Psalms 119:70
Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.
Psalms 119:70 (KJV)
Context
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, with 176 verses arranged in 22 stanzas. Each stanza begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This verse belongs to the stanza for the letter Ayin. The psalm as a whole is a devoted celebration of God’s Word, and verse 70 sits within that larger song of praise. The psalmist repeatedly expresses joy and love for God’s commandments, and this verse is one of many such moments.
Meaning
The verse draws a sharp contrast between two kinds of hearts. The psalmist says the heart of the wicked is “fat as grease.” In Hebrew, this picture means a heart covered with fat, dull and insensitive. Such a heart has become numb, like an animal that has eaten too much and no longer feels. It is hardened by worldly abundance and self-satisfaction, so it does not respond to God. The Hebrew metaphor also suggests a heart “shut up with fat,” lacking feeling, like an overfed animal that has grown gross and senseless. This condition is linked to those who are glutted with the things of this world, having more than they could wish, which leads to pride and haughtiness. Their hearts are past feeling, given over to a reprobate mind, with no sense of duty and no remorse for sin.
The psalmist’s own heart is the opposite. He declares, “I delight in thy law.” The word “delight” means more than simple approval. It is a deep, affectionate joy in God’s commandments. The psalmist finds pleasure, satisfaction, and life in the Scriptures. His heart remains tender and responsive because he treasures what God has revealed. This delight is not merely intellectual but a warm, heartfelt love for God’s will.
Biblical connections
This same image of a fat, unfeeling heart appears in Isaiah 6:9-10. There the people’s hearts are described as fat, their ears heavy, and their eyes shut, so they cannot perceive or understand. That passage shows the tragic result of spiritual dullness: a person becomes unable to turn and be healed. Psalm 119:70 offers the remedy. A heart that delights in God’s law stays soft and alert, while a heart consumed by worldly desires grows hard and blind. The contrast is clear: spiritual insensitivity comes from being consumed by worldly abundance, while true sensitivity comes from treasuring God’s Word.
Application
This verse calls every believer to examine his or her own heart. A heart can become “fat as grease” without open rebellion. It can happen gradually through too much comfort, too much self-focus, and too little time in Scripture. The psalmist’s example points to a better path. The remedy for a dull heart is a renewed love for and meditation upon Scripture.
Make time for God’s Word daily, even if it is brief, and let it shape your thoughts and choices.
Seek spiritual nourishment from Scripture, just as you seek food for your body, so your faith grows strong.
Guard against worldly influences that dull your sensitivity to sin and to God’s voice.
Ask God to give you a genuine delight in His law, not just a sense of duty.
Reflection
The contrast in this verse is not only between the wicked and the psalmist. It is also a mirror for our own hearts. We may not see ourselves as wicked, but we can still become spiritually insensitive through prosperity and self-indulgence. The remedy is not to try harder in our own strength. It is to return to God’s Word with love and expectation. When we delight in His law, our hearts remain soft, teachable, and ready to follow Him.
