Psalms 119:47 (KJV)

What does Psalms 119:47 mean?

Psalms 119:47 describes the speaker’s response to God’s commandments as one of pleasure and love. The speaker looks ahead to finding delight in the commands and also speaks of having already loved them.

The speaker addresses God directly as “thy.” After speaking before kings in verse 46, the speaker turns to a personal declaration. The sentence joins a future expression, “I will delight,” with the earlier attachment expressed in “I have loved.”

The Hebrew behind Psalms 119:47

• “delight” — שָׁעַע (shaʿaʿ): This word can carry the sense of taking pleasure or finding enjoyment. Here the speaker presents God’s commands as a source of pleasure, not merely as instructions to be obeyed.
• “commandments” — מִצְוָה (mitsvah): This word means a command or instruction. The plural in the verse points to God’s commands as a whole rather than to one particular rule.

Why Psalms 119:47 matters

• The speaker’s affection has a clear object: “thy commandments.” The verse speaks about love for what God has commanded, rather than only about a general feeling toward God.
• The surrounding passage links private affection with public speech. Verse 46 describes speaking of God’s testimonies before kings, while verse 47 gives the speaker’s own response to God’s commands.
• The next verse continues the same focus through a physical gesture. In verse 48, the speaker says, “My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments,” adding an image of bodily expression to the words of verse 47.