Psalm 119:116 – Supported
Support me according to your word that I may live
and don’t let my hope fail.
As a note on translation, this verse is simply and sparsely expressed in Hebrew, which leaves some work to the translator in choosing precisely how to translate. Yet the overall result doesn’t change that much. Try comparing a number of translations. The words will vary, but the overall meaning remains similar.
Sometimes we stress too much about translation details. It’s quite possible to get so hung up on precise words that we miss the message, which is unfortunate. I keep quite a collection of Bible translations and editions, and I deeply appreciate the vast majority of them.
This verse fills an important role in the tapestry of Psalm 119. We find the psalmist grateful, determined, confident, hopeful, and fearful. We find him claiming accomplishments in one verse and calling for God’s help in another. The overall effect is a powerful picture of a person of faith carrying out life as one of God’s own.
Our verse today covers much of this ground in one poetic couplet. The psalmist calls on God’s support that he may live. He recognizes the dependence on God for his very existence. If the creator and sustainer of the universe doesn’t sustain him, he can’t live. It’s as simple as that.
At the same time he is expressing confidence. God’s sustaining power will provide life, and let him attain to his hope.
Sometimes we have that kind of dual feeling. Confident, but feeling the need of support. Sports teams feel it with supportive crowds. The professional athletes are not underconfident. They know what they’re doing, but they’ll still acknowledge the value of that support.
Sometimes we separate our efforts and what God does, but they are not so easily divided. If we hold that God is the creator, and that God’s creative power upholds the universe (Psalm 104 comes to mind), then we also know that our existence is dependent. At the same time, we know that those laws that God created are reliable enough that we don’t need to be concerned that the will end.
For the believer, this covers everything, both physical and spiritual. The connection is there. Support me, and I will live. I hope, but I know that you, God, are the real hope, because you are the source and foundation of all hopes.
Today, try to feel the support that God gives you. Look for ways in which he is taking you toward your greatest hopes.
(Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)
