My first use of a fountain pen (aside from the obligatory use of ‘cartridge pens’ back in primary school in the mid-70s) was around October 2015. At the time I was doing some journaling along with my Bible reading and recognised that my handwriting was pretty ordinary. I did some research1 and came across the idea that writing with a fountain pen can improve one’s handwriting because you generally slow down a little and take more care with the letters being formed.
For some reason every six or twelve months I tend to switch Linux distros. Some of that history can be read here, here, here, here, here and here.
My mid-2021 switch has been from Fedora 32 running Gnome 3 to Arch running i3. What precipitated this flip? A couple of things: a new release of the Gnome Desktop Environment had been released and Fedora seemed a little slow (to me) in making it available in their stable branch. Whilst I can appreciate the stability and certainty that brings many users, in this case I wanted to try out Gnome 40 a little sooner. I realise I could have moved to the development branch (called Rawhide), but I instead opted for a clean install of something else. Interestingly (to me, anyway), that decision to move to Gnome 40 is what also moved me on from Gnome to re-look at some tiling window managers. But more on that shortly.
Over the past week-and-a-half I’ve been spending time reading the early stages of Luke’s gospel. I’m not reading aimlessly or randomly but have begun using Search the Scriptures - which is a book first published in 1934 and revised in 1949 and 1967 that seeks to encourage regular, systematic Bible reading and study.
The material in Search the Scriptures covers the entire Bible and contains studies to take exactly three years if it is used daily. A day’s study involves reading a portion of Scripture and then answering two or three questions about that day’s reading.
We’re looking at the eleventh stanza of Psalm 119 - verses 81 to 88 prefixed with the letter kaf. This will bring us to the half way mark in the Psalm.
These verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments are:
81. My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.
Interesting to see the words ’languishes’ and ‘wait’ in this verse. It runs counter to the idea common in Christian (and other) circles that we always need to be doing something.
The word languishes is from the Hebrew kalah (H3615) and expresses the idea of ending or completing, to faint or to fail. It is more than just lying around and strikes me as the idea of fading away.
And this languishing soul is looking for the salvation that comes from the Lord. It can only come from the Lord. So David waits hopefully and patiently for the Lord’s word to be fulfilled.
82. My eyes fail with longing for Your word, While I say, “When will You comfort me?”
Continues this idea from yesterday’s verse of waiting expectantly and hopefully.
This time David is seeking comfort from the Lord’s word - the fulfilment of the word of the Lord.
Matthew Henry observes that:
‘The salvation and consolation of God’s people are secured to them by the word, which will certainly be fulfilled in its season.’
‘The promised salvation and comfort may be, and often are, long deferred, so that they are ready to faint and fall in the expectation of them.’
‘Though we think the time long ere the promised salvation and comfort come, yet we must still keep our eye upon that salvation, and resolve to take up with nothing short of it.’
83. Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.
I’m not sure what this simile is pointing to. What are the characteristics of a wineskin in smoke? Wrinkled? Grey? Blotchy? Smelly? Unusable until cleaned? Permanently damaged?
The reference to not forgetting the Lord’s statutes would point to age or the passing of time.
Regardless of the cultural transference of the smoky wineskin analogy, the point is that the Psalmist is declaring he doesn’t forget the Lord’s statutes. These are a part of his identity and direction because he has long been reading, memorising, studying, meditating on and seeking to live by and abide in these statutes.
Matthew Henry suggests that, ‘a leathern bottle, which, if it hung any while in the smoke, was not only blackened with soot, but dried, and parched, and shrivelled up. David was thus wasted by age, and sickness, and sorrow.’ Despite that unattractive picture, he continues, ‘Whatever our outward condition is we must not cool in our affection to the word of God, nor let that slip out of our minds; no care, no grief, must crowd that out.’
84. How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?
There seems to be a a common thread through this and the preceding three verses - that David is getting old and/or frail and he wants to see God’s vindication before he dies.
