Bible Strands
Psalms 119:137
Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God directly after weeping over the widespread disobedience to His law. This declaration follows the lament in verse 136 and immediately precedes the affirmation of God’s faithfulness in verse 138.
The words — The text centers on צַדִּיק (tza.Dik), meaning “righteous,” and יָשָׁר (ya.Shar), meaning “upright,” applied to Yahweh and His judgments respectively. These terms create a direct grammatical parallel between God’s character and the nature of His decrees.
The thread — The phrase “Righteous are You, O LORD” appears in Ezra 9:15 and Jeremiah 12:1, where speakers acknowledge God’s righteousness amid human guilt or theological questioning. Psalms 145:17 also affirms God’s righteousness but does not pair it with upright judgments.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that God’s moral nature matches the structure of His commands. It requires the reader to accept that divine decrees are inherently reliable rather than arbitrary.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
צ TZADDI. Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.
Cross-references
- Ezra 9:15 O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.”
- Jeremiah 12:1 Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?
- Psalms 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.
- Daniel 9:7 To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel near and far, in all the countries to which You have driven us because of our unfaithfulness to You.
- Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
- Nehemiah 9:33 You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.
- Psalms 99:4 The mighty King loves justice. You have established equity; You have exercised justice and righteousness in Jacob.
- Psalms 103:6 The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
- Daniel 9:14 Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it upon us. For the LORD our God is righteous in all He does; yet we have not obeyed His voice.
- Revelation 16:7 And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”