Proverbs 19:16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul: but he that despiseth his ways shall die.
This proverb contains one of many great promises in Scripture that come about as a result of keeping the Commandments of God. If you keep the Commandments you will live well (keep your own soul); if you despise God’s Commandments you will die. To despise in this context means to ignore, to regard as unimportant, to not pay attention to, to be indifferent to God (not God-fearing), to think it doesn’t matter, in addition to just plain disobey the Law. Then you will die. “In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” “The wages of sin is death.” It couldn’t be clearer, plainer, or simpler. Obedience brings life; disobedience death.
There is a play on the word “keep:” Keep (obey) the commandment; keep (enhance) your soul. Keep your soul = stay alive, live, live well, and enjoy life. The soul is your self, your person, your identity; it is your mind, will, and emotions.
The Law of God is a gift of God, for it makes a good life. Even unbelievers will enjoy a good life when they keep the Ten Commandments on a surface level, and also when society does as well. And life would be even better if we could keep the Commandments inwardly and avoid deadly sins like lust, greed, anger, envy and such in our thought life. But no, we die a little more every day, and lose our soul.
Thankfully, and with exceeding gratitude, Christ died to save the soul (our life) and to give us for free a righteous life (God’s eternal life). Christ lived for us, and Christ lives in us. By faith we “keep the commandment,” and therefore, by faith we “keep our own soul.” We are alive in Christ.