And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.
Psalm 119:43 is a prayer for continued faithfulness in confessing God’s truth. The psalmist has asked for God’s mercies and salvation, “So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word” (vv.41-42). After this verse he resolves to keep God’s law, walk at liberty, and speak of His testimonies before kings without shame (vv.44-46). Verse 43 stands at the centre of that movement. He needs the word of truth in his mouth so he can answer reproach, confess God’s testimonies, and continue in obedience.
“And.” This word joins the prayer to what came before. The psalmist does not seek deliverance for ease only. He wants God’s salvation to furnish him with an answer for the reproacher (v.42), and he wants the word of truth preserved in his mouth. Mercy should lead to testimony. Salvation should strengthen confession. When God answers His servant, the servant should have something true to say about Him.
“Take not.” The words acknowledge dependence upon God. The psalmist possesses God’s word, loves it, and has chosen the way of truth; yet he still prays. He does not trust memory, courage, learning, or resolution alone. The God who gives truth must also preserve His servant in the faithful use of it. David prayed similarly, “O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise” (Psalm 51:15).
This is not a prayer that the written truth itself will cease to exist. God’s word is settled in heaven and stands for ever (vv.89,160). The danger is personal: the psalmist fears being left without its ready confession in his own mouth. The truth cannot fail, but a man may fail to speak it through fear, shame, neglect, compromise, or sin. Therefore, he asks God to keep him faithful.
“The word of truth.” Scripture defines the phrase. “Thy law is the truth” (v.142). Again, “Thy word is true from the beginning” (v.160). Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The word of truth is God’s revealed word, His law, testimonies, precepts, promises, warnings, and judgments, all perfectly true because they proceed from the God who cannot lie.
This excludes every false substitute. The psalmist does not ask for a persuasive opinion, a flattering reply, a clever argument, a private impression, or words shaped to please his hearers. He asks for “the word of truth.” A reproacher must not be answered with railing, exaggeration, or human craft. The safest answer is one governed by what God has spoken.
The phrase also joins God’s speech to the believer’s speech. Elsewhere David called Scripture “the word of thy lips” (Psalm 17:4), and he valued “the law of thy mouth” above thousands of gold and silver (v.72). Here that same truth is found in the servant’s mouth. The word must first come from God’s mouth before it can be faithfully spoken by ours. The saint does not invent the answer; he receives and repeats the truth of God.
“Utterly.” The word means wholly or altogether. Earlier the psalmist had prayed, “O forsake me not utterly” (v.8). Here he asks not to be left altogether without the word of truth in his mouth. He fears a complete silencing of faithful testimony before those who reproach him.
This word does not excuse occasional unfaithfulness, as though a little silence or compromise were acceptable. It reveals the earnestness of the prayer. The psalmist knows his weakness and asks God not to let fear, chastening, confusion, or opposition rob him of his confession. He wants truth to remain available, ready, and living upon his tongue.
“Out of my mouth.” The mouth is the place of open confession. God’s word must be hidden in the heart so that a man might not sin (v.11), but it must also come forth from the mouth when duty requires it. Truth privately believed but shamefully withheld cannot answer the reproacher of verse 42 or bear witness before the kings of verse 46.
This is another proper use of the mouth. Wicked men use speech for lies, flattery, cursing, deceit, and words of hatred. The psalmist wants his mouth occupied with the word of truth. He had already resolved, “With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth” (v.13). He does not claim his lips as his own; he wants them employed in declaring what God has said.
Godly restraint and godly confession are not enemies. Scripture commands a bridle upon the mouth when speech would become sinful (Psalm 39:1), but it also commands truth to be spoken when silence would become shame or compromise. A bridle should restrain corrupt words; it must not become a gag against required truth. Wisdom knows when to be silent and when to speak.
The context makes the duty plain. The psalmist needs truth in his mouth to answer one who reproaches him (v.42), and he intends to speak God’s testimonies before kings without shame (v.46). Reproach must not frighten truth from the lips. High office must not overawe the witness. Whether the hearer is an enemy or a king, God’s word remains true.
“For.” This word gives the reason for the request. The psalmist asks that the word of truth remain in his mouth because he has hoped in God’s judgments. His prayer rests upon faith. He has committed himself to what God has spoken, and therefore he desires grace to continue confessing it.
“I have hoped.” Hope is confident expectation resting upon God’s word. The psalmist does not hope in his eloquence, reputation, influence, or ability to silence every opponent. He hopes in God. That hope gives courage to the mouth. “I believed, therefore have I spoken” (Psalm 116:10). Faith receives the truth inwardly and then confesses it outwardly.