David’s soul is languishing (v. 81), his eyes are failing (v. 82), he has become like a wineskin subjected to smoke (v. 83) and now he is asking how many days he has.
David is seeking justice to be mete out by God on those who persecute David.
The first clause reminds me of Psalm 90:12, ‘So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.’ They are coming from different places and have different emphases, however.
85. The arrogant have dug pits for me, Men who are not in accord with Your law.
Continues the theme of affliction by David’s enemies.
The pit that has been dug is (hopefully) metaphorical. The Hebrew words translated as ‘dug pits’ can also be read as plotting a fall - so it is conspiring to bring about David’s downfall or at least a fall.
David draws a comparison between those who are digging the pits and those ‘who are not is accord with Your law’.
This idea of being ‘in accord with Your law’ isn’t referring to those who pay lip service to God and His laws, but to those who are living consistently as God would have them. It’s those who aren’t wilfully sinning but instead intentionally seeking to live holy lives.
86. All Your commandments are faithful; They have persecuted me with a lie; help me!
Further commentary on those who are persecuting David. The pits they have dug (from verse 85) are lies. The intention is to discredit David.
There is a strong contrast between the commandments of the Lord - which are faithful, trustworthy and true, and the lies of those seeking to persecute David.
David seeks the Lord’s help against his persecutors. He anticipates some relief because the Lord’s commandments are faithful.
87. They almost destroyed me on earth, But as for me, I did not forsake Your precepts.
David lets God know (and us) that the plotting and digging and persecution and affliction against him almost succeeded - ’they almost destroyed me’.
The qualifier ‘on earth’ is interesting because it points to a knowledge that there is something more. Perhaps it is because his thought or prayer is expressed to God ‘in heaven’, but it strikes me that David has an understanding that his eternal future could not be destroyed.
And the basis for that confidence is because he did not forsake the Lord’s precepts. David was obedient to the word of God and trusting in God’s revealed character and nature.
88. Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.
The Psalmist is again seeking/praying for personal revival (not in the sense it was/is used in Christian circles today) - for the Lord to preserve and restore David.
And this request is consistent with the Lord’s lovingkindness - because of His demonstrated love for His people and His creation.
David concludes the stanza by stating the reason for his request - so he can keep the testimony of the Lord’s mouth - to be able to attest to the Lord’s goodness and trustworthiness.
This brings us to the end of the first half of Psalm 119. I intend to take a break from meditating on the verses from this Psalm and posting those reflections for the next few months and resume the second half in July.
We’re looking at the tenth stanza of Psalm 119 - verses 73 to 80 prefixed with the letter yod.
These verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments are:
73. Your hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
Begins (as all sensible thinking should) with an acknowledgement of God’s creatorship2 and, therefore, a prayer for understanding.
Here the understanding is sought to enable the Psalmist to learn the commandments. Usually one would learn the Lord’s commandments to gain understanding (what we may call wisdom for right living), but David asks for understanding to provide the imperative for him to learn.
In a sense David’s thinking is ‘give me understanding so I may gain even more understanding by learning Your commandments’.
It is akin to an earlier verse in the Psalm - verse 18 - ‘Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.’ My comments on this earlier verse are here.
74. May those who fear You see me and be glad, Because I wait for Your word.
An interesting flow of thoughts here. Because David waits for the Lord’s word (we’ll get to this in a moment), he prays that those who cross David’s path with be glad and respond favourably.
This may be conveying a general gladness when one believer sees/meets another, but it may be more specific because David has been vilified by ungodly people for his faith and the favour God has shown him.
The idea of ‘waiting’ is from the Hebrew yachal (H3176) which means to wait (no surprise there!) but, by implication picks up the idea of hoping and trusting. It is not a forlorn wait, but an expectant one which will be satisfied.
75. I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
David returns to the theme of affliction which has been referred to in verses 50, 67 and 71. I would be careful in attributing the affliction in verse 50 to the Lord, but I think it becomes clearer from 67 to 71 to 75 that David identifies the source of the affliction/correction/discipline as the Lord.
