Psalms 119:44 — Word Study
WLCוְאֶשְׁמְרָ֖ה תוֹרָתְךָ֥ תָמִ֗יד לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃
BSAI will alwaystâmîyd [continually, constantly] obeyshâmar [keep, observe, follow] Your lawtôwrâh [instruction, teachings, commandments] foreverʻôwlâm [to the age, perpetually] and everʻad [eternally, without end]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶשְׁמְרָ֖ה | and I will keep | Conjunction, verb qal infinitive construct first person common singular |
| תוֹרָתְךָ֥ | law your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| תָמִ֗יד | continually | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לְעוֹלָ֥ם | for ever | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וָעֶֽד׃ | and ever | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I will always obey Your law, forever and ever. |
| KJV | So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. |
| ASV | So shall I observe thy law continually For ever and ever. |
| YLT | And I keep Thy law continually, To the age and for ever. |
| WEB | So I will obey your law continually, forever and ever. |
| BBE | So that I may keep your law for ever and ever; |
Where they part company is שָׁמַר — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by an adverbial phrase that emphasizes the duration of the commitment.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 119:44
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Meditation on God's Lawgenerated
Psalms 119:44 expresses the psalmist's determination to continually obey God's law. This verse is part of a larger meditation that emphasizes the significance of God's instructions and the psalmist's reliance on them. The surrounding verses highlight a deep commitment to God's judgments and the freedom that comes from following His precepts.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 119:33–34 | Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep them to the end. |
| 2 | Revelation 7:15 | For this reason, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. |
| 3 | Revelation 22:11 | Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שָׁמַר, ve.'esh.me.Rahgenerated
The Hebrew word שָׁמַר (*shamar*) is a primitive root meaning to keep, guard, or observe. It encompasses a wide range of actions including protecting, waiting for, and celebrating obligations like the Sabbath. The verb appears in various forms, indicating nuances such as being on guard or refraining from certain actions.
In this verse, it emphasizes the psalmist's active commitment to obeying God's law, suggesting a continuous and vigilant adherence. The context of the verse conveys a sense of duty and devotion, reflecting the psalmist's desire to uphold God's commandments throughout their life.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is אֶשְׁמְרָ֖ה, I will keep, which governs the entire verse. The structure includes a noun phrase indicating the object of obedience, a prepositional phrase specifying the law, and adverbial elements that emphasize the continuity and duration of this commitment.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the action of keeping God's law, with the adverbial phrase תָמִ֗יד (continually) preceding the prepositional phrase, highlighting the psalmist's intent to obey without interruption.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew שָׁמַר is translated as φυλάχω, which means to guard or protect. This choice reflects a similar connotation of vigilance and care in observing God's law.
The translation emphasizes the enduring nature of the commitment to God's instructions, aligning with the psalmist's intent to maintain a lifelong obedience.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 119:44 expresses the psalmist's commitment to always obey God's law. This reflects a deep dedication to following God's teachings forever, highlighting the importance of His instructions in the psalmist's life.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To keep God's law means to obey, guard, and follow His instructions and commandments, ensuring they are upheld in daily life.
The commitment is described as eternal to emphasize the psalmist's desire to follow God's teachings not just temporarily, but throughout their entire life.
The psalmist expresses dedication by stating a personal resolve to obey God's law continually and without end.
The phrase 'forever and ever' signifies an unending commitment to God's law, reflecting the psalmist's belief in the lasting nature of God's instructions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I incorporate God's law into my daily life?
- What are some specific ways I can demonstrate my commitment to obeying God's teachings?
- In what areas of my life do I struggle to keep God's commandments?
- How can I encourage others to value and observe God's law as I strive to do?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers have commented on the importance of keeping God's law, as seen in the writings of Augustine, who emphasizes the necessity of divine assistance in maintaining this commitment.
