What does Psalm 119:113 mean by "double-minded" in the Berean Standard Bible? Text of Psalm 119:113 “I hate the double-minded, but I love Your law.” Contrast With Single-Hearted Devotion Psalm 119 is an acrostic celebration of Torah. At verse 113 the psalmist places “double-minded” opposite “Your law.” The structure is antithetic: loving God’s instruction is the remedy for a split allegiance. A single-hearted posture attaches itself wholly to Yahweh’s revealed word (cf. Deuteronomy 6:5). Moral and Theological Force 1. Covenant Loyalty. Double-mindedness violates the Shema’s call to love Yahweh “with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5). 2. Truth vs. Falsehood. A divided mind breeds insincerity (Psalm 12:2); God desires “truth in the inward being” (Psalm 51:6). 3. Spiritual Stability. James links double-mindedness with instability; the Hebrew imagery already hints at a person spiritually splitting at every fork in the road. New Testament Amplification Jesus: “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). Paul: “I fear that…your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). These passages echo Psalm 119:113, urging undivided allegiance to the Lord fulfilled in Christ. Historical and Rabbinic Notes Early Jewish commentators (e.g., Ibn Ezra) gloss seʿapîm as “people of divided counsel,” in contrast with the “simple-hearted” who fix their trust on Torah. The Septuagint translates with ἀνομίαν (“lawlessness”), stressing that duplicity invariably drifts toward rebellion. Practical Application • Self-examination: Are my affections forked between God’s word and competing loyalties? • Discipline: Regular meditation on Scripture, prayer, and fellowship integrates thought and action (Psalm 119:9–11). • Witness: A consistent life adorns the gospel; hypocrisy undermines testimony (Titus 2:10). Summary “Double-minded” in Psalm 119:113 describes a heart split between fidelity and infidelity, producing instability, deceit, and eventual lawlessness. The psalmist rejects such duplicity and embraces God’s law, modeling the undivided devotion consummated in Christ, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). |
    |