Here David is more explicit about both the Lord’s righteous judgements, and the source/purpose of David’s afflictions.
The purpose of the affliction is to build faithfulness in the recipient. The source of the affliction is “You” - the Lord. And the basis is God’s righteous judgement/assessment of David’s condition and need.
This verse sounds like it was written in a clear moment, not a clouded one.
76. O may Your lovingkindness comfort me, According to Your word to Your servant.
Almost a follow up to the previous verse - that, once afflicted and corrected, David will be comforted by the Lord’s lovingkindness.
The source or basis for seeking this comfort is the Lord’s word.
Is the word of the Lord the source of the comfort itself; or the source of the knowledge of where (and why) the comfort will come? Both.
77. May Your compassion come to me that I may live, For Your law is my delight.
Sounds like David is trying to bargain - ‘have compassion and let me live, because I love your law’. As mercenary as it sounds, it does recognise God’s sovereignty and rule over all things.
By the same token it also recognises our responsibility (response-ability) to God’s creatorship and authority.
David also recognises (or verbalises) that the life he wants to live is one that is fuelled by God’s compassion. He wants to live on the right side of God and indicates that faith, humility and obedience are at the core of that.
78. May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie; But I shall meditate on Your precepts.
The Psalmist returns to the theme of being slandered and maligned by his enemies.
The idea of ‘subversion’ is the Hebrew avath (H5315) and means to wrest, to deal perversely, to subvert. David’s enemies are attempting to paint a false image or, in today’s parlance, ‘create a false narrative’.
David’s solution is not to turn to the civil courts, social media or a PR manager, but to the word of the Lord. David will meditate on the Lord’s precepts.
79. May those who fear You turn to me, Even those who know Your testimonies.
Another somewhat weird verse today (I think, anyway) - that David would seek that people who fear the Lord would turn to David.
I think David is seeking support or empathy from believers within the Israeli nation. It seems this is tied up with David being afflicted and slandered by his enemies and is seeking some show of support and kindness from other ’true believers’.
Matthew Henry comments that, “He does not mean so much that they might side with him, and take up arms in his cause, as that they might love him, and pray for him, and associate with him.”
80. May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed.
David makes an interesting connection between blamelessness and being subject to shame.
The blamelessness David is seeking is in or compared to the Lord’s statutes. So he is seeking justification before the law.
I think the idea of not being ashamed is relative to approaching the Lord. David is seeking purity of heart so that he can approach the Lord with confidence. This is reminiscent of Hebrews 4:16 where the writer speaks of having boldness to approach the throne of grace.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation. ↩︎
We’re up to the ninth stanza from Psalm 119 - verses 65 to 72 prefixed with the letter tet.
These verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments read as follows:
65. You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word.
An interesting phrase or concept - that God has ‘dealt well’ with David. Equally interesting is David’s observation of this state of affairs.
We can rely on the fact that God will deal with us is accordance with His word.
Matthew Henry observes ‘However God has dealt with us, we must own he has dealt well with us, better than we deserve, and all in love and with design to work for our good. In many instances God has done well for us beyond our expectations.’
66. Teach me good discernment and knowledge, For I believe in Your commandments.
The Psalmist recognises the need for both good discernment and knowledge. Good discernment strikes me as being akin to judgement (or closely related). The word translated as ‘discernment’ is the Hebrew taam (H2940) and means perception and understanding.
David seeks both knowledge and the capacity to read and understand people/situations. Knowledge can be seen as knowing what to do; judgement or discernment speaks to knowing if and when to do it.
The Lord’s commandments and word can provide discernment and knowledge; but these are best provided by and moderated by the Holy Spirit as we apply His wisdom and teaching into situations.
67. Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.
We need to grasp the relationship between the affliction and the straying. Presumably the straying precipitated the affliction and had the effect of modifying David’s behaviour.
Matthew Henry puts the cause, effect and timing such that David was going astray, the Lord then afflicted him (or allowed afflictions) to discipline and correct his behaviour. David now keeps the Lord’s word.
