Deep Dive

Psalms 119:19

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I am a stranger on the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 19

Here we have, 1. The acknowledgment which David makes of his own condition: I am a stranger in the earth. We all are so, and all good people confess themselves to be so; for heaven is their home, and the world is but their inn, the land of their pilgrimage. David was a man that knew as much of the world, and was as well known in it, as most men. God built him a house, established his throne; strangers submitted to him, and people that he had not known served him; he had a name like the names of the great men, and yet he calls himself a stranger. We are all strangers on earth and must so account ourselves. 2. The request he makes to God thereupon: Hide not thy commandments from me. He means more: "Lord, show thy commandments to me; let me never know the want of the word of God, but, as long as I live, give me to be growing in my acquaintance with it. I am a stranger, and therefore stand in need of a guide, a guard, a companion, a comforter; let me have thy commandments always in view, for they will be all this to me, all that a poor stranger can desire. I am a stranger here, and must be gone shortly; by thy commandments let me be prepared for my removal hence."

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 19

גֵּר (gêr, H1616) — properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigner אֶרֶץ (ʼerets, H776) — the earth (at large, or partitively a land) סָתַר (çâthar, H5641) — to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively מִצְוָה (mitsvâh, H4687) — a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the Law)

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

I Chronicles 29:15rank 17

For we are foreigners and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

Psalms 39:12rank 12

Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. For I am a foreigner dwelling with You, a stranger like all my fathers.

Psalms 119:10rank 9

With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments.

Luke 24:45rank 7

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

I Peter 2:11rank 6

Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.

Isaiah 63:17rank 6

Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.

II Corinthians 5:6rank 6

Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord.

Genesis 47:9rank 5

“My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”

Luke 9:45rank 4

But they did not understand this statement. It was veiled from them so that they could not comprehend it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

Job 39:17rank 2

For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding.

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