Psalm 119:73

This, however, is an error, as Augustine notes; for it is written, "The heavens are the work of thine hands." Psalms 102:25 . --C.H.S.

Verse 73. -- Thy hands. Oh, look upon the wounds of thine hands, and forget not the work of thine hands: so Queen Elizabeth prayed. --John Trapp.

Verse 73. -- Some refer the verb hyhn, "made," to the soul, yhnv, "fashioned," to the body. -- D.H. Mollerus.

Verse 73. -- Made me and fashioned me: give me understanding. The greatness of God is no hindrance to his intercourse with us, for one special part of the divine greatness is to be able to condescend to the littleness of created beings, seeing that creaturehood must, from its very name, have this littleness; inasmuch as God must ever be God, and man must ever be man: the ocean must ever be the ocean, the drop must ever be the drop. The greatness of God compassing our littleness about, as the heavens the earth, and fitting into it on every side, as the air into all parts of the earth, is that which makes the intercourse so complete and blessed: "In his hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind" ( Job 12:10 ). Such is his nearness to, such is his intimacy with, the works of his hands. It is nearness, not distance, that the name Creator implies; and the simple fact of his having made us is the assurance of his desire to bless us and to hold intercourse with us. Communication between the thing made and its maker is involved in the very idea of creation. "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give we understanding, that I may learn thy commandments." "Faithful Creator" is his name ( 1 Peter 4:19 ), and as such we appeal to him, "Forsake not the work of thine own hands" ( Psalms 138:8 ). -- Horatius Bonar, in "The Rent Veil", 1875.

Verse 73. -- Give we understanding, etc. The book of God is like the apothecary's shop, there is no wound but therein is a remedy; but if a stranger come unto the apothecary's shop, though all these things be there, vet he cannot tell where they are, but the apothecary himself knoweth; so in the Scriptures, there are cures for any infirmities; there is comfort against any sorrows, and by conferring chapter with chapter, we shall understand them. The Scriptures are not wanting to us, but we to ourselves; let us be conversant in them, and we shall understand them, when great clerks who are negligent remain in darkness. --Richard Stock.

Verse 73. -- Give me understanding. Let us pray unto God that he would open our understandings, that as he hath given us consciences to guide us, so also he would give eyes to these guides that they may be able to direct us aright. The truth is, it is God only that can soundly enlighten our consciences; and therefore let us pray unto him to do it. All our studying, and hearing, and reading, and conferring will never be able to do it; it is only in the power of him who made us to do it. He who made our consciences, he only can give them this heavenly light of true knowledge and right understanding; and therefore let us seek earnestly to him for it. --William Fenner, 1600-1640.

Verse 73. -- That I may learn thy commandments. That he might learn them so as to know the sense and meaning of them, their purity and spirituality; and so as to do them from a principle of love, in faith, and to the glory of God: for it is not a bare learning of them by heart or committing them to memory, nor a mere theory of them, but the practice of them in faith and love, which is here meant. --John Gill.

Verse 73-74. -- From these verses, learn,

HINTS FOR PASTORS AND LAYPERSONS

Outlines Upon Keywords of the Psalm, By Pastor C. A. Davis.

Verse 73-80. -- Natural and spiritual creation. The Psalmist prays to the Creator for spiritual life or "understanding" ( Psalms 119:73 ), he will then be welcomed by the spiritual ( Psalms 119:74 ). He submissively receives affliction for spiritual training ( Psalms 119:75-77 ), deprecates the hostility of the proud ( Psalms 119:78 ), craves the company of the spiritual ( Psalms 119:79 ), and prays for heart soundness ( Psalms 119:80 ).

Verse 73. --