The New Living Translation2 seems to put is best: ‘I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word.’
But how well do we understand affliction? Do we see it as the effects of a fallen world, or as the Lord’s discipline, or as some attack from the evil one, maybe just as bad luck, or do we even think about its source and effects? Some of these viewpoints are not exclusive.
68. You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes.
David speaks of the nature and character of God - that the Lord is good, and does good. You can have one without the other, but I would hold that there would be failure and inconsistency in the results.
Given that the Lord is good and does good, then the words of the Lord as also good and bring about good results or outcomes that are consistent with the character and purposes of God.
Given that the words of the Lord are good and bring about good, it makes sense that David would want to learn these statutes.
It also makes sense that any believer should be seeking knowledge and understanding of God’s word for all of those same reasons.
69. The arrogant have forged a lie against me; With all my heart I will observe Your precepts.
Different versions render the word ‘arrogant’ as insolent (ESV) or proud (NKJV). There is a smear campaign being conducted against David - untruths have been created and spread.
David’s response is not revenge, or justification or spreading lies in response; but obedience to God’s word.
Obedience to God’s word doesn’t preclude responding to correct the lies, but it does dictate how we behave - with love and truth in equal measure.
70. Their heart is covered with fat, But I delight in Your law.
Some ugly imagery in this first clause! Sounds like a continuation from the previous verse about the arrogant who have slandered David with lies.
The most likely meaning of the verse is that these arrogant people who wrongfully slander David are content and relaxed in their pride, and have grown fat and are unfeeling and unresponsive to the word of God.
The corollary is to delight in God’s law - to be responsive and obedient to truth rather than content and even prideful in sin.
71. It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.
This is similar to verse 67 above - that affliction can be a positive experience if it moves us towards God.
I think we can safely assert that the Lord brought or allowed the afflictions that caused David to learn the Lord’s statutes.
This idea of ’learning the Lord’s statutes’ doesn’t necessarily mean learning memory verses, but can be that David came to understand and experience the truth of God’s word in his life in a new or deeper way.
Matthew Henry summaries the teaching as, ‘God visited him with affliction, that he might learn God’s statutes; and the intention was answered: the afflictions had contributed to the improvement of his knowledge and grace.’
We see similar teaching in Hebrews 16:6 which tells us ‘For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines’.
72. The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
What price truth? David values it more highly than thousands of gold and silver pieces. His valuation is figurative because truth, properly understood and lived is priceless.
Truth these days isn’t valued highly. Political correctness, mob-mentality ‘cancel culture’, polarisation such that if you’re not 100% with us then you must be 100% against us, absolute black or white, tolerate everything except a Christian worldview. These are the new ’truths’ which aren’t truths at all.
Reflecting briefly on these past eight verses, the idea of affliction and our recognising and understanding value and purpose in it sticks with me.
We’re up to the eighth stanza from Psalm 119 - verses 57 to 64 prefixed with the letter chet.
These verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments read as follows:
57. The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words.
The word translated as ‘portion’ is the Hebrew cheleq (H2506) which refers to an allotment, inheritance or portion.
The verse is a declaration of intent. The word translated as ‘promise’ is the Hebrew amar (H559) and can be read as to say or to speak, to call out or declare, to promise.
So in the light of the Lord’s declarations/relationship with David, David is declaring a desire to be obedient.
58. I sought Your favor with all my heart; Be gracious to me according to Your word.
An interesting translation here. The word translated as ‘favor/favour’ is the Hebrew paniym (H6440) which can be better read as ‘face’. Literally it means ’the part that turns’. So David is saying he has sought the Lord’s face (or favourable side).
The second part of that clause reveals the manner of David’s searching - ‘with all my heart’. I could say the same, but I would need to add the qualifier ‘sporadically’.
And what is David seeking? The Lord’s grace as revealed in the Lord’s word. He is seeking the grace of God which has been promised to all who believe.
59. I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
David here is indicating one of the steps he has taken on his walk of faith.