Hope and speech belong together. A man who no longer expects God’s word to stand will soon grow ashamed to speak it. But the man who trusts God’s promise and judgment has reason to confess them even when men oppose him. The reproacher may be loud, and the king may be powerful, but neither can overturn what Jehovah has declared.
“In thy judgments.” God’s judgments are His authoritative decisions concerning truth and error, righteousness and wickedness, blessing and cursing, mercy and punishment. They are not human opinions awaiting approval. “Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments” (v.137). The psalmist hopes in them because they are true, righteous, and certain.
This is especially comforting when he is reproached. Men may judge him falsely, twist his words, or condemn his faith. But their judgment is not final. The psalmist rests in God’s judgments. He wants the word of truth in his mouth because he knows God’s sentence will stand when every false accusation has fallen.
This verse calls for self-examination. Is the word of truth ready in the mouth when reproach comes? Can Scripture answer fear, temptation, false doctrine, and accusation? Or does the mouth become empty because the heart has neglected the word? “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16). Truth must dwell within if it is to come forth faithfully.
Yet boldness must not be confused with contentious talk. Peter commanded saints to be ready always to give an answer concerning their hope, but to do it “with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). The word of truth does not need pride, cruelty, or clamour. It should be spoken plainly, faithfully, and under the fear of God.
Jesus Christ showed this courage without fault. Before Pontius Pilate He witnessed a good confession (1 Timothy 6:13), declaring that He came into the world to bear witness unto the truth (John 18:37). His enemies sought repeatedly to catch Him in His words, but neither threats, rulers, false witnesses, nor the cross could drive truth from His mouth. He spoke when the Father’s will required speech and remained silent when wicked questions deserved no answer.
Psalm 119:43 therefore teaches the saint to pray for truth retained and truth confessed. Let God’s word be hidden in the heart, ready in the mouth, and evident in the life. Do not let fear take it, shame silence it, neglect weaken it, or compromise replace it. Hope in God’s judgments, answer reproach by His truth, and speak His testimonies without shame. The word of truth belongs in the mouth of the man who trusts the God of truth.
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.
Psalm 119:43 is a prayer for continued faithfulness in confessing God’s truth. The psalmist has asked for God’s mercies and salvation, “So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word” (vv.41-42). After this verse he resolves to keep God’s law, walk at liberty, and speak of His testimonies before kings without shame (vv.44-46). Verse 43 stands at the centre of that movement. He needs the word of truth in his mouth so he can answer reproach, confess God’s testimonies, and continue in obedience.
“And.” This word joins the prayer to what came before. The psalmist does not seek deliverance for ease only. He wants God’s salvation to furnish him with an answer for the reproacher (v.42), and he wants the word of truth preserved in his mouth. Mercy should lead to testimony. Salvation should strengthen confession. When God answers His servant, the servant should have something true to say about Him.
“Take not.” The words acknowledge dependence upon God. The psalmist possesses God’s word, loves it, and has chosen the way of truth; yet he still prays. He does not trust memory, courage, learning, or resolution alone. The God who gives truth must also preserve His servant in the faithful use of it. David prayed similarly, “O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise” (Psalm 51:15).
This is not a prayer that the written truth itself will cease to exist. God’s word is settled in heaven and stands for ever (vv.89,160). The danger is personal: the psalmist fears being left without its ready confession in his own mouth. The truth cannot fail, but a man may fail to speak it through fear, shame, neglect, compromise, or sin. Therefore, he asks God to keep him faithful.
“The word of truth.” Scripture defines the phrase. “Thy law is the truth” (v.142). Again, “Thy word is true from the beginning” (v.160). Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The word of truth is God’s revealed word, His law, testimonies, precepts, promises, warnings, and judgments, all perfectly true because they proceed from the God who cannot lie.
This excludes every false substitute. The psalmist does not ask for a persuasive opinion, a flattering reply, a clever argument, a private impression, or words shaped to please his hearers. He asks for “the word of truth.” A reproacher must not be answered with railing, exaggeration, or human craft. The safest answer is one governed by what God has spoken.
The phrase also joins God’s speech to the believer’s speech. Elsewhere David called Scripture “the word of thy lips” (Psalm 17:4), and he valued “the law of thy mouth” above thousands of gold and silver (v.72). Here that same truth is found in the servant’s mouth. The word must first come from God’s mouth before it can be faithfully spoken by ours. The saint does not invent the answer; he receives and repeats the truth of God.
