The Meaning of Psalms 119:87 Explained

Psalms 119:87

KJV: They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.

YLT: Almost consumed me on earth have they, And I -- I have not forsaken Thy precepts.

Darby: They had almost consumed me upon the earth; but as for me, I forsook not thy precepts.

ASV: They had almost consumed me upon earth; But I forsook not thy precepts.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They had almost  consumed  me upon earth;  but I forsook  not thy precepts. 

What does Psalms 119:87 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 119:81-96 - The Word That Stands Fast
They persecute wrongfully; they dig pits; they have almost consumed; they have waited to destroy; but thy Word abides steadfast. The driven soul flees to the cleft of the Rock and hides there.
At the beginning of our religious life we rest on the assurances of others. Our parents, teachers, ministers, all insist on the truth of Scripture and the certainty of the facts which it reveals; but as life goes on we change our foundations and advance to the personal and experimental conviction which has been wrought in us by years of testing the Word of God for ourselves.
The famous Scotch clergyman, Thomas Erskine, said that no demolition of outward authority, even if such demolition were possible, could deprive him of the conviction of the divine origin and authority of the Bible, because it so exactly coincided with the experiences of his life, and had been verified in so many remarkable instances. We have experienced God's faithfulness to His promises too often to be afraid of any attack upon the truth of Scripture. It is settled in heaven, Psalms 119:89. [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 119:87 mean?

almost they made an end of me on earth but I not did forsake Your precepts
כִּ֭מְעַט כִּלּ֣וּנִי בָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝אֲנִ֗י לֹא־ עָזַ֥בְתִּי פִקֻּודֶֽיךָ‪‬

כִּ֭מְעַט  almost 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
כִּלּ֣וּנִי  they  made  an  end  of  me 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural, first person common singular
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
בָאָ֑רֶץ  on  earth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַ֝אֲנִ֗י  but  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
עָזַ֥בְתִּי  did  forsake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
פִקֻּודֶֽיךָ‪‬  Your  precepts 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פִּקּוּדִים  
Sense: precept, statute.