Psalms 119:9–11
A young man asks how to keep his path clean and treasures God's saying
Study it word by word9How will a young man keep pure his path? By keeping it according to your word.
10With all my heart I have sought you; do not let me stray from your commandments.
11In my heart I have treasured up your saying, so that I may not sin against you.
In its context
7I will give you thanks with uprightness of heart when I learn your righteous rules.
8Your statutes I will keep; do not abandon me utterly.
…
12Blessed are you, YHWH; teach me your statutes.
13With my lips I have recounted all the rules of your mouth.
Its words in the original
- יְזַכֶּהyezake· be pure, be clean
To be pure, clean, clear; figuratively, to be innocent.
- נַּעַרnaar· young man, servant
Boy, young man; also a servant or attendant.
- אָרְחarch· path, way
Way, path; one's usual manner. "The way of women" is menstruation. Also a caravan.
- שְׁמֹרshemor· keep, guard
Keep: watch over, guard, protect; also keep a command or a covenant, observe.
- דְבָרֶdevare· word, matter, thing
Word; what is said. Also "matter" or "thing": what is spoken about, an affair, an event.
- לִבִּlibi· heart
Heart. In Hebrew it is not only the place of feelings: it is the center of the person, where one thinks, decides and wills; also the middle of something.
- דְרַשְׁתִּיderashti· seek, inquire
Seek earnestly; inquire; require an account. Turned toward God, consult him or seek him.
- תַּשְׁגֵּtashge· go astray, err
Go astray, err without realizing it; also stagger.
- מִּצְוֺתֶיmitsvote· commandment
Commandment: an order given by one in authority; above all, those of God.
- צָפַנְתִּיtsafanti· hide, treasure up
Hide, keep in a safe place; store up; also lie in wait.
- אִמְרָתֶimrate· word, saying
Saying, spoken word.
- אֶחֱטָאecheta· sin
Sin: miss the mark of what God asks, do wrong. In another form of the verb, "purify" from sin; also bear the loss.