What is the meaning of Psalm 119:113?

The double-minded

• David is speaking of people whose hearts run in two directions at once—professing reverence for God yet chasing the world’s values (James 1:8, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways,”).

• Their wavering mirrors the Israel of Elijah’s day: “How long will you waver between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21).

• Such divided loyalty offends God, for He calls for wholehearted devotion (Matthew 6:24; Revelation 3:15-16).

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I despise

• “Despise” here is not spiteful dislike but a righteous rejection of duplicity. David refuses to admire or imitate it (Proverbs 8:13, “To fear the LORD is to hate evil,”).

• Hatred of double-mindedness safeguards us from compromise: “I will set no vile thing before my eyes… I hate the deeds of faithless men” (Psalm 101:3).

• By turning away from divided hearts, we walk the narrow path that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).

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but Your law

• The stark contrast “but” shifts focus from human inconsistency to divine certainty. God’s law is fixed, pure, and trustworthy (Psalm 19:7-9).

• Scripture provides the solid footing the double-minded lack: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

• Meditating on that law day and night fuels obedience and prosperity of soul (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2-3).

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I love

• Love for God’s Word is more than duty; it is heartfelt delight: “Oh, how I love Your law! All day long it is my meditation” (Psalm 119:97).

• This affection draws us to continual communion with the Author, echoing Paul: “I delight in the law of God in my inner being” (Romans 7:22).

• Love replaces lukewarmness with wholehearted surrender, making obedience a joy rather than a burden (1 John 5:3).

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summary

Psalm 119:113 sets up a vivid contrast: the psalmist decisively rejects the instability of the double-minded and wholeheartedly embraces the stability of God’s unfailing Word. By despising divided allegiance and loving divine instruction, we anchor ourselves in truth, walk securely, and reflect a single-hearted devotion that honors the Lord.