Psalms 119:55-127

55 In the night, LORD, I remember your name, that I may keep your law.

56 This has been my practice: I obey your precepts.

57 You are my portion, LORD; I have promised to obey your words.

58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

59 I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.

60 I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law.

62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.

63 I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.

64 The earth is filled with your love, LORD; teach me your decrees.

65 Do good to your servant according to your word, LORD.

66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands.

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.

68 You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.

69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart.

70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law.

71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.

74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

75 I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.

78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.

79 May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes.

80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.

81 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.

82 My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, “When will you comfort me?”

83 Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees.

84 How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors?

85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me, contrary to your law.

86 All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for I am being persecuted without cause.

87 They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.

88 In your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.

89 Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.

91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.

92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.

94 Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.

95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.

96 To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.

97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

98 Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.

99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.

100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.

101 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.

102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.

107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, LORD, according to your word.

108 Accept, LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.

109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.

110 The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts.

111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.

112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.^[a]

113 I hate double-minded people, but I love your law.

114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

115 Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!

116 Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.

117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.

118 You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their delusions come to nothing.

119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes.

120 My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.

121 I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors.

122 Ensure your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant oppress me.

123 My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise.

124 Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees.

125 I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.

126 It is time for you to act, LORD; your law is being broken.

127 Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold,

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Psalms 119:55-127 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 119

This psalm is generally thought to be written by David, but when is uncertain; very probably towards the decline of life; and, as some think, for the sake or his son Solomon. It seems to be a collection of observations on the word of God and its precepts, the usefulness and excellency of it, he had made in the course of his life; interspersed with various petitions for the grace of God, to enable him to observe it. The psalm is a very extraordinary one; partly on account of the unusual length of it, it being more than double the length of the longest psalm in the whole book; and partly on account of its curious composition. It consists of twenty two parts, according to the number of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet; the names of which letters stand between each part; and every part consists of eight verses, all of which begin with the same letter: thus, for instance, the first eight verses begin with the letter a, "aleph", and the second eight verses begin with the letter b, "beth", and so on throughout; hence the Masorah calls this psalm the Great Alphabet. This the psalmist did, perhaps to excite attention to what he said, and also to help the memory. And it is observable that there are very few verses in the whole, not more than one or two, but what has something in it concerning the word of God, and its precepts and ordinances; there are nine or ten different words used relative to it, which signify much one and the same thing; as laws, statutes, judgments, testimonies Luther {m} observes, that neither Cicero, nor Virgil, nor Demosthenes, are to be compared with David for eloquence, as we see in the hundred nineteenth Psalm, where he divideth one sense and meaning into twenty two sorts. And it may also be remarked, that there is nothing in it concerning the tabernacle worship, or the rites and ceremonies of the legal dispensation; so that it seems to be calculated for, and is suited to, the word of God, and the ordinances of it, as we now have them in their full perfection: and the design of the whole is to show the fervent affection the psalmist had for the word of God, and to stir up the same in others.

{m} Mensal. Colloqu. c. 32. p. 365.

a, \\ALEPH.--The First Part\\.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 135

