fulfilled and confirmed in Christ, will never fail (Ps. 19:9; 2 Cor. 1:20).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • Ps 19:7–9Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s testimony is sure, making wise the simple.
  • Ps 119:144Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live. KUF
  • Ps 119:86All of your commandments are faithful. They persecute me wrongfully. Help me!
  • Deut 4:8What great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you today?
  • Deut 4:45These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt,

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 119:138YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 119:138 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.