Psalms 119:120

120 Nail thou my flesh with thy dread; for I dreaded of thy dooms. (My flesh shaketh in fear of thee; because I fear thy judgements/because I revere thy justice.)

Psalms 119:120 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 119:120

My flesh trembleth for fear of thee
Not for fear of the wrath of God coming down upon himself, nor for fear of eternal damnation; but for fear of what was coming upon the wicked, for their sins and transgressions. The word ^F14 used signifies such a dread and horror, which seizes a man to such a degree, that it makes the hair of his flesh to stand up; as Jarchi and Kimchi observe; see ( Psalms 119:53 ) ( Job 4:14 Job 4:15 ) ;

and I am afraid of thy judgments;
not of their coming down upon him, but upon the wicked; the thought of which is more awful to good men than to the wicked themselves; and especially when under any darkness, doubts, and fears; lest, being conscious to themselves of their own weakness, they should be left to join with the wicked in their sins, and so be partakers of their plagues.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 (rmo) (oryotricei) , Symmachus in Drusius; "horripilavit", Cajetanus apud Gejerum.

Psalms 119:120 In-Context

118 Thou hast forsaken all men going away from thy dooms; for the thought of them is unjust. (Thou hast abandoned all who stray, or who go away, from thy statutes; for their thoughts be not just, or proper.)

119 I areckoned all the sinners of earth (to be) breakers of the law; therefore I loved thy witnessings. (Thou reckonest all the wicked of the earth to be but drit, or dirt; and so I love thy teachings.)

120 Nail thou my flesh with thy dread; for I dreaded of thy dooms. (My flesh shaketh in fear of thee; because I fear thy judgements/because I revere thy justice.)

121 [Ain]. I did doom and rightwiseness; betake thou not me to them that falsely challenge me. (I did what is just and right; so do not thou deliver me up to those who will oppress me.)

122 Take up thy servant into goodness; they that be proud challenge not me. (Yea, protect thy servant; let not those who be proud oppress me.)