Psalms 31:23

23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people! The LORD preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.

Psalms 31:23 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
English Standard Version (ESV)
23 Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
New Living Translation (NLT)
23 Love the LORD, all you godly ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant.
The Message Bible (MSG)
23 Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone.
American Standard Version (ASV)
23 Oh love Jehovah, all ye his saints: Jehovah preserveth the faithful, And plentifully rewardeth him that dealeth proudly.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
23 Love the LORD, all you godly ones! The LORD protects faithful people, but he pays back in full those who act arrogantly.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
23 Love the Lord, all His faithful ones. The Lord protects the loyal, but fully repays the arrogant.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
23 Love the Lord, all of you who are faithful to him! The LORD watches over the faithful. But he completely pays back those who are proud.

Psalms 31:23 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 31:23

O love the Lord, all ye his saints
To whom his goodness extends; who are favoured with the blessings of his grace, as pardon, peace, and righteousness; and who particularly are sanctified by his Spirit, and have principles of grace and holiness wrought in their hearts: these, even all of them, are called upon to love the Lord, having that grace implanted in their souls; that is, to express it, not by words, but by deeds, under a sense of the love and kindness of God to them; and to join with the psalmist in an affectionate reverence of him, trust in him, and thankfulness to him, on account of his marvellous kindness showed him;

[for] the Lord preserveth the faithful;
such as trust in him, believe in Christ, and are faithful to his word and ordinances, abide by them, and stays near his people; these he not only preserves in a providential way, but he preserves them in a way of special grace; he keeps them "from evil", as the Targum; from the evil of sin; from a total and final falling away by it; from the evil of the world, so as not to be drawn off from Christ and his ways, either by its frowns or flatteries; and from the evil one, Satan, from being destroyed by him and his temptations; and these are preserved safe to the kingdom and glory of Christ, by the mighty power of God: some render the words, "the Lord keepeth faithfulness" F9; he will never suffer his own faithfulness to fail; he is a covenant keeping God, and is always true to his word and promise;

and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer;
such as all self-righteous persons are, and all that speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the truly righteous, ( Psalms 31:18 ) ; who bear hard upon them, and oppress them; and such as antichrist and his party, who exalts himself above all that is called God; but in what those deal proudly, God is above them, an more than a match for them, and he sets himself against them; he resists them, and will reward them according to their works.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 (Mynwma) "fidelitatem", Gejerus; or "fidelitles", Ainsworth.

Psalms 31:23 In-Context

21 Praise be to the LORD, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people! The LORD preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Cross References 3

  • 1. S Psalms 4:3; Psalms 34:9
  • 2. S Psalms 18:25; Revelation 2:10; Psalms 145:20
  • 3. Deuteronomy 32:41; Psalms 94:2
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