David evaluated his decisions, choices and direction in the light of Scripture and made the conscious, intentional decision to reorient his life.
Likewise, it is a decision we all need to make (or not make) - whether to choose to follow the ways of God through belief in Jesus, or not.
For some believers this reorientation to the Lord’s testimonies needs to be done daily; for others it may involve less frequent corrections.
60. I hastened and did not delay To keep Your commandments.
Something of a continuation from yesterday’s verse. David indicates that he hastened and did not delay to obey the Lord.
It speaks of two aspects in his obedience - his initial response time, and the speed with which he followed through. He didn’t have to think about obeying for it was immediate; and he followed the Lord’s commands promptly.
Often we will respond to something slowly if we don’t really want to do it; and we dilly-dally whilst doing it if our heart isn’t in it.
61. The cords of the wicked have encircled me, But I have not forgotten Your law.
Here’s an ugly image - being encircled by the cords of the wicked. It is suggestive of being ensnared or surrounded, trapped and with the antagonists closing in.
Whilst we don’t know what the specific circumstances were that David had in mind when he wrote this, there were plenty of times when he was on the run and being pursued by people who had brought false accusations against him.
The word translated as ’encircled’ is the Hebrew ud (H5749) and means to repeat or duplicate. By implication it means to encompass, to testify and reiterate. So David is being surrounded by false testimony and accusation.
But David remembers God’s law. That law vindicates the truth and upholds the righteous. David is not responding with lies or threats, but maintaining the Lord’s commands with integrity and trust.
62. At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You Because of Your righteous ordinances.
David speaks of getting up at midnight to give thanks to the Lord. There is no commentary as to whether this was a regular practice or a one-off.
It may form part of what we now call the ‘divine office’ or ‘daily office’ or keeping the ‘hours’ or the ‘office’.
Daniel 6:10 records Daniel keeping three periods of time each day for prayer. It reads, ‘Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.’
63. I am a companion of all those who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts.
David is expressing companionship with other believers. ‘Kinship’ may be a better word to convey what David is expressing.
The basis for this companionship or kinship is twofold: Fear of the Lord, and obedience to the Lord’s precepts.
Generally this holy/godly fear and obedience are found and bound together.
64. The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.
The Psalmist takes a broad view of God’s general revelation, and seeks the Lord’s teaching as a result.
The first clause reminds me of Romans 1:20, ‘For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.’
David’s response to this general, divine revelation is to ask the Lord to teach him His precepts. He wants to know more of how to live consistent with the God revealing this lovingkindness.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation. ↩︎
We’re up to the seventh stanza from Psalm 119 - verses 49 to 56 prefixed with the letter zayin.
These verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments read as follows:
49. Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.
An interesting turn-around in this verse where David asks the Lord to remember His word.
Is this word the general revelation of God’s will to the Jewish people as David would have received it (the Torah or first five books of the Bible)? Is this some specific revelation or ‘word’ that David had received from the Lord and wants upheld?
David has placed his hope in this word and reminds the Lord of its existence.
In response to these verses Matthew Henry poses a couple of questions: ‘Has God kindled in us desires towards spiritual blessings more than towards any temporal good things, and will he not be so kind as to satisfy those desires? Has he filled us with hopes of those blessings, and will he not be so just as to accomplish these hopes?’
He answers those questions with ‘He that did by his Spirit work faith in us will, according to our faith, work for us, and will not disappoint us.’
50. This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me.
There are some interesting tenses going on here: Firstly, that David is feeling or experiencing comfort at the moment in his affliction, and secondly that it is the word of the Lord that has revived him.
Note that David can feel comfort even whilst the affliction is still present. This runs contrary to much that we would expect today - that we feel comforted only when the affliction has been removed. Perhaps we don’t really understand the nature of comfort (or the purpose of affliction)?
The Lord’s word has the capacity or capability to revive. In this case the comfort is the revival the word has brought.
I think I vastly underestimate the nature and power of the word of the Lord. David didn’t.