1. ver 62,72; Psalms 1:2; Psalms 42:8; S Psalms 63:6; Psalms 77:2; Isaiah 26:9; Acts 16:25
2. S ver 44
3. ver 4,100,134,168; S Numbers 15:40
4. S Deuteronomy 32:9; Psalms 16:5; Jeremiah 51:19; Lamentations 3:24
5. ver 17,67,101
6. S Deuteronomy 4:29; S 1 Chronicles 16:11; Psalms 34:4
7. S Genesis 43:29; S Ezra 9:8; 1 Kings 13:6
8. ver 41
9. Joshua 24:14-15; S Psalms 39:1; Luke 15:17-18
10. ver 115
11. ver 83,109,153,176; Psalms 140:5
12. S ver 55; Acts 16:25
13. ver 7
14. Psalms 15:4; Psalms 101:6-7; Psalms 103:11
15. ver 56; Psalms 111:10
16. Psalms 33:5
17. ver 12,108
18. ver 17; Psalms 125:4; Isaiah 50:2; Isaiah 59:1; Micah 2:7
19. S ver 9
20. S Psalms 51:6
21. S Psalms 116:10
22. S Psalms 95:10; S Jeremiah 8:4; Jeremiah 31:18-19; Hebrews 12:11
23. S ver 17
24. Psalms 100:5; Psalms 106:1; Psalms 107:1; Psalms 135:3; Matthew 19:17
25. S Exodus 18:20; ver 12
26. Job 13:4; Psalms 109:2
27. S Psalms 17:10; Isaiah 29:13; Isaiah 6:10; Acts 28:27
28. ver 67,75
29. S Job 28:17; S Psalms 19:10; Pr 8:10-11,19
30. S Genesis 1:27; S Job 4:17; Job 10:8; Psalms 100:3; Psalms 138:8; Psalms 139:13-16
31. S Psalms 34:2
32. ver 9; Psalms 130:5
33. ver 7,138,172
34. Hebrews 12:5-11
35. Psalms 6:4
36. S ver 41
37. ver 41; Psalms 90:13; Psalms 103:13
38. S ver 47
39. ver 51; Jeremiah 50:32
40. ver 86,161; Psalms 35:19
41. ver 27,125
42. ver 1; S 1 Kings 8:61
43. S Genesis 26:5
44. S ver 6
45. ver 20; Psalms 84:2
46. ver 123
47. S ver 43
48. S Psalms 6:7; Psalms 69:3; Lamentations 2:11
49. ver 41,123
50. S ver 61
51. Psalms 6:3; Psalms 39:4; Revelation 6:10
52. ver 51; Jeremiah 12:3; Jeremiah 15:15; Jeremiah 20:11
53. ver 51
54. Psalms 35:7; Psalms 57:6; Jeremiah 18:20,22
55. ver 138; Psalms 35:19
56. S Psalms 109:26
57. S Psalms 7:1
58. S ver 78
59. ver 150; Isaiah 1:4,28; Isaiah 58:2; Isaiah 59:13
60. S Psalms 41:2
61. ver 124; Psalms 51:1; Psalms 109:26
62. ver 2,100,129,134,168
63. ver 111,144; S Psalms 111:8; Isaiah 51:6; S Matthew 5:18; Matthew 24:34-35; 1 Peter 1:25
64. S Psalms 36:5
65. S Psalms 45:17
66. S Job 8:19; Psalms 148:6; Ecclesiastes 1:4
67. Jeremiah 33:25
68. Psalms 104:2-4; Jeremiah 31:35
69. Psalms 37:4; S Psalms 112:1
70. ver 50,67
71. ver 83
72. S Psalms 103:5
73. ver 146; Psalms 54:1; Psalms 116:4; Jeremiah 17:14; Jeremiah 31:18; Jeremiah 42:11
74. S ver 45
75. S Psalms 69:4
76. ver 99
77. Psalms 19:7
78. S ver 47
79. S ver 15; Psalms 1:2
80. ver 130; S Deuteronomy 4:6; Psalms 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:15
81. ver 15
82. S ver 56; S Deuteronomy 6:17; Job 32:7-9
83. Proverbs 1:15
84. S ver 57
85. S Deuteronomy 17:20
86. S Deuteronomy 4:5
87. S Psalms 19:10; Proverbs 8:11
88. Proverbs 24:13-14
89. S Psalms 111:10
90. ver 128
91. Proverbs 20:27; 2 Peter 1:19
92. ver 130; Proverbs 6:23
93. S Nehemiah 10:29
94. ver 7
95. S ver 25
96. Psalms 51:15; Psalms 63:5; Psalms 71:8; Psalms 109:30; Hosea 14:2; Hebrews 13:15
97. S ver 64
98. S Judges 12:3; Job 13:14
99. S ver 61
100. Psalms 25:15; S Psalms 64:5; Isaiah 8:14; Amos 3:5; Psalms 140:5; Psalms 141:9
101. ver 10
102. ver 14,162
103. S Psalms 108:1
104. ver 33
105. S 1 Kings 18:21; James 1:8; James 4:8
106. ver 47
107. S Genesis 15:1; S Psalms 18:2; Psalms 32:7; Psalms 91:1
108. S ver 43; ver 74
109. S Psalms 6:8; Psalms 139:19; Matthew 7:23
110. S Psalms 18:35; Psalms 41:3; Psalms 55:22; Isaiah 46:4; Psalms 54:4
111. S ver 41
112. Psalms 25:2; Romans 5:5; Romans 9:33
113. Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 46:4
114. Psalms 34:4
115. ver 6
116. S ver 10
117. Isaiah 1:22,25; Ezekiel 22:18,19
118. ver 47
119. S Job 4:14; S Isaiah 64:2; Habakkuk 3:16
120. S Joshua 24:14
121. Jeremiah 10:7; Habakkuk 3:2
122. S 2 Samuel 8:15; S Job 27:6
123. S Job 17:3
124. ver 21,121,134; Psalms 106:42
125. Isaiah 38:14
126. ver 81
127. S ver 82
128. S ver 88; S Psalms 25:7
129. ver 12
130. S Psalms 116:16
131. S ver 79
132. S Numbers 15:31
133. S ver 47
134. Psalms 19:10
135. S Job 3:21

Footnotes 1

[a]. Or "decrees / for their enduring reward"