I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

PSALMS 31:6KJV
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Psalms 31:6 (KJV)

What does Psalms 31:6 mean?

Psalms 31:6 describes the speaker’s strong rejection of those who cling to false and empty things, while declaring personal trust in the LORD. The verse draws a sharp line between valuing truth and trusting God versus following deceitful, worthless ideas.

In this psalm, David is speaking to God during a time of distress, likely surrounded by people who put their hope in things that cannot help or save. The verse highlights David’s loyalty to God alone, contrasting his faith with the empty pursuits of others around him.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 31:6

  • "hated" (שָׂנֵא, sane'): This word means to have strong aversion or rejection. David is not just mildly disapproving; he is deeply opposed to the path of those who follow falsehood.
  • "regard" (שָׁמַר, shamar): This word often means to keep, watch, or pay close attention to. Here, it suggests people who are devoted to or carefully follow "lying vanities."
  • "lying" (שָׁוְא, shav'): This word means falsehood or deception. It points to things that are not just untrue but also misleading.
  • "vanities" (הֶבֶל, hevel): This word means emptiness or things without substance. Together with "lying," it paints a picture of people putting their hope in things that are both false and worthless.
  • "trust" (בָּטַח, batach): This word means to rely on or feel secure in. David is expressing a deep, settled confidence in the LORD.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing a relationship with the one true God.

Why Psalms 31:6 matters

  • Psalms 31:6 clarifies that trusting in God is set in contrast to following empty or deceptive beliefs, showing that faith is not just about what one accepts, but also what one rejects.
  • The verse highlights the personal nature of David’s faith, making it clear that his loyalty is not to popular ideas or idols, but to the LORD alone.
  • This verse helps the reader see the broader theme of the psalm: in times of trouble, where people turn for security reveals what they truly value and trust.

Where else these words appear

“lying” Hebrew H7723 · used in 48 verses

  • Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
  • Psalms 108:12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
  • Jeremiah 46:11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

“vanities” Hebrew H1892 · used in 64 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
  • Ecclesiastes 2:1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
  • 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.

“trust” Hebrew H982 · used in 117 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
  • Psalms 44:6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
  • Isaiah 30:12 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:

“hated” Hebrew H8130 · used in 139 verses

  • Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
  • Esther 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them,(though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
  • Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: