and I will be saved
The request for salvation here is not just physical or temporal but also spiritual. In the Old Testament, salvation often refers to deliverance from enemies or distress, but it also points to a deeper spiritual salvation. This anticipates the New Testament understanding of salvation through Jesus Christ, who provides ultimate deliverance from sin and death. The psalmist's confidence in being saved upon God's support reflects a trust in God's faithfulness and power to deliver.

that I may always regard Your statutes
The desire to regard God's statutes indicates a commitment to living according to God's law. In the historical and cultural context of ancient Israel, the law was central to the covenant relationship between God and His people. The psalmist's longing to keep God's statutes aligns with the broader biblical narrative of obedience as a response to God's grace. This phrase also connects to the New Testament, where Jesus fulfills the law and calls His followers to live by His teachings, as seen in Matthew 5:17-19. The psalmist's prayer to regard God's statutes underscores the importance of Scripture in guiding a life of faith and obedience.

The psalmist begins with a humble plea: “Uphold me.”

• He acknowledges total dependence on God’s strength, echoing Isaiah 41:10—“I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

• The request implies that without divine support, he would falter, much like Peter sinking until Christ’s hand grasped him (Matthew 14:30-31).

• Psalm 63:8 declares, “Your right hand upholds me,” reminding us that God’s sustaining grip is constant, not occasional.

• This reliance reflects Jude 24, where God is “able to keep you from stumbling.” The believer rests in God’s active, ongoing support every moment.

Having asked to be upheld, the psalmist confidently affirms, “and I will be saved.”

• Salvation here is both present rescue and ultimate deliverance, paralleling Psalm 18:2: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.”

• In New Testament light, Ephesians 2:8-9 explains that salvation is “by grace… through faith,” entirely God’s work.

• John 10:28-29 assures that no one can snatch the believer from the Father’s hand, tying salvation to the very upholding requested.

• Thus the verse teaches that divine preservation and redemption are inseparable: God keeps us, therefore we are secure.

The purpose of being upheld and saved is clear: continual obedience—“that I may always regard Your statutes.”

• Obedience is not a condition for salvation but its joyful outcome, aligning with John 14:15: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

• The phrase “always regard” speaks of constant focus, like Joshua 1:8’s charge to meditate on the Law “day and night.”

• Psalm 119:11—“I have hidden Your word in my heart”—shows how treasuring Scripture guards the believer from sin.

• James 1:25 calls the one who perseveres in the “perfect law of freedom” blessed, matching the psalmist’s desire for lifelong faithfulness.

• By asking God to sustain him for ongoing obedience, the psalmist rejects self-reliance and upholds the truth that grace empowers holiness.

Psalm 119:117 portrays a seamless chain: God upholds, therefore the believer is saved, and as a result, he lives in steadfast obedience. The verse assures us that divine support and salvation are secure, freeing us to fix our gaze continually on God’s statutes with grateful, persevering hearts.