Psalm 119:8

8 I shall keep thy justifyings; forsake thou not me on each side. (I shall obey thy statutes; do not thou abandon me on any side/never desert thou me.)

Psalm 119:8 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 119:8

I will keep thy statutes
This is a resolution taken up in the strength of divine grace, to answer the end of learning the judgments of God; which he did, not merely to have a notional knowledge of them, but to put them in practice; and not that he thought he could perfectly keep them, but was desirous of observing them in the best manner he could, as assisted by the grace of God; from love to God, in the faith and name of Christ, and with a view to the glory of God; without dependence upon them for life and salvation;

O forsake me not utterly;
totally and finally, or not at all; otherwise as if he should say, I shall never be able to keep thy statutes; so sensible was he of the necessity of the divine Presence and grace, to assist him in the observance of them: or, "for ever", as Ben Balaam interprets it, and so the Ethiopic version; R. Moses reads the words, "O forsake me not", in a parenthesis, and joins the rest thus, "I will keep thy statutes vehemently"; or with all my strength and might; and so Kimchi reads them: but such an interpretation is very forced, and contrary to the accents.

Psalm 119:8 In-Context

6 Then I shall not be shamed; when I shall behold perfectly in(to) all thy behests. (Then I shall not be shamed, if I fix my eyes on thy commandments.)

7 I shall acknowledge to thee in the (ad)dressing of mine heart; in that that I learned the dooms of thy rightfulnesses. (I shall praise thee with my heart properly directed, when I have learned thy righteous judgements./I shall praise thee with a pure heart, when I have learned thy just decrees.)

8 I shall keep thy justifyings; forsake thou not me on each side. (I shall obey thy statutes; do not thou abandon me on any side/never desert thou me.)

9 [Beth]. In what thing amendeth a young waxing man his way? in keeping thy words. (How may a young man correct his way? by obeying thy words, or thy commands.)

10 In all mine heart I sought thee; put thou me not away from thy behests. (With all my heart I have sought thee; let me not stray from thy commandments.)