The Meaning of Psalms 119:60 Explained

Psalms 119:60

KJV: I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

YLT: I have made haste, And delayed not, to keep Thy commands.

Darby: I have made haste, and not delayed, to keep thy commandments.

ASV: I made haste, and delayed not, To observe thy commandments.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I made haste,  and delayed  not to keep  thy commandments. 

What does Psalms 119:60 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 119:49-64 - Comforted By God's Judgments
Rays of comfort begin to steal into the psalmist's heart. Thou hast caused me to hope; this is my comfort in my affliction; thy statutes have been my songs; at midnight I will rise to give thanks. Often prayer clears itself as it proceeds. It is the repeated testimony of all who have become proficient in the art of prayer that the seasons which begin with a struggle against depression, gloom, and the sense of absence, end in triumphant joy. Jeremy Taylor puts it thus: "So have I seen a lark rising from his bed of grass and soaring upward, singing as he rises, and hoping to get to heaven and climb above the clouds; but the poor bird was beaten back by the loud sighings of an eastern wind, his motion became inconstant and irregular, till the little creature was forced to sit down and pant, and stay till the storm was over; and then it made a prosperous flight, and did rise and sing, as if it had learned music and motion from an angel, as he was passing through the air about his ministries of mercy." [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 119

1  This psalm contains various prayers, praises, and professions of obedience
2  Aleph
9  Beth
17  Gimel
25  Daleth
33  He
41  Waw
49  Zayin
57  Heth
65  Teth
73  Yodh
81  Kaph
89  Lamedh
97  Mem
105  Nun
113  Samekh
121  Ayin
129  Pe
137  Tsadhe
145  Qoph
153  Resh
161  Sin and Shin
169  Taw

What do the individual words in Psalms 119:60 mean?

I made haste and not did delay to keep Your commandments
חַ֭שְׁתִּי וְלֹ֣א הִתְמַהְמָ֑הְתִּי לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ

חַ֭שְׁתִּי  I  made  haste 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חוּשׁ 
Sense: to haste, make haste, hurry.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הִתְמַהְמָ֑הְתִּי  did  delay 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָהַהּ  
Sense: (Hithpalpel) to linger, tarry, wait, delay.
לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר  to  keep 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ  Your  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.