Psalm 119:43 NKJV

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I have hoped in Your ordinances.

Hope and the Word of Truth

My Thoughts

This “word of truth” that David mentions are the scriptures that come from God, who cannot lie, and are a declaration of his mind and will by which the Spirit of truth leads men and imparts important truths to. This is what David desired not be taken from him; it was in his heart, but he wanted it in his mouth as well so that he could have it when confronted with people who opposed God and his righteousness. David knew that as long as he could hold onto the Lord’s word and the wisdom and truth that come from it, he would be safe and secure because he had seen the Lord come through and deliver him many times.

Psalm 119:43 expresses a deep plea from David for spiritual assistance in retaining the “word of truth” in his speech. This verse highlights the importance of God’s word, which David associates with hope and strength. The commentaries below emphasize that this request signifies a desire to publicly affirm one’s faith without shame, especially amidst adversity. David acknowledges that his hope lies in God’s judgments, suggesting that the truths of scripture guide and sustain him. So, this verse reflects a heartfelt yearning for the continual presence and proclamation of the Lord’s truth in times of struggle.

Note: Psalm 119 is an acrostic pattern. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet; each of the 22 sections is given a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each line in that section begins with that letter. Today, we’re looking at verse 43, which is in the 6th section, which is called “VAV.ו”. According to the hebrews4christians.com website, the letter Vav (“WAW” in several versions of the Bible) is the 6th letter of the Aleph-Bet, having the numeric value of six. The pictograph for VAV looks like a tent peg. Since VAV represents the number six, it has long been associated with the number of man in the Jewish tradition:

Man was created on the sixth day
Man works for six days
The “beast” is identified as the “number of a man” – 666 (Revelation 13:18)

Since it looks like a tent peg, it is also used for connecting things. So, in it, we can think of the connection between spiritual and earthly matters.

……..Bill

Commentaries:

John Gill

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,…. The Scriptures, which are by divine inspiration, come from the God of truth, contain nothing but truth in them, and are called “the Scriptures of truth,” Daniel 10:21. Or the Gospel, which is often so called, Ephesians 1:13; This comes from God, who cannot lie, and is a declaration of his mind and will concerning the salvation of men; in which Christ, who is the truth, is concerned, being the author, preacher, and substance of it; into which the Spirit of truth leads men, and makes it useful and effectual; which has many eminent and important truths in it, and nothing but truth, and stands opposed to the law, which is typical and shadowy, and to everything that is a falsehood and a lie. This the psalmist desires might not be taken out of his mouth, but kept in it as a sweet morsel there, rolled under his tongue; be eaten and fed upon by him, and be the rejoicing of his heart. Or his sense is, that he might not be left under a temptation to conceal, drop, or deny the word of truth, or be ashamed to own and confess it before men; but at all times, and upon all occasions, publicly declare it, and his faith in it: at least he desires that it might not “utterly” cease from him, or be wholly neglected by him, and he entirely apostatize. Some join the word rendered “utterly,” and which signifies “exceedingly,” with “the word of truth,” thus: “take not out of my mouth the word of truth, [which is] exceedingly [so]”; that is, exceedingly true, to the highest degree.

for I have hoped in thy judgments; or, “have waited for thy judgments”: either the judgments of God upon sinners, especially on apostates, which he knew would be very sore and severe, their last estate being worse than the first; or rather the last judgment, when those that confess Christ and his truths shall be confessed by him; and those that deny him and his Gospel will be denied by him: though it may be best of all to understand it of the word of God, and the doctrines of it, which the psalmist had an exceeding great regard unto, hoped, waited, and even longed for; see Psalm 119:20.

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Charles Spurgeon

“And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth.” Do not prevent my pleading for thee by leaving me without deliverance; for how could I continue to proclaim thy word if I found it fail me? Such would seem to be the run of the meaning. The word of truth cannot be a joy to our mouths unless we have an experience of it in our lives, and it may be wise for us to be silent if we cannot support our testimonies by the verdict of our consciousness. This prayer may also refer to other modes by which we may be disabled from speaking in the name of the Lord: as, for instance, by our falling into open sin, by our becoming depressed and despairing, by our laboring under sickness or mental aberration, by our finding no door of utterance, or meeting with no willing audience. He who has once preached the gospel from his heart is filled with horror at the idea of being put out of the ministry; he will crave to be allowed a little share in the holy testimony, and will reckon his dumb Sabbaths to be days of banishment and punishment.

“For I have hoped in thy judgments.”—He had expected God to appear and vindicate his cause, that so he might speak with confidence concerning his faithfulness. God is the author of our hopes, and we may most fittingly entreat him to fulfill them. The judgments of his providence are the outcome of his word; what he says in the Scriptures, he actually performs in his government; we may therefore look for him to show himself strong on the behalf of his own threatenings and promises, and we shall not look in vain.

God’s ministers are sometimes silenced through the sins of their people, and it becomes them to plead against such a judgment; better far that they should suffer sickness or poverty than that the candle of the gospel should be put out among them, and that thus they should be left to perish without remedy. The Lord save us, who are his ministers, from being made the instruments of inflicting such a penalty. Let us exhibit a cheerful hopefulness in God, that we may plead it in prayer with him when he threatens to close our lips.

