Limitless Word
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.
Psalms 119:43 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Don’t snatch the word of truth out of my mouth, for I put my hope in your ordinances.
  • BSB Never take Your word of truth from my mouth, for I hope in Your judgments.
  • NKJV And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances.
  • NASB And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your judgments.
  • NLT Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for your regulations are my only hope.

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

The psalmist asks that the word of truth not be taken from his mouth, for he hopes in God's judgments. It matters because faithful witness depends on continually holding God's truth.

Overview

The psalmist prays that he may never be left unable to speak God's truth, resting his hope in God's ordinances. He longs to keep confessing the word with confidence. This dependence on God to sustain a truthful witness is fulfilled in the gospel, where the Spirit emboldens believers to speak the word of truth about Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 15

  • Ps 9:4For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
  • 1 Pet 2:23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
  • Eph 1:13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
  • Ps 119:175Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.
  • Ps 71:17–18O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
  • Ps 119:13With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
  • Ps 119:52I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.
  • Jas 1:18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
  • Ps 50:16But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
  • Ps 7:6–9Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
  • Isa 59:21As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.
  • Ps 51:14–15Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
  • Ps 9:16The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
  • Ps 119:120My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.
  • Ps 43:1Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

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 119:43YouTube · 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 119:43 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.