What is the meaning of Psalm 119:174?

I long for Your salvation, O LORD

• The psalmist’s heart is stretched toward God’s rescue. “I long” pictures steady yearning rather than a passing wish (cf. Psalm 119:166, “I wait for Your salvation, O LORD”).

• “Salvation” here embraces every form of deliverance God provides—spiritual, physical, present, and future. David had tasted many temporal rescues (Psalm 34:4), yet he still looked ahead to ultimate redemption (Isaiah 25:9; Titus 2:13).

• This longing rests on certainty, not uncertainty. Psalm 62:1 declares, “In God alone my soul finds rest; my salvation comes from Him.” Confidence in God’s promised rescue fuels patience during trials (Romans 8:23–25).

• Personal address—“O LORD” (YHWH)—shows that salvation is relational. The psalmist doesn’t crave an abstract escape but the saving presence of the covenant-keeping God (Exodus 3:15; John 17:3).

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and Your law is my delight

• Delight is the Bible’s way of describing wholehearted pleasure. It is not grudging duty; it is joyful absorption (Psalm 1:2, “his delight is in the law of the LORD”).

• Calling God’s law “my delight” means Scripture is treasured for what it is—God’s flawless, life-giving instruction (Psalm 19:7–11).

• Notice the pairing: longing for salvation isn’t separated from loving God’s commands. True hope in God’s deliverance always walks alongside cheerful obedience (John 14:23; 1 John 5:3).

• Delighting in the law guards the heart during the wait for salvation. While circumstances may not yet change, God’s Word provides stability, wisdom, and joy (Psalm 119:92; Romans 15:4).

• The psalmist delights in “Your law,” highlighting a personal bond—these are the Lord’s words, flowing from His character. To cherish the law is to cherish the Lawgiver (Psalm 119:97; Romans 7:22).

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summary

Psalm 119:174 unites yearning and enjoyment: we passionately await God’s full salvation while wholeheartedly delighting in His Word. The verse invites believers to let hopeful expectation and joyful obedience reinforce each other—resting in God’s promised rescue and reveling in the Scripture that sustains us until that day.