Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
What does Psalms 119:9 mean?
To original corruption all have added actual sin. The ruin of the young is either living by no rule at all, or choosing false rules: let them walk by Scripture rules.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Psalms 119:9
Wherewithal - This begins the second portion of the psalm, extending to Psalm 119:16 , in which all the verses begin with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet ( b), indicated in our translation by the word Beth. These names of the letters, inserted for convenience, are no part of the psalm, as it is not so marked in the original. This mode of indicating the divisions of the psalm is special to our version. It is not in the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, or the German versions. The word wherewithal means "by what" (Hebrew); that is, What means shall a young man adopt by which he may "cleanse his way?" it indicates a state of inquiry.
Key words
- Wherewithal
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Wherewithal - This begins the second portion of the psalm, extending to Psalm 119:16 , in which all the verses begin with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet ( b), indicated in our translation by the word Beth.
- young
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Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way?.
- cleanse
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Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way?.
Context in Psalms 119
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Psalms 119 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book IV. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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