Psalms Chapter 119 · Verse 21
Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Psalms 119:10With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.1 Peter 5:5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.Psalms 119:118Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.Luke 18:14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.Psalms 119:110The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.Deuteronomy 30:19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:Deuteronomy 28:15But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Historical Context
Throughout Israel's history, proud nations and individuals faced God's rebuke—from Pharaoh to Nebuchadnezzar to Herod. The curse on the proud echoes Deuteronomy's covenant curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) and foreshadows the eschatological judgment when God will humble all human pride (Isaiah 2:12-17). The psalmist, likely facing opposition from arrogant enemies, finds comfort in God's justice.
Questions for Reflection
- In what areas of life are you most vulnerable to pride and self-sufficiency?
- How does God's pattern of rebuking the proud and blessing the humble shape your attitude toward authority?
- What is the relationship between pride and straying from God's commandments in your own experience?
Analysis & Commentary
Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments. The focus shifts to God's judgment on the arrogant. Rebuked (ga'arta, גָּעַרְתָּ) is a strong term for sharp correction or stern reproof, used of God silencing the sea (Psalm 106:9) and rebuking demons (Zechariah 3:2). The object is the proud (zedim, זֵדִים), those marked by insolent presumption and arrogant self-sufficiency. These are cursed (arurim, אֲרוּרִים), under divine condemnation—the opposite of the blessed person in verse 1.
The proud are characterized by their wandering: they err from thy commandments (hashoggim mimitzovtekha, הַשֹּׁגִים מִמִּצְוֹתֶיךָ). Shagah (שָׁגָה) suggests going astray, missing the path. Pride leads inevitably to disobedience; those who exalt themselves refuse submission to God's authority. Proverbs 16:18 warns, 'Pride goeth before destruction,' and James 4:6 declares, 'God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.' Jesus embodied humility (Matthew 11:29), and His kingdom inverts worldly values where the proud are brought low (Luke 1:51-52).