“Utterly.” The word means wholly or altogether. Earlier the psalmist had prayed, “O forsake me not utterly” (v.8). Here he asks not to be left altogether without the word of truth in his mouth. He fears a complete silencing of faithful testimony before those who reproach him.
This word does not excuse occasional unfaithfulness, as though a little silence or compromise were acceptable. It reveals the earnestness of the prayer. The psalmist knows his weakness and asks God not to let fear, chastening, confusion, or opposition rob him of his confession. He wants truth to remain available, ready, and living upon his tongue.
“Out of my mouth.” The mouth is the place of open confession. God’s word must be hidden in the heart so that a man might not sin (v.11), but it must also come forth from the mouth when duty requires it. Truth privately believed but shamefully withheld cannot answer the reproacher of verse 42 or bear witness before the kings of verse 46.
This is another proper use of the mouth. Wicked men use speech for lies, flattery, cursing, deceit, and words of hatred. The psalmist wants his mouth occupied with the word of truth. He had already resolved, “With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth” (v.13). He does not claim his lips as his own; he wants them employed in declaring what God has said.
Godly restraint and godly confession are not enemies. Scripture commands a bridle upon the mouth when speech would become sinful (Psalm 39:1), but it also commands truth to be spoken when silence would become shame or compromise. A bridle should restrain corrupt words; it must not become a gag against required truth. Wisdom knows when to be silent and when to speak.
The context makes the duty plain. The psalmist needs truth in his mouth to answer one who reproaches him (v.42), and he intends to speak God’s testimonies before kings without shame (v.46). Reproach must not frighten truth from the lips. High office must not overawe the witness. Whether the hearer is an enemy or a king, God’s word remains true.
“For.” This word gives the reason for the request. The psalmist asks that the word of truth remain in his mouth because he has hoped in God’s judgments. His prayer rests upon faith. He has committed himself to what God has spoken, and therefore he desires grace to continue confessing it.
“I have hoped.” Hope is confident expectation resting upon God’s word. The psalmist does not hope in his eloquence, reputation, influence, or ability to silence every opponent. He hopes in God. That hope gives courage to the mouth. “I believed, therefore have I spoken” (Psalm 116:10). Faith receives the truth inwardly and then confesses it outwardly.
Hope and speech belong together. A man who no longer expects God’s word to stand will soon grow ashamed to speak it. But the man who trusts God’s promise and judgment has reason to confess them even when men oppose him. The reproacher may be loud, and the king may be powerful, but neither can overturn what Jehovah has declared.
“In thy judgments.” God’s judgments are His authoritative decisions concerning truth and error, righteousness and wickedness, blessing and cursing, mercy and punishment. They are not human opinions awaiting approval. “Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments” (v.137). The psalmist hopes in them because they are true, righteous, and certain.
This is especially comforting when he is reproached. Men may judge him falsely, twist his words, or condemn his faith. But their judgment is not final. The psalmist rests in God’s judgments. He wants the word of truth in his mouth because he knows God’s sentence will stand when every false accusation has fallen.
This verse calls for self-examination. Is the word of truth ready in the mouth when reproach comes? Can Scripture answer fear, temptation, false doctrine, and accusation? Or does the mouth become empty because the heart has neglected the word? “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16). Truth must dwell within if it is to come forth faithfully.
Yet boldness must not be confused with contentious talk. Peter commanded saints to be ready always to give an answer concerning their hope, but to do it “with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). The word of truth does not need pride, cruelty, or clamour. It should be spoken plainly, faithfully, and under the fear of God.
Jesus Christ showed this courage without fault. Before Pontius Pilate He witnessed a good confession (1 Timothy 6:13), declaring that He came into the world to bear witness unto the truth (John 18:37). His enemies sought repeatedly to catch Him in His words, but neither threats, rulers, false witnesses, nor the cross could drive truth from His mouth. He spoke when the Father’s will required speech and remained silent when wicked questions deserved no answer.
Psalm 119:43 therefore teaches the saint to pray for truth retained and truth confessed. Let God’s word be hidden in the heart, ready in the mouth, and evident in the life. Do not let fear take it, shame silence it, neglect weaken it, or compromise replace it. Hope in God’s judgments, answer reproach by His truth, and speak His testimonies without shame. The word of truth belongs in the mouth of the man who trusts the God of truth.