Here are some thoughts regarding Psalm 119:
The central theme is the word of God. Some of the sub-themes are how obedience to and knowledge of the word of God leads to deliverance and salvation. The Psalmist recognises that much