A more common rendering of this verse is "Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Thy word." However, the ERV-having set aside the symbolism found in more traditional renderings-gets to the heart of the verse and its basic meaning. Thus, its clarity is also its potency.

While authorship of the book of Psalms is often attributed to King David, only slightly over half of the 150 psalms claim to be Davidic in authorship. Psalm 119 is one of those ancient songs that is not attributed to David, and one that actually has no author listed at its beginning. Regardless, the unnamed psalmist sings to his God, "Hide me" from the evildoers, and "protect me" from their evil ways. "I trust in your words," and I will "keep your statutes continually" (119:14, 115 & 117).

The message of this psalm is simple. There are a lot of evil doers in the world and, if we do not depart from them, we will get entangled in the same snares they have fallen prey to. If we "love God's law" or ways (119:113) and keep His "statutes," we will be protected. However, if we allow ourselves to love "them that err from [God's] statutes," we to will err, and be "trodden down" (119:118) with others who are wicked.