Psalm 119:49-50
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This verse is a powerful plea, not just for God to recall His promises, but for Him to remember how He made the psalmist hope through them. It highlights that God's Word isn't just information; it's the very source through which He cultivates faith and trust in our hearts.
Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This prayer comes in the midst of the longest Psalm, a deep dive into the beauty and power of God's law. The psalmist is clearly in a difficult situation, referencing affliction and the taunts of enemies in verses that bracket this one. He pleads with God to remember His promises, which have become the very foundation of his hope in these trying times.
Ever felt like your faith is wavering? This verse reminds us that our hope isn't a feeling, but a deliberate planting by God Himself.
The psalmist isn't just recalling a past event; he's pleading with God to remember His promises. Notice the phrase, 'upon which you have caused me to hope.' This isn't about the psalmist mustering up hope on his own.
A Divine Implantation
This means our hope is secure, even when our feelings aren't.
This verse isn't just a quiet whisper; it's a bold request from a servant to their Lord. What gives the psalmist this confidence?
The psalmist addresses God as 'your servant.' This isn't a position of inferiority that silences him, but a relationship that gives him confidence to bring his requests before God.
The Right to Remind
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This posture acknowledges God's sovereignty while also daring to hold Him to His promises—a hallmark of true faith.
Understand the original words
ebed · Hebrew Noun
A humble designation for a person who belongs to and serves the Lord. It implies complete submission, dependence, and loyalty to God as the Master and King.
yachal · Hebrew Verb
Confident expectation in the character and faithfulness of God. It is not wishful thinking but a firm reliance on what God has declared to be true.
nechamah · Hebrew Noun
Relief, encouragement, or consolation provided to the believer in times of hardship or sorrow. God’s presence and His Word are the ultimate sources of true consolation for the faithful.
'oniy · Hebrew Noun
A state of physical, emotional, or spiritual suffering, distress, or persecution. The Bible acknowledges affliction as a reality of the fallen world, but one in which God remains present to sustain His people.
'imrah · Hebrew Noun
A spoken or revealed assurance from God. It carries the weight of His divine authority and integrity, guaranteeing that He will fulfill what He has declared.
chayah · Hebrew Verb
To cause to live or to preserve life. Biblically, God’s Word is seen as a source of spiritual vitality, strength, and eternal perspective, capable of reviving the soul in the midst of death or trial.
This verse likely echoes the deep longing of King David or his descendants, grappling with the promise of an eternal dynasty amid exile and loss, finding hope in God's enduring word.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David Receives Promise of Lasting Dynasty
The prophet Nathan relays God's promise to King David that his royal line will endure forever, a foundational word of hope for Israel's future.
c. 970 BC
Solomon Builds the First Temple
David's son Solomon builds a magnificent temple in Jerusalem, a physical symbol of God's presence and covenant with His people.
586 BC
Babylonians Destroy Jerusalem and Temple
King Nebuchadnezzar's forces conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and exile many Israelites to Babylon, shattering the hope of a Davidic king on the throne.
c. 538 BC
Cyrus Issues Edict for Return
The Persian king Cyrus the Great allows the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, marking the end of the Babylonian exile.
This passage echoes the plea to 'remember your word' by recalling God's promise to David concerning an everlasting kingdom, directly relating to the specific promises that form the basis of hope mentioned in Psalm 119:49.
Isaiah 41:10This verse speaks of God strengthening and upholding His servants, directly connecting to the idea of relying on God's word for hope amidst trials, as the psalmist does.
Lamentations 3:21-24Similar to Psalm 119:49, this passage emphasizes recalling God's faithfulness and promises as a source of hope even in extreme affliction, highlighting the steadfast nature of God's mercies.
Hebrews 6:17-18This New Testament passage explains that God's promises, confirmed by oath, provide a strong ground for hope, illuminating why the psalmist's hope is so firmly rooted in God's word.
cambridgePsalms 119:49: "ZAIN. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope."
49 . upon which ] R.V. marg. wherein , a doubtful construction. Better as R.V. because. God’s word of promise has given him hope, and he pleads that God will not forget it. As a faithful servant he ventures to claim a corresponding faithfulness from his Lord. 49–56 . Zayin . In the midst of manifold trials God’s law has brought hope, consolation, life, joy.
gillPsalms 119:49: "ZAIN. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope."
ZAIN.--The Seventh Part. ZAIN. Remember the word unto thy servant,.... The word of promise made unto him, concerning establishing his house and kingdom for ever; which he desires God would show himself mindful of in fulfilling it, and renew and confirm his faith in it, and give him some fresh assurance of the performance of it, 2 Samuel 7:16. Not that God ever forgets his promise, or is unmindful…
This verse is a powerful plea, not just for God to recall His promises, but for Him to remember how He made the psalmist hope through them. It highlights that God's Word isn't just information; it's the very source through which He cultivates faith and trust in our hearts.
This prayer comes in the midst of the longest Psalm, a deep dive into the beauty and power of God's law. The psalmist is clearly in a difficult situation, referencing affliction and the taunts of enemies in verses that bracket this one. He pleads with God to remember His promises, which have become the very foundation of his hope in these trying times.
This prayer comes in the midst of the longest Psalm, a deep dive into the beauty and power of God's law. The psalmist is clearly in a difficult situation, referencing affliction and the taunts of enemies in verses that bracket this one. He pleads with God to remember His promises, which have become the very foundation of his hope in these trying times.
"Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life." — This verse is a powerful plea, not just for God to recall His promises, but for Him to remember how He made the psalmist hope through them. It highlights that God's Word isn't just information; it'…
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Last reviewed October 2026
