Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 119:116

"Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live; And let me not be ashamed of my hope." — Psalms 119:116 (ASV)

Uphold me – Sustain me in the trials and temptations of life. Help me to bear afflictions without sinking under them; to meet temptations without yielding to them; to encounter opposition from the enemies of religion without being overcome.

According to your word –

1. According to the requirements of your word – that I may be conformed to them;
2. According to the promises of your word – that they may be verified in me.

That I may live – That my life may not be cut off by my foes, and that I may not sink under my burdens.

And let me not be ashamed of my hope – The meaning of this is, let not my hope prove to be delusive and vain; let it not be seen at last that it is worthless, or that religion has no power to accomplish what it promises. See Psalms 6:10, note; Psalms 25:2–3, note; Psalms 31:1, note. The phrase does not mean, as it would seem to signify, "Let me not blush, or be unwilling to acknowledge my hope, or to profess that I am a friend of God." That would be, indeed, a proper prayer, but it is not the prayer here.