51. The arrogant utterly deride me, Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.
The word translated as ‘deride’ is the Hebrew meod (H3966) and means the vehement and the exceedingly loud. Basically it refers to anyone who makes a lot of angry noise. The nature of any discussion and quality of the argument is irrelevant.
Presumably the derision relates to the Psalmist’s belief and demonstrated faith in the Lord for he will not turn aside from God’s law.
David is running foul of loud, vehement opposition from some quarters that is at odds with his understanding of God’s word. He chooses the later.
These words are apropos for Margaret Court and the many others such as Lyle Shelton who continue to proclaim the word of God in the face of derision (and ridicule, and abuse).
52. I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O LORD, And comfort myself.
A slightly different take on the themes of revival and deliverance than we’ve seen to date. Here the Psalmist comforts himself through bringing to mind Scripture he has known in the past.
It’s basically a three step process - firstly, memorise Scripture; secondly, bring it to mind at an appropriate time in the future; thirdly, take comfort from what it declares.
In many ways the efficacy of this process is not so much in the words of Scripture, but in the faithfulness and steadfastness of God who is the author and keeper of the words.
53. Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who forsake Your law.
Strong words! The Psalmist is seized by burning indignation because of the actions of the wicked in disobeying the Law.
How often am we seized by a burning, righteous indignation when we hear of evils being committed, and how do we react?
It should drive us to prayer in the first instance, and to some other response where appropriate. These other actions could be to speak up and declare truth - to advocate or agitate.
54. Your statutes are my songs In the house of my pilgrimage.
One of the first verses in the Psalm without any punctuation apart from the concluding full stop.
I’m intrigued by the phrase ‘house of my pilgrimage’. Is he referring to the Temple, or to his body, or some other place of refuge? Matthew Henry leaves it open suggesting it could be a place of refuge, the world, and could even refer to David’s palace. In each of these places David is a pilgrim.
The phrase ‘Your statues are my songs’ suggests to me that God’s word is what David dwells on. He may well have set parts of the Torah to music and sung or strummed his way through God’s word that way.
Clearly many Psalms were both written by David and set to music (then and now) so we can have the Lord’s statutes as songs in our house(s) of pilgrimage, but that’s a circular argument in David’s case as he wrote these parts of Scripture.
55. O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your law.
The word translated as ’night’ is the Hebrew layil (H3915) and means a ’twist away from the light’. Thus it can refer to the night time or to periods of adversity.
Both Matthew Henry and Paul E Kretzmann speak of the night time when David was reflecting and meditating on the Lord and His word when others were asleep. This doesn’t preclude the idea of affliction or adversity which causes sleeplessness.
In regard to periods of adversity, David indicates a preference to remember the Lord’s name - to live in the light of God’s word and reputation even in times of darkness.
56. This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts.
Another interesting turn of phrase! The Psalmist recognises that obedience to the word of the Lord has become part of who he is - ‘it has become mine’.
It is beyond the idea of a declaration or taking some responsibility - it is a recognition of a change in the way David lives.
The ESV [2011] translates it a little differently - ‘This blessing has fallen to me’.
Many of the verses in this stanza present different ways of interacting with and living with God’s word - from daytime to night-time; from being revived to being comforted to indignation at evil. I was strongly struck by verse 50 about the nature of affliction and comfort, and the power of the word to bring comfort during affliction.
In the Christian media in recent months there has been something of a back-story about Ravi Zacharias detailing accounts of the sexual exploitation and abuse of women. That back-story came to the front in early February when the Board of Ravi Zacharias’ International Ministries released, in full, an independent report into Ravi’s exploitative and abusive activities.
There can be little doubt that what Ravi is stated to have done over the course of many years is true, and that a number of women who sought to bring this into the open were silenced, ignored and/or bought off.
We’re now looking at the sixth of the 22 stanzas of Psalm 119. This covers verses 41 to 48 under the letter vav (also spelt waw).
These verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments read as follows:
41. May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O LORD, Your salvation according to Your word;
This is the first (and indeed only) verse from the Psalm whose structure per the NASB continues over two verses.
