Psalm 19:13

Psalm 19:13

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

a. ASV: Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, And I shall be clear from great transgression.

b. YLT: Also -- from presumptuous ones keep back Thy servant, Let them not rule over me, Then am I perfect, And declared innocent of much transgression,

c. Amplified Bible Classic: Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent and clear of great transgression.

d. Septuagint [Psalm 19:13 in our Bible is Psalm 18:14 in the Septuagint]:  And spare thy servant [the attack] of strangers: if they do not gain the dominion over me, then shall I be blameless, and I shall be clear from great sin. 

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings [Psalm 19:13 in our Bible is Psalm 19:14 in Jewish Bibles]: Also from intentional sins, restrain Your servant; let them not rule me, then I shall be perfect; and i will be cleansed of great transgression. 

1. “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins…”

a. Keep [back] [Strong: 2820  châsak, khaw-sak'; a primitive root; also interchangeable with H2821 to restrain or (reflexively) refrain; by implication, to refuse, spare, preserve; to observe:—assuage, × darken, forbear, hinder, hold back, keep (back), punish, refrain, reserve, spare, withhold.]

b. [thy] servant [Strong: 5650 ʻebed, eh'-bed; from H5647; a servant:—× bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.]

c. also [Strong: 1571 gam gam by contraction from an unused root meaning to gather; properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and:--again, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and , but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.]

d. [from] presumptuous [sins]  [Strong: 2086 zêd, zade'; from H2102; arrogant, proud, insolent, presumptuous, the arrogant ones,  presumptuous (as adj)] [Merriam-Webster] overstepping due bounds, taking liberties.] [Free Dictionary.com: Going beyond what is right or proper; excessively forward.]

1). In light of the definitions from Hebrew and secular sources and in light of the context being in covenant with God the meaning is clearly talking about sin we know is wrong but we do it anyway. We must understand that David is writing from an Old Covenant perspective. Yes he was in Covenant with God but he wasn’t born again and he could not experience the greater benefits of the New Covenant because Christ had not resurrected yet. We will go more into this later but this needed to be said before we went any further.

2). Presumptuous sin is willful sin and is distinguished from falling into sin. Presumptuous sin is sin where you know it beforehand and you go and do it anyway. The difference between ignorant sin and presumptuous sin is clearly spoken about in the Old Covenant.

a). Numbers 15:27-31 And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.

15:28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

15:29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

15:30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

15:31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

3). What most Christians don’t understand is even though we are under a better Covenant through Christ Jesus, a similar warning about sinning willfully is given in the New Covenant.

a). Hebrews 10:26-30 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

2. “…let them not have dominion over me…”

a. [let them] not [Strong: 408 'al al a negative particle (akin to 3808); not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing:--nay, neither, + never, no ,nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.]

b. [have] dominion [over me] [Strong: 4910 mâshal, maw-shal'; a primitive root; to rule:—(have, make to have) dominion, governor, × indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule(-ing, -r), have power.]

1). Here David is speaking from an Old Covenant perspective, not a New Covenant perspective. Many of the benefits of the New Covenant were not available to the Old Testament saints, they were not as far reaching or comprehensive as those under the New Covenant.  For instance, here in Psalm 19:13 David pleads with God not to allow willful sins to have dominion over him. Under the New Covenant because of what Christ Jesus accomplished for us through his death and resurrection we have the promise of victory over sin. In the first verses of Romans 6, the Apostle Paul gives us the promise of victory over sin.

a). Romans 6:1-5 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

2). The promises do not just fall into our laps, we have to receive them by faith. We have to utilize the provisions God has given us in the New Covenant through grace and faith.

a). Romans 6:11-14 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

b). Here the Scripture says covenantally that God has done away with sin and will not allow sin to have dominion over us. We on the other side of the Covenant in light of that promise, through the grace and faith provided in the Covenant, walk in obedience to the Scripture and do not allow sin to reign over us by yielding to it. If we in disobedience begin to play with sin and obey sinful actions, it will overpower us and we will become slaves to it again.  

3. “...then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.”

a. then [Strong: 227 'az awz a demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a conjunction, therefore:--beginning, for, from, hitherto, now, of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.]

b. [shall I be] upright [Strong: 8552 tâmam, taw-mam'; a primitive root; to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive:—accomplish, cease, be clean (pass-) ed, consume, have done, (come to an, have an, make an) end, fail, come to the full, be all gone, × be all here, be (make) perfect, be spent, sum, be (shew self) upright, be wasted, whole.]

c. [and I shall be] innocent [Strong: 5352 nâqâh, naw-kaw'; a primitive root; to be (or make) clean (literally or figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be bare, i.e. extirpated:—acquit × at all, × altogether, be blameless, cleanse, (be) clear(-ing), cut off, be desolate, be free, be (hold) guiltless, be (hold) innocent, × by no means, be quit, be (leave) unpunished, × utterly, × wholly.]

d. [from the] great [Strong: 7227 rab, rab; by contracted from H7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality):—(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).]

e. transgression [Strong: 6588 peshaʻ, peh'-shah; from H6586; a revolt (national, moral or religious):—rebellion, sin, transgression, trespass.]