Psalms 119:122

122 Take up thy servant into goodness; they that be proud challenge not me. (Yea, protect thy servant; let not those who be proud oppress me.)

Psalms 119:122 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 119:122

Be surety for thy servant for good
The psalmist was, in a like case with Hezekiah, oppressed; and therefore desires the Lord would undertake for him, appear on his side, and defend him, ( Psalms 38:14 ) ; and if God himself is the surety of his people, and engages in their behalf, they need fear no enemy. What David prays to God to be for him, that Christ is for all his people, ( Hebrews 7:22 ) . He drew nigh to God, struck hands with him, gave his word and bond to pay the debts of his people; put himself in their legal place and stead, and became responsible to law and justice for them; engaged to make satisfaction for their sins, to bring in everlasting righteousness for their justification, and to preserve and keep them, and bring them safe to eternal glory and happiness; and this was being a surety for them for good. The Syriac version is, "delight that servant with good things"; and to the same sense the Targum and Kimchi interpret it: but Jarchi and Aben Ezra take the word to have the same meaning we do; and so Aquila and Theodotion translate it: the sense Arama gives is,

``be surety for thy servant, that I may be good;''

let not the proud oppress me;
the oppressors of God's people are generally proud; they are such who deal in proud wrath; it is in their pride, and owing to it, they persecute them, ( Psalms 10:2 ) . This has been their character in all ages, and agrees with the man of sin and his followers, who is king over all the children of pride; but wherein such men deal proudly and oppress, God is higher than they, and therefore most proper to be applied unto.

Psalms 119:122 In-Context

120 Nail thou my flesh with thy dread; for I dreaded of thy dooms. (My flesh shaketh in fear of thee; because I fear thy judgements/because I revere thy justice.)

121 [Ain]. I did doom and rightwiseness; betake thou not me to them that falsely challenge me. (I did what is just and right; so do not thou deliver me up to those who will oppress me.)

122 Take up thy servant into goodness; they that be proud challenge not me. (Yea, protect thy servant; let not those who be proud oppress me.)

123 Mine eyes failed into thine health; and into the speech of thy rightfulness. (My eyes fail looking for thy salvation, or for thy deliverance; and for the word of thy righteousness.)

124 Do thou with thy servant after thy mercy; and teach thou me thy justifyings. (Do thou with thy servant according to thy love; and teach thou me thy statutes.)