Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

PSALMS 19:13KJV
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Psalms 19:13 (KJV)

What does Psalms 19:13 mean?

Psalms 19:13 is a prayer asking God to protect the speaker from committing willful, arrogant sins and to prevent those sins from controlling his life; if God helps him in this way, the speaker believes he will remain blameless and free from serious wrongdoing. The verse shows a desire not just to avoid mistakes, but to be kept from deliberate rebellion against God.

King David is speaking to God, reflecting on his own weakness and asking for help to avoid not only hidden faults but also bold, intentional sins. The verse comes near the end of a psalm that moves from praising God’s creation to focusing on the power of God’s law, and finally to a personal plea for moral strength and purity.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 19:13

  • "Presumptuous" (זֵדִים, zēdîm): This word means proud or arrogant, often describing sins done with a high hand, knowingly and defiantly. David is not just worried about accidental mistakes, but about the danger of choosing to do wrong on purpose.
  • "Dominion" (מָשַׁל, mashal): This word means to rule or have control. David is concerned that willful sins could take over his life, showing that sin can become a controlling force if not checked.
  • "Innocent" (נָקָה, naqah): This word means to be clear or free from guilt. David’s hope is not just to avoid punishment, but to be truly clean from the stain of serious sin.
  • "Transgression" (פֶּשַׁע, pesha): This word refers to a serious rebellion or breaking away, not just a minor slip. The “great transgression” is likely a reference to a major act of defiance against God.

Why Psalms 19:13 matters

  • Psalms 19:13 clarifies that spiritual danger comes not only from hidden faults but also from deliberate, prideful choices, which can become a dominating force in a person’s life.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of willful sin and the need for humility and dependence on God’s help, not just self-effort, to remain upright.
  • This prayer connects the beauty of God’s creation and the perfection of God’s law to the personal struggle for moral integrity, showing that true worship involves both awe and honest self-examination.

Where else these words appear

“presumptuous” Hebrew H2086 · used in 13 verses

  • Psalms 86:14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.
  • Psalms 119:78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.
  • Isaiah 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

“back” Hebrew H2820 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
  • Job 16:5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
  • Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

“innocent” Hebrew H5352 · used in 33 verses

  • Genesis 24:8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
  • Judges 15:3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
  • Proverbs 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

“upright” Hebrew H8552 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 47:15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
  • Joshua 5:8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
  • Isaiah 16:4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.