"So shall I always keep Your law" [Psalms 119:44]: that is, if You will not take the word of Your truth out of my mouth.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 119:44 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleSo shall I keep thy law continually,.... Which denotes not the perfection of keeping the law, but the constancy of it: the psalmist was persuaded, that so long as he had the word of truth in his
Read John Gill on Psalms 119 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentarySo shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. So shall I keep thy law. "So" - in gratitude for thy goodness. Continually forever and ever. The accumulation of words expresses the intensity of his resolution.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 119 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleSo shall I be obliged and encouraged to the constant and perpetual study and observation of thy laws.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 119 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 119:44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.Ver. 44. So shall I keep thy law continually] If thou please to give me to believe with the heart, and to confess with the mouth, I shall surely persevere in the profession and practice of the truth.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 119 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges44. So shall I observe thy law] This is his desire and purpose, if God will grant him grace. continually for ever and ever] Unceasingly to the end of his life. Or does he merge his own personality in that of the nation, and look forward to the service of the generations to come?
Read Cambridge on Psalms 119 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleSo shall I keep thy law continually forever and ever - At all times and in all places; in this world and the world to come.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 119 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bibleå, Vau.41-48. I trust in thy word—In this section the prevailing element is a prayer for courage, equal to a frank, open confession. It is what Daniel might have uttered in Babylon, and many a martyr since.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 119 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
I will always obey Your law, forever and ever.
So I will obey your law continually, forever and ever.
I will always obey Your law, forever and ever.
Then I will keep your law continually now and for all time.
Tyndale line
So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.
So shall I observe thy law continually For ever and ever.
So shall I observe thy law continually for ever and ever.
So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.
So shall I alway keepe thy Lawe for euer and euer.
Strictly literal
Then will I keep thy law continually, for ever and ever;
And I keep Thy law continually, To the age and for ever.
And I keep Your law continually, || For all time and forever.
So shall I observe thy law continually for ever and ever.
I will observe your law continually, forever and ever.
Simplified
I will continue to follow your teachings, forever and ever.
So that I may keep your law for ever and ever;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text presents the verse as וְאֶשְׁמְרָ֖ה תוֹרָתְךָ֥ תָמִ֗יד לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃, which aligns closely with the Septuagint. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some variations, with certain words being supplied by an editor, but they maintain the core message of the verse.
וְאֶשְׁמְרָ֖ה תוֹרָתְךָ֥ תָמִ֗יד לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[ואשמרה] תורת׳ך תמיד [לעולם] [ועד]
2 words on the leather — 3 supplied entire by an editor.
[ואשמרה] תורתי׳ך [תמיד] [לעולם] [ועד]
1 word on the leather — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
ואשמורה תורת׳כה תמיד ועד
4 words of the verse are on this fragment. The rest of the verse is not on it.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 119:44
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word שָׁמַר (*shamar*) is a primitive root meaning to keep, guard, or observe. It encompasses a wide range of actions including protecting, waiting for, and celebrating obligations like the Sabbath. The verb appears in various forms, indicating nuances such as being on guard or refraining from certain actions. It is used extensively in the Old Testament, reflecting both physical and moral vigilance.
שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve
Qal 425
keep, have charge of
keep, guard, captives
hence, watch for, wait for
watch, observe
keep, retain, of storing up (food)
keep within bounds, restrain
observe, celebrate
keep sabbath
of other obligations
observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
sts. י׳ subj.
keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
Niph.
36be on one's guard
keep oneself, refrain, abstain
be kept, guarded
Pi. those paying regard to false vanities
Hithp. I kept myself from
base
H8104 שָׁמַר keep, watch, preserve .. . keep, have charge of
. keep, guard, captives
. hence, watch for, wait for
. watch, observe
. . keep, retain, of storing up (food)
. keep within bounds, restrain
. . observe, celebrate
. keep sabbath
. of other obligations
. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
. sts. י׳ subj.
. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
. . be on one's guard
. keep oneself, refrain, abstain
. be kept, guarded
. those paying regard to false vanities
. I kept myself from
8104 shamar shaw-mar'
a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns),
i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward,
be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark,
look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save
(self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: obey.
: obey/observe
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
1a3) to watch for, wait for
1a4) to watch, observe
1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)
1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain
1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)
1a8) to keep, preserve, protect
1a9) to keep, reserve
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware
1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain
1b3) to be kept, be guarded
1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed
1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: guard.
