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Psalms 119:1-88

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1 [a] Blessed are those whose 1way is blameless, who 2walk in the law of the LORD!
2 Blessed are those who 3keep his 4testimonies, who 5seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also 6do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your 7precepts to be kept diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may 8be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
6 9Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn 10your righteous rules.[b]
8 I will keep your statutes; 11do not utterly forsake me!
9 How can 12a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
10 13With my whole heart I seek you; let me not 14wander from your commandments!
11 I have 15stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O LORD; 16teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I 17declare all the rules[c] of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I 18delight as much as in all 19riches.
15 I will 20meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your 21ways.
16 I will 22delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
17 23Deal bountifully with your servant, 24that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
19 I am 25a sojourner on the earth; 26hide not your commandments from me!
20 My soul is consumed with 27longing for your rules[d] at all times.
21 You rebuke 28the insolent, 29accursed ones, who 30wander from your commandments.
22 Take away from me 31scorn and contempt, 32for I have kept your testimonies.
23 Even though 33princes sit plotting against me, your servant will 34meditate on your statutes.
24 Your testimonies are my 35delight; they are my 36counselors.
25 37My soul clings to the dust; 38give me life 39according to your word!
26 When 40I told of my ways, you answered me; 41teach me your statutes!
27 42Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will 43meditate on your wondrous works.
28 44My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!
29 Put false ways far from me and graciously 45teach me your law!
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I 46set your rules before me.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; 47let me not be put to shame!
32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you 48enlarge my heart![e]
33 49Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it 50to the end.[f]
34 51Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
35 52Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I 53delight in it.
36 54Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to 55selfish gain!
37 56Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and 57give me life in your ways.
38 58Confirm to your servant your promise, 59that you may be feared.
39 Turn away the 60reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.
40 Behold, I 61long for your precepts; 62in your righteousness give me life!
41 Let your 63steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation 64according to your promise;
42 then 65shall I have an answer for him 66who taunts me, for I trust in your word.
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my 67hope is in your rules.
44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever,
45 and I shall walk 68in a wide place, for I have 69sought your precepts.
46 I will also speak of your testimonies 70before kings and shall not be put to shame,
47 for I 71find my delight in your commandments, which I love.
48 I will 72lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will 73meditate on your statutes.
49 Remember 74your word to your servant, in which you have made me 75hope.
50 This is 76my comfort in my affliction, that your promise 77gives me life.
51 78The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not 79turn away from your law.
52 When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O LORD.
53 80Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law.
54 Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my 81sojourning.
55 I 82remember your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law.
56 This blessing has fallen to me, that 83I have kept your precepts.
57 84The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words.
58 I 85entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me 86according to your promise.
59 When I 87think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;
60 I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.
61 Though 88the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not 89forget your law.
62 At 90midnight I rise to praise you, because of your 91righteous rules.
63 92I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts.
64 93The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; 94teach me your statutes!
65 You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, 95according to your word.
66 Teach me 96good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.
67 97Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.
68 98You are good and do good; 99teach me your statutes.
69 100The insolent 101smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I 102keep your precepts;
70 their heart is unfeeling 103like fat, but I 104delight in your law.
71 It is 105good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
72 106The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
73 107Your hands have made and fashioned me; 108give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
74 Those who fear you shall see me and 109rejoice, because I have 110hoped in your word.
75 I know, O LORD, that your rules are 111righteous, and that in 112faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your 113mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my 114delight.
78 Let 115the insolent be put to 116shame, because they have 117wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will 118meditate on your precepts.
79 Let those who fear you 119turn to me, that they may know your testimonies.
80 May my heart be 120blameless in your statutes, 121that I may not be put to shame!
81 My soul 122longs for your salvation; I 123hope in your word.
82 My 124eyes long for your promise; I ask, 125"When will you comfort me?"
83 For I have 126become like a 127wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
84 128How long must your servant endure?[g] 129When will you judge those who persecute me?
85 130The insolent have 131dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law.
86 All your commandments are 132sure; they persecute me 133with falsehood; 134help me!
87 They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.
88 In your steadfast love 135give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.
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Images for Psalms 119:1-88

Psalm 119:11
Psalm 119:114
Abide by the Law and You Will Not Stumble

Psalms 119:1-88 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

Footnotes 7

  • [a]. This psalm is an acrostic poem of twenty-two stanzas, following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; within a stanza, each verse begins with the same Hebrew letter
  • [b]. Or your just and righteous decrees; also verses 62, 106, 160, 164
  • [c]. Or all the just decrees
  • [d]. Or your just decrees; also verses 30, 39, 43, 52, 75, 102, 108, 137, 156, 175
  • [e]. Or for you set my heart free
  • [f]. Or keep it as my reward
  • [g]. Hebrew How many are the days of your servant?
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.