Psalm 119:80

Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Psalm 119:80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes — Hebrew, perfect, or entire; that I may love and obey them sincerely, constantly, and universally. That I be not ashamed — Namely, for my sins, which are the only just causes of shame, and for the disappointment of my hopes following upon them. “This is a prayer necessary for all men to use at all times, but more particularly in seasons of persecution and temptation.” When there are solidity and steadfastness in grace and virtue, as opposed to the mere form of godliness, or the fair show of the hypocrite; “when internal holiness accompanies and actuates that which is external; when the word is thoroughly rooted, and faith,” working by love, “hath acquired the sovereignty over our desires, then our hearts are sound in God’s statutes, and there is hope that, in the day of trial, we shall not give our brethren cause to be ashamed of us, nor be ourselves ashamed before God.” — Horne.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

119:73-80 God made us to serve him, and enjoy him; but by sin we have made ourselves unfit to serve him, and to enjoy him. We ought, therefore, continually to beseech him, by his Holy Spirit, to give us understanding. The comforts some have in God, should be matter of joy to others. But it is easy to own, that God's judgments are right, until it comes to be our own case. All supports under affliction must come from mercy and compassion. The mercies of God are tender mercies; the mercies of a father, the compassion of a mother to her son. They come to us when we are not able to go to them. Causeless reproach does not hurt, and should not move us. The psalmist could go on in the way of his duty, and find comfort in it. He valued the good will of saints, and was desirous to keep up his communion with them. Soundness of heart signifies sincerity in dependence on God, and devotedness to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let my heart be sound ... - Hebrew, "Be perfect." See the notes at Job 1:1. The Septuagint here is "immaculate," ἄμωμος amōmos. So the Latin Vulgate. It is the expression of a desire that the heart might be pure; that there might be no improper attachment for other objects; that there might be no defect of love to God.

That I be not ashamed - See the notes at Psalm 119:6. A man has no occasion to be ashamed of a pure heart; and that which can alone keep us from being ultimately ashamed is sincerity, uprightness, and purity in the service of God.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

80. Let my … be sound—that is, perfect, sincere.

ashamed—disappointed in my hope of salvation.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Sound, Heb. perfect, or entire, that I may love and obey them sincerely, constantly, and universally.

That I be not ashamed, to wit, for my sins, which are the only just causes of shame, and for the disappointment of my hopes following upon them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Let my heart be found in thy statutes,.... Or "perfect", and sincere: he desires that he might have a sincere regard to the ways and worship, ordinances and commands, of God; that he might have a cordial affection for them, and observe them, not in show and appearance only, but heartily as to the Lord, and in reality and truth, like an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile;

that I be not ashamed; before men, conscious of guilt; or before God, at the throne of grace; where a believer sometimes is ashamed to come, not having had that regard to the statutes of the Lord he should have had, and that he might not be ashamed before him at the last day; but have confidence, having the righteousness of Christ imputed to him, and the true grace of God implanted in him; which engaged him to a regard to all his commandments.

Geneva Study Bible

Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

80. sound] Perfect, cp. Psalm 119:1.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 80. - Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; or, "perfect in thy statutes" - in the knowledge and in the practice of them. That I be not ashamed (see ver. 31) Psalm 119:80

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The eightfold Jod. God humbles, but He also exalts again according to His word; for this the poet prays in order that he may be a consolatory example to the God-fearing, to the confusion of his enemies. It is impossible that God should forsake man, who is His creature, and deny to him that which makes him truly happy, viz., the understanding and knowledge of His word. For this spiritual gift the poet prays in Psalm 119:73 (cf. on 73a, Deuteronomy 32:6; Job 10:8; Job 31:15); and he wishes in Psalm 119:74 that all who fear God may see in him with joy an example of the way in which trust in the word of God is rewarded (cf. Psalm 34:3; Psalm 35:27; Psalm 69:33; Psalm 107:42, and other passages). He knows that God's acts of judgment are pure righteousness, i.e., regulated by God's holiness, out of which they spring, and by the salvation of men, at which they aim; and he knows that God has humbled him אמוּנה (accus. adverb. for בּאמוּנה), being faithful in His intentions towards him; for it is just in the school of affliction that one first learns rightly to estimate the worth of His word, and comes to feel its power. But trouble, though sweetened by an insight into God's salutary design, is nevertheless always bitter; hence the well-justified prayer of Psalm 119:76, that God's mercy may notwithstanding be bestowed upon him for his consolation, in accordance with the promise which is become his (ל as in Psalm 119:49), His servant's. עוּת, Psalm 119:78, instead of being construed with the accusative of the right, or of the cause, that is perverted, is construed with the accusative of the person upon whom such perversion of right, such oppression by means of misrepresentation, is inflicted, as in Job 19:6; Lamentations 3:36. Chajug' reads עוּדוּני as in Psalm 119:61. The wish expressed in Psalm 119:79 is to be understood according to Psalm 73:10; Jeremiah 15:19, cf. Proverbs 9:4, Proverbs 9:16. If instead of וידעי (which is favoured by Psalm 119:63), we read according to the Chethb וידעוּ (cf. Psalm 119:125), then what is meant by ישׁוּבוּ לּי is a turning towards him for the purpose of learning: may their knowledge be enriched from his experience. For himself, however, in Psalm 119:80 he desires unreserved, faultless, unwavering adherence to God's word, for only thus is he secure against being ignominiously undeceived.