Psalms 119:21 (KJV)

What does Psalms 119:21 mean?

Psalms 119:21 says that God has confronted and spoken against those who are proud and cursed, because they have turned away from His commandments. The verse points out that pride and rejecting God’s instructions bring consequences from God.

The writer of this psalm is speaking to God, reflecting on how God deals with people who are arrogant and ignore His ways. The verse is part of a larger section where the psalmist is meditating on the blessings of following God’s law and the dangers of straying from it. Here, the focus is on the reality that those who act with pride and go astray are not just making a mistake, but are actually under God’s rebuke.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 119:21

• "rebuked" (גָּעַר, gaʿar): This word means to sharply correct or scold. It shows that God does not ignore prideful disobedience, but actively confronts it.
• "proud" (זֵדִים, zedim): This term refers to those who are arrogant or presumptuous, not just anyone who sins, but people who willfully set themselves above God’s instructions.
• "cursed" (אָרוּר, arur): This word means to be under a curse or ban, highlighting the seriousness of turning away from God’s commandments.
• "err" (שָׁגָה, shagah): This word means to wander or go astray, often with the sense of doing so carelessly or deliberately.
• "commandments" (מִצְוֹת, mitzvot): This refers to God’s specific instructions or laws, emphasizing that the problem is not just general wrongdoing, but rejecting what God has clearly said.

Why Psalms 119:21 matters

• Psalms 119:21 clarifies that pride is not just a personal flaw, but something that brings a strong response from God, especially when it leads to ignoring His commandments.
• The verse highlights that straying from God’s instructions is not a small matter; it brings a curse, not just a loss or disappointment.
• In the context of Psalm 119, this verse underscores the psalmist’s deep respect for God’s law and the seriousness of keeping it, contrasting the blessings of obedience with the consequences of prideful disobedience.