Psalms 119:39

39 Turn away my reproach which I fear; for thy judgments are good.

Psalms 119:39 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 119:39

Turn away my reproach which I fear
Either for the sake of religion, which was disagreeable to him; and he might be afraid it would be too heavy for him to bear, and be a temptation to him to forsake the good ways of God: or rather by reason of sin, which brings a reproach on good men; and causes the enemy to speak reproachfully, and is therefore dreaded by them who desire to be kept from sin, for that reason as well as others; see ( Psalms 39:8 ) . Jarchi and Kimchi think that David has some reference to his sins, in the case of Uriah and Bathsheba; lest they should be a perpetual reproach on his name and family, which he greatly feared;

for thy judgments [are] good;
the laws of God, and punishment of sin according to them; the Scriptures, and the doctrines contained in them; the ways of God, and true religion; which are evil spoken of, through the sins of the professors of them.

Psalms 119:39 In-Context

37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; quicken me in thy way.
38 Establish thy ·word unto thy servant, who is [devoted] to thy fear.
39 Turn away my reproach which I fear; for thy judgments are good.
40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
41 VAU. And let thy loving-kindness come unto me, O Jehovah, -- thy salvation according to thy ·word.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.