Psalms 119:1-53

1 ALEPH. Blessed [are] the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

2 Blessed [are] they that keep his testimonies, [and that] seek him with the whole heart.

3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

4 Thou hast commanded [us] to keep thy precepts diligently.

5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all thy commandments.

7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

9 BETH. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed [to it], according to thy word.

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

11 Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.

12 Blessed [art] thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as [much as] in all riches.

15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect to thy ways.

16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

17 GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, [that] I may live, and keep thy word.

18 Open thou my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

19 I [am] a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

20 My soul breaketh for the longing [that it hath] to thy judgments at all times.

21 Thou hast rebuked the proud [that are] cursed, who do err from thy commandments.

22 Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.

23 Princes also did sit [and] speak against me: [but] thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

24 Thy testimonies also [are] my delight, [and] my counselors.

25 DALETH. My soul cleaveth to the dust: revive thou me according to thy word.

26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according to thy word.

29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid [before me].

31 I have adhered to thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.

32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

33 HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it [to] the end.

34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yes, I shall observe it with [my] whole heart.

35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for in that do I delight.

36 Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

37 Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity; [and] revive thou me in thy way.

38 Establish thy word to thy servant, who [is devoted] to thy fear.

39 Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments [are] good.

40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: revive me in thy righteousness.

41 VAU. Let thy mercies come also to me, O LORD, [even] thy salvation, according to thy word.

42 So shall I have with which to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.

43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.

44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.

45 And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.

46 I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.

47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.

48 My hands also will I lift to thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.

49 ZAIN. Remember the word to thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

50 This [is] my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath revived me.

51 The proud have had me greatly in derision: [yet] I have not declined from thy law.

52 I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.

53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.

Psalms 119:1-53 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\\.