In the close of this verse, there is a declaration of what the Psalmist had done in reference to the word of the Lord, and in this, the thirds of the octaves are often alike. See Psa 119:35, “therein do I delight;” Psa 119:43, “I have hoped in thy judgments;” Psa 119:51, “yet have I not declined from thy law;” Psa 119:59, “I turned my feet to thy testimonies;” and Psa 119:67, 83, 99, etc. These verses would furnish an admirable series of meditations.

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Enduring Word

Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth: This request is rooted in the understanding that it is only by the goodness and grace of God that His word does dwell with us. Therefore, the prayer comes that it may continue so.

i. This is true for humanity in general; hypothetically, God might have created man yet never communicated with him by His word.

ii. Yet it is also true for the individual who is awakened and attentive to God’s word, because of the work of God in him, so it is wise and worthy to pray that it would remain so.

For I have hoped in Your ordinances: His past hope is the ground for his future expectation. He has hoped in the word of God (ordinances) in the past, and he has not been disappointed.

(David Guzik)

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Albert Barnes

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth – Do not take it entirely or altogether from me. Let me not be utterly hopeless; let me be at no time without some evidence that thy word dwells in me with sustaining and sanctifying power. The prayer seems to have been offered when the mind was troubled and in doubt, and when it seemed as if all hope and all trust in the truth of God would vanish. The words rendered “utterly” mean “to very much;” that is, altogether or entirely. Let it not be done until the extreme shall be reached.

For I have hoped in thy judgments – I do trust in thy word, and it is my only trust. If that is gone, all is gone. As long as I can hold on to that, even in the slightest degree, I am safe. When all else fails, if that has not utterly failed me, I shall be secure.

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Matthew Henry

David’s humble petition for the tongue of the learned, that he might know how to speak a word in season for the glory of God: Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth. He means, “Lord, let the word of truth be always in my mouth; let me have the wisdom and courage which are necessary to enable me both to use my knowledge for the instruction of others, and, like the good householder, to bring out of my treasury things new and old, and to make profession of my faith whenever I am called to it.” We have need to pray to God that we may never be afraid or ashamed to own his truths and ways, nor deny him before men. David found that he was sometimes at a loss, that the word of truth was not so ready to him as it should have been, but he prays, “Lord, let it not be taken utterly from me; let my always have so much of it at hand as will be necessary to the due discharge of my duty.”

His humble profession of the heart of the upright, without which the tongue of the learned, however it may be serviceable to others, will stand us in no stead.

David professes his confidence in God: “Lord, make me ready and mighty in the scriptures, for I have hoped in those judgments of thy mouth, and, if they be not at hand, my support and defense have departed from me.”

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Miscellaneous Notes

“Take not the word of truth,” etc. It is well known that men do, when persecution threatens, either altogether deny the truth, or weakly and lukewarmly confess it; but lest this should happen to him, David therefore prays here, “O Lord, take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,” i.e., make me, with an intrepid spirit, always to confess the avowed truth boldly and manfully. In the Hebrew text it is עִדמִאֹד, “very,” “very much“ or, as Augustine renders it, “wholly and altogether;” and he thinks that David prayed for this, that, if through human weakness it should happen to him to fall, and at some time or other not steadfastly to confess the word, yet that God would not allow him to continue in that sin, but again restore and establish him; and he illustrates this by the example of Peter. Further, David adds the reason which has impelled him thus to pray: “Because I hope for,” and even with great desire, as the Hebrew verb יָחַל signifies, “thy judgments,” with which in the last day thou wilt openly pass sentence on heretics, fanatics, and all tyrants.—Solomon Gesner.

“Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth.” Sometimes we are afraid to speak for the Savior, lest we should incur the charge of hypocrisy. At other times, we are ashamed to speak, from the absence of that only constraining principle—“the love of Christ.” And thus “the word of truth is taken out of our mouths.” Often have we wanted a word to speak for the relief of the Lord’s tempted people, and have not been able to find it; so that the recollection of precious lost opportunities may well give utterance to the prayer—“Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth.” Not only do not take it out of my heart, but let it be ready in my mouth for a confession of my Master. Some of us know the painful trial of the indulgence of worldly habits and conversation, when a want of liberty of spirit has hindered us from standing up boldly for our God. We may perhaps allege the plea of bashfulness or judicious caution in excuse for silence, which, however, in many instances, we must regard as a self-deceptive covering for the real cause of restraint—the want of apprehension of the mercy of God to the soul.—Charles Bridges.

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Cross-References

Isaiah 59:21 (KJV)

²¹ As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord;

My spirit that is upon thee,

And my words which I have put in thy mouth,

Shall not depart out of thy mouth,

Nor out of the mouth of thy seed,

Nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord,

From henceforth and for ever.

Psalm 119:114 (KJV)

¹¹⁴ Thou art my hiding place and my shield:

I hope in thy word.

Psalm 119:52 (KJV)

⁵² I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord;

And have comforted myself.

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Closing Thoughts

Our hope, our joy, is in the Lord. The only way to truly proclaim what comes from the Lord is through speaking it to ourselves and others. The prayer here might have been while David was troubled and in doubt, when it seemed that all hope and trust in God’s word would vanish. David knew that speaking the word of truth, because of his hope in it and because he had experienced the goodness of God in his life, was what was needed. Because he had seen God deliver time and time again, he knew that he would not be disappointed…….Bill

ו VAV – Connecting spiritual and earthly matters.

Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord—
Your salvation according to Your word.

So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I have hoped in Your ordinances.

So shall I keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.

And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.

I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings,
And will not be ashamed.

And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.

My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.