The Meaning of Psalms 119:51 Explained

Psalms 119:51

KJV: The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.

YLT: The proud have utterly scorned me, From Thy law I have not turned aside.

Darby: The proud have derided me beyond measure: I have not declined from thy law.

ASV: The proud have had me greatly in derision: Yet have I not swerved from thy law.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The proud  have had me greatly  in derision:  [yet] have I not declined  from thy law. 

What does Psalms 119:51 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 119:49-64 - Comforted By God's Judgments
Rays of comfort begin to steal into the psalmist's heart. Thou hast caused me to hope; this is my comfort in my affliction; thy statutes have been my songs; at midnight I will rise to give thanks. Often prayer clears itself as it proceeds. It is the repeated testimony of all who have become proficient in the art of prayer that the seasons which begin with a struggle against depression, gloom, and the sense of absence, end in triumphant joy. Jeremy Taylor puts it thus: "So have I seen a lark rising from his bed of grass and soaring upward, singing as he rises, and hoping to get to heaven and climb above the clouds; but the poor bird was beaten back by the loud sighings of an eastern wind, his motion became inconstant and irregular, till the little creature was forced to sit down and pant, and stay till the storm was over; and then it made a prosperous flight, and did rise and sing, as if it had learned music and motion from an angel, as he was passing through the air about his ministries of mercy." [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 119

1  This psalm contains various prayers, praises, and professions of obedience
2  Aleph
9  Beth
17  Gimel
25  Daleth
33  He
41  Waw
49  Zayin
57  Heth
65  Teth
73  Yodh
81  Kaph
89  Lamedh
97  Mem
105  Nun
113  Samekh
121  Ayin
129  Pe
137  Tsadhe
145  Qoph
153  Resh
161  Sin and Shin
169  Taw

What do the individual words in Psalms 119:51 mean?

The presumptuous have me in derision utterly great from Your law not yet I do turn aside
זֵ֭דִים הֱלִיצֻ֣נִי עַד־ מְאֹ֑ד מִ֝תּֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א נָטִֽיתִי

זֵ֭דִים  The  presumptuous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זֵד  
Sense: arrogant, proud, insolent, presumptuous.
הֱלִיצֻ֣נִי  have  me  in  derision 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural, first person common singular
Root: לִיץ 
Sense: to scorn, make mouths at, talk arrogantly.
עַד־  utterly 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
מְאֹ֑ד  great 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
מִ֝תּֽוֹרָתְךָ֗  from  Your  law 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
נָטִֽיתִי  yet  I  do  turn  aside 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.