I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

PSALMS 119:7KJV
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Psalms 119:7 (KJV)

What does Psalms 119:7 mean?

Psalms 119:7 describes a speaker addressing God. The speaker expects learning God’s just judgments to lead to sincere praise. The verse links knowing what God has judged to be right with a response that comes from an honest heart.

“Uprightness of heart” pictures an inner attitude that is straight rather than crooked or false. After the wish for steadfastness in verse 5, the speaker turns to what he will do as he learns.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 119:7

  • “uprightness” — יֹשֶׁר (yosher): The word carries the sense of straightness or honesty. Joined with “heart,” it describes the speaker’s inward sincerity.
  • “judgments” — מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat): The word can refer to a decision or a standard of justice. Here it points to God’s judgments as things the speaker can learn.

Why Psalms 119:7 matters

  • The verse gives a reason for the speaker’s praise: God’s judgments are “righteous,” or just. The speaker’s response is connected to the character of what he learns.
  • Learning is part of a wider response in the passage. Verse 8 follows the promise of praise with “I will keep thy statutes,” moving from praise to observance of God’s commands.

Where else these words appear

“uprightness” Hebrew H3476 · used in 14 verses

  • Deuteronomy 9:5 Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  • Job 33:3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
  • Proverbs 4:11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

“learned” Hebrew H3925 · used in 80 verses

  • Deuteronomy 4:1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.
  • Psalms 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
  • Proverbs 30:3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

“righteous” Hebrew H6664 · used in 109 verses

  • Leviticus 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
  • Psalms 52:3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
  • Ecclesiastes 7:15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

“praise” Hebrew H3034 · used in 111 verses

  • Genesis 29:35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.
  • Psalms 7:17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
  • Psalms 107:8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!