The Psalmist is seeking a couple of things from the Lord - revival or rescue or salvation through the Lord’s righteousness, and also an experience of the Lord’s lovingkindness.
Interestingly only some translations include the word ‘also’ in the text. The ESV[2011], for example, says, “Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord”.
Lovingkindness is variously rendered as mercy and loving-kindness (Amp), steadfast love (ESV), mercies (NKJV) and unfailing love (NLT).
Matthew Henry in commenting on this verse sees the plea being for “the many manifestations of grace which every believer experiences” and “the full deliverance which the Lord has promised to His believers”.
42. So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.
Continues from the above verse. David is seeking a demonstration of the Lord’s lovingkindness and deliverance/salvation with which to answer or refute those who reproach him.
It may be that his accusers had told David his Lord had abandoned him, or given him up2, and David was seeking some evidence to refute this.
David concludes the matter by indicating absolute trust and reliance on the word of the Lord.
43. And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances.
A strangely-worded verse here. It reads like David is seeking to keep the ability to make declarations of God’s word.
I don’t disagree with the sentiment but would have worded it somewhat differently - something like ‘May I always have Your word in season.’
Matthew Henry puts it much more elegantly, “He means, ‘Lord, let the word of truth be always in my mouth; let me have the wisdom and courage which are necessary to enable me both to use my knowledge for the instruction of others, and, like the good householder, to bring out of my treasury things new and old, and to make profession of my faith whenever I am called to it.’”
It reminds me of Peter’s words in 1 Peter 3:15, ‘but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;’.
44. So I will keep Your law continually, Forever and ever.
This verse reads a little differently compared to those that have come before it.
Again it is a declaration of intent or purpose. It expresses David’s will - that he, at this moment, wants to keep God’s law.
And David would express a desire to be keeping God’s law in each moment from this point of time on for perpetuity.
45. And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.
Raises the issue and reality of liberty or freedom. Everyone wants it, some people talk about it, many look for it in wrong places. What does David have to say?
The word translated as ’liberty’ is the Hebrew rachab (H7342) and means roomy, broad, wide, in any or every direction.
It strikes me that this is to operate “in accordance with the the maker’s instructions”. It is freedom to live as we were designed and created to. Not a licence for disobedience, but liberty and freedom in God’s kingdom.
Ties in with Jesus’ words in Luke 4:18 (quoting Isaiah 61:1), ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me … to proclaim release to the captives … [and] set free those who are oppressed’.
46. I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings And shall not be ashamed.
Another verse indicating David’s desire to be declaring the word of the Lord. And this time he indicates where he will do it - before kings.
I guess it is a little easier to have access to kings if one is a king. I may have some trouble being granted an audience, but the point is that we can declare God’s word anywhere, to anyone (but appropriately and sensitively).
The idea of David not being ashamed is interesting. It would make a good hashtag for many things proposed or supported by the Bible #NotAshamed.
This verse reminds me of Paul’s words in Romans 1:16, ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.’
47. I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love.
Another declaration, but this time a declaration to the Lord - that David shall delight in the Lord’s commandments.
This is a statement of intent - of how David will behave in and under the Lord’s commandments going forward.
And this future delight is based upon a present realisation or reality - that David loves these commandments.
It makes sense that if David loves the Lord’s commands today, then he will delight in them tomorrow.
48. And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.
This idea of lifting up my hands to Your commandments strikes me as being a combination of submission and embrace and praise. It also conveys the idea of taking action in response or obedience to the commands of the Lord.
The idea of physical expression of submission and praise is common in charismatic/pentecostal churches, but much less so in evangelical churches. Whilst it can be for outward show and overdone, I think such physical expression during times of singing, prayer and praise can be helpful and is indeed recommended elsewhere in Scripture (see 1 Timothy 2:83).
David reiterates that he loves the Lord’s commandments as was the case for the previous verse.
David concludes this stanza by again declaring his intention to meditate on the word of the Lord.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation. ↩︎