: guard
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
Conj | V-Qal-1cs — Conjunction · verb qal infinitive construct first person common singularHC/Vqc1cs
תּוֹרָה (towrah) encompasses concepts of direction, instruction, and law, particularly relating to divine or human guidance. It refers to legal directives, customs, and teachings, including the Decalogue and the Pentateuch. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, such as prophetic and priestly instruction, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
תּוֹרָה n.f. direction, instruction, law
instruction
law (prop. direction)
custom, manner
base
H8451 תּוֹרָה direction, instruction, law . instruction
. law (prop. direction)
. custom, manner
8451 towrah to-raw'
or torah {to-raw'}; from 3384; a precept or statute,
especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch:--law.
see HEBREW for 03384
תּוֹרָה (to.rah) — instruction.
1) law, direction, instruction
1a) instruction, direction (human or divine)
1a1) body of prophetic teaching
1a2) instruction in Messianic age
1a3) body of priestly direction or instruction
1a4) body of legal directives
1b) law
1b1) law of the burnt offering
1b2) of special law, codes of law
1c) custom, manner
1d) the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms
תָּמִיד (tamiyd) refers to continuity or perpetuity, often used adverbially to mean continually or constantly. It is derived from a root meaning to stretch, indicating indefinite extension. The term is also associated with the regular daily sacrifice in the Old Testament, emphasizing its constant nature.
תָּמִיד n.m. continuity
earliest and oftenest as adv., continually
as subst.
base
H8548 תָּמִיד continuity . earliest and oftenest as adv., continually
. as subst.
8548 tamiyd taw-meed'
from an unused root meaning to stretch; properly, continuance
(as indefinite extension); but used only (attributively as
adjective) constant (or adverbially, constantly); ellipt. the
regular (daily) sacrifice:--alway(-s), continual
(employment, -ly), daily, ((n-))ever(-more), perpetual.
תָּמִיד (ta.mid) — continually.
1) continuity, perpetuity, to stretch
1a) continually, continuously (as adverb)
1b) continuity (subst)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
עוֹלָם (owlam) refers to concepts of long duration, antiquity, and futurity, encompassing meanings like eternity and perpetual existence. It is derived from a root meaning 'concealed' or 'the vanishing point.' The term is used to describe both ancient times and an indefinite future, indicating continuity and everlastingness.
עוֹלָם 439 n.m. long duration, antiquity, futurity
base
H5769 עוֹלָם long duration, antiquity, futurity
5769 `owlam o-lawm'
or lolam {o-lawm'}; from 5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the
vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future),
i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial
(especially with prepositional prefix) always:--alway(-s),
ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for,
(n-))ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of)
old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world
(+ without end). Compare 5331, 5703.
see HEBREW for 05956
see HEBREW for 05331
see HEBREW for 05703
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: enduring.
: enduring/eternal
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — Everlasting.
This name means long duration, everlasting, perpetual
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: any time.
: any_time
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: antiquity.
: old/ancient
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
עַד, transliterated as ad, refers to the concept of perpetuity, encompassing both past and future time. It signifies a duration that can imply eternity or continuous existence. The term is associated with ancient mountains in the context of the past and is used to denote the idea of forever in relation to the future, particularly in reference to God's existence.
עַד and וָעֶ֑ד (so alw.) n.m. perpetuity (= advancing time)
of past time: ancient mountains
of future time, לָעַד for ever
base
H5703 עַד, וָעֶ֑ד perpetuity . of past time: ancient mountains
. of future time, לָעַד for ever
5703 `ad ad
from 5710; properly, a (peremptory) terminus, i.e. (by
implication) duration, in the sense of advance or perpetuity
(substantially as a noun, either with or without a
preposition):--eternity, ever(- lasting, -more), old,
perpetually, + world without end.
see HEBREW for 05710
עַד (ad) — perpetuity.
1) perpetuity, for ever, continuing future
1a) ancient (of past time)
1b) for ever (of future time)
1b1) of continuous existence
1c) for ever (of God's existence)
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa