King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.
Complete Jewish Bible:
My body trembles for fear of you; your rulings make me afraid.
Berean Standard Bible:
My flesh trembles in awe of You; I stand in fear of Your judgments.
American Standard Version:
My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; And I am afraid of thy judgments. ע AYIN.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
My flesh{H1320} trembleth{H5568} for fear{H6343} of thee; and I am afraid{H3372} of thy judgments{H4941}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Daniel 10:8
- Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
Daniel 10:11
- And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
Habakkuk 3:16
- ¶ When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
Hebrews 12:28
- Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Hebrews 12:29
- For our God [is] a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:21
- And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
Isaiah 66:2
- For all those [things] hath mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
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Commentary for Psalms 119:120
Psalm 119:120 is part of the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, which is an acrostic poem extolling the virtues of God's law. The psalm is traditionally attributed to King David, though the true authorship is not certain. It is composed as a meditation on the Torah, the law of God, and each section is headed by a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
The verse itself, "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments," reflects a deep reverence and awe for God, coupled with a sober recognition of human frailty in the face of divine justice. The psalmist expresses a visceral reaction to the holiness and power of God, indicating that even the physical body responds with trembling to the majesty and moral purity of the divine. This fear is not merely a terror of punishment but also a profound respect for God's righteousness and the standards by which God judges humanity.
In the historical context of the ancient Near East, the fear of God's judgments would resonate with the understanding that kings and rulers, as well as the gods they represented, were to be feared for their power to enforce laws and dispense justice. The psalmist's expression of fear is a personal and religious response, acknowledging God as the ultimate judge and the source of all law. It reflects the belief that God's judgments are just and that the appropriate response is one of humility and obedience. This verse encapsulates the broader theme of Psalm 119, which is the celebration of God's law as a source of wisdom, guidance, and life.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H1320
There are 241 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּשָׂר
Transliteration: bâsâr
Pronunciation: baw-sawr'
Description: from בָּשַׂר; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman; body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin. - Strong's Number: H5568
There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סָמַר
Transliteration: çâmar
Pronunciation: saw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to be erect, i.e. bristle as hair; stand up, tremble. - Strong's Number: H6343
There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פַּחַד
Transliteration: pachad
Pronunciation: pakh'-ad
Description: from פָּחַד; a (sudden) alarm (properly, the object feared, by implication, the feeling); dread(-ful), fear, (thing) great (fear, -ly feared), terror. - Strong's Number: H3372
There are 305 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָרֵא
Transliteration: yârêʼ
Pronunciation: yaw-ray'
Description: a primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to frighten; affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in) fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), [idiom] see, terrible (act, -ness, thing). - Strong's Number: H4941
There are 406 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִשְׁפָּט
Transliteration: mishpâṭ
Pronunciation: mish-pawt'
Description: from שָׁפַט; properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style; [phrase] adversary, ceremony, charge, [idiom] crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right, sentence, usest, [idiom] worthy, [phrase] wrong.