Psalms 18:22

For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — David addresses God in a psalm recounting his deliverance from enemies, placing his declaration at the conclusion of his testimony. He speaks from the moment of vindication, framing his personal faithfulness as the foundation for the Lord's rescue.

The words — The Hebrew term לְנֶגְדִּי (le-negdi) literally means "before me," indicating constant placement in view, while אָסִיר (a-sir) means "I turn aside," describing deliberate avoidance. These words anchor the verse's claim that God's laws occupy his immediate attention and are not ignored.

The thread — The posture of keeping statutes before him reappears in Psalms 119:30, where he sets ordinances before his eyes, and in Psalms 119:112, where he inclines his heart to perform them. The commitment to proclaim judgments also echoes the declaration in Psalms 119:13.

Why it lands — The text demands a reader acknowledge that obedience requires constant visual and mental placement of divine commands. It asks for a deliberate refusal to deviate from established statutes rather than passive compliance.

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

כִּ֣יkifor כָל־khol-all מִשְׁפָּטָ֣יוmish.pa.Ta/vjudgments/ his לְנֶגְדִּ֑יle./neg.D/i[have been] to/ before/ me וְ֝חֻקֹּתָ֗יוve./chu.ko.Ta/vand/ statutes/ his לֹא־lo'-not אָסִ֥יר'a.SirI have turned aside מֶֽנִּי׃Me./nifrom/ me

King James Version

For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

Cross-references

Psalms 119:13 With my lips I proclaim all the judgments of Your mouth.
Psalms 119:112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes, even to the very end.
Psalms 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set Your ordinances before me.
Psalms 119:117 Uphold me, and I will be saved, that I may always regard Your statutes.
Psalms 119:128 Therefore I admire all Your precepts and hate every false way.
John 5:14 Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”