Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119 turns, again and again, on one subject: the word of God. Verse 11 answers a personal question: where does that word belong? Not on a shelf, but inside a person — and it works once it is there.
The Place of the Word
The verse does not say he read the word, or repeated it, or admired it. It says he put it somewhere. One writer draws out how much rests on that single detail:
It was not the Bible in his hand to read it, or the word on his tongue to speak of it. It was hiding it in his heart that he found effective against sin.
Inside, the word is safe — and it needs to be. One writer describes people who took God's message in as treasure:
They took it into their knowledge and intelligence, took it into their heart as an invaluable treasure. "I have stored up your word in my heart." That is the right place for it; it is safe there. We need to be on our guard. The birds of the air in the Parable of the Sower stand for real evil spirits. They hover around us, seeking to rob us of the treasure we have received.
Storing Is Not the Same as Memorising
"Stored up" sounds like memory work. One writer says that is not deep enough:
The Word of God should not only be a check on our thoughts. It should be their source, which is far deeper. We see it in Christ, the only perfect One. He alone could say, "By the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent." "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." The Word has a preserving power that keeps the feet from sliding. Only those who receive the truth in the love of it know that power. Merely having the word hidden in the memory will not do! There is no preserving power in that. The truth must act on the heart and conscience, separating us from all defilement. Otherwise we cannot experience its preserving power.
Another writer makes the same distinction with a memorable turn of phrase, and ties the verse back to the prayer that comes just before it:
The new born soul can rightly claim that with his whole heart he has sought the Lord; and consistently with this, he earnestly prays, "Oh let me not wander from Your commandments" (v. 10). How is this to be accomplished? By the individual's hiding God's Word in his heart. How good indeed to learn the verses of scripture, not merely by memory, but by heart!
A Step in a Sequence
One writer reads verse 11 as a further step, taken after the prayer of verse 10:
Second, by casting himself on the power of God, so that God keeps him from wandering into paths of his own lust and will. He knows his weakness. He knows that right and honest desires will not by themselves keep him in the path of blessing. So he casts himself on God with all his heart (v. 10).
Third, by hiding the Word in his heart, which keeps him from sinning against God in secret.
Ready for the Moment of Temptation
The stored word is for use. One writer points to the pattern:
God's word is a protector from sin — if hidden in the heart. Read, taken seriously, meditated on, remembered — all are involved in hiding it in the heart. Again this takes time, but it helps to protect us from sin. The Lord Jesus is the perfect example of using God's word when under temptation. For each of Satan's temptations He answered with the right scripture. He knew the scriptures, of course, but He also understood how to apply them, and which verses were right for which situation. How vitally important it is that we hide the word in our hearts; there is no better protector from sinning.
Settled Above, Hidden Within
One writer sets this verse beside a later line in the same psalm, which says God's word is settled in heaven:
These are golden sentences for the present moment. They set forth the true place for the Word — "settled in heaven" and "hidden in the heart." That is not all. They also link the heart to the very throne of God through His own Word. This gives the Christian all the stability and all the moral security that the divine Word can give.
Summary
- Place — the word in the hand or on the tongue did not keep the psalmist; the word hidden in the heart did.
- Treasure — the heart keeps the word safe, but it needs guarding. Evil spirits seek to rob us of the treasure we received.
- Depth — memory alone has no preserving power. The truth must act on heart and conscience, and become the source of our thoughts, not just a check on them.
- Weapon — Jesus answered each temptation with the right scripture. He knew the words, and He knew where they fit.
- Anchor — settled in heaven, hidden in the heart. The same word ties the believer to God's throne and holds him steady.