“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.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 19:13 Mean?
"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." David prays for protection from a specific category of sin: presumptuous sins — deliberate, willful, eyes-open transgressions. He doesn't just ask for forgiveness after sinning. He asks for prevention before sinning. The prayer is preemptive, not reactive.
The word "presumptuous" (zedim — proud, arrogant, deliberate) describes sins committed with full awareness: not accidental errors or momentary lapses but deliberate choices to defy God's known will. David recognizes that his greatest danger isn't ignorant sin but intentional sin — the kind committed with eyes wide open.
The phrase "let them not have dominion" (al yimshelu bi — let them not rule over me) personifies presumptuous sins as potential masters: sin doesn't just happen to you. It can dominate you. The presumptuous sin that starts as a choice can become a ruler. David asks God to prevent the first act of presumptuousness from becoming a pattern of domination.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What deliberate sin — one you're choosing with eyes open — needs God's intervention before it masters you?
- 2.How does the escalation from choice to habit to dominion describe sin's progression in your life?
- 3.What does asking God to PREVENT sin (not just forgive it) change about your prayer life?
- 4.What 'great transgression' might the smaller presumptuous sins in your life be leading toward?
Devotional
Keep me from deliberate sins. Don't let them rule me. David's prayer isn't about accidental mistakes — it's about the sins you choose with your eyes open. The presumptuous sin: the one you know is wrong, the one you see clearly, the one you walk toward intentionally. David asks God to keep him back from THOSE.
The 'presumptuous' — deliberate, proud, willful — describes the most dangerous category of sin: the kind you can't claim ignorance about. You knew it was wrong. You saw the line. You crossed it anyway. That's presumption — the arrogance of sinning against known truth. David recognizes this as his greatest threat. Not the sins of ignorance. The sins of intention.
The 'let them not have dominion over me' reveals the escalation pattern: the first presumptuous sin is a choice. The second is easier. The third is habit. The tenth is domination. What started as a deliberate decision becomes a ruling pattern. The sin that you chose ends up choosing you. David asks God to prevent the first step because he knows where the last step leads.
The 'then shall I be upright' makes the logic clear: keeping free from presumptuous sins is the condition for uprightness. The innocence from 'the great transgression' depends on being kept from the smaller presumptuous ones. The great fall is always preceded by smaller, deliberate steps. David asks God to prevent the steps that lead to the fall.
What presumptuous sin — one you're choosing with your eyes open — needs God's keeping before it becomes your master?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Let the words of my mouth,.... Meaning either his speech in common conversation, which should not be filthy and foolish,…
Keep back thy servant also - Restrain thy servant; or, do not suffer him to commit those sins. From presumptuous sins -…
God's glory, (that is, his goodness to man) appears much in the works of creation, but much more in and by divine…
For sins committed -in error," (A.V. through ignorance) and for -hidden" offences, the ceremonial law provided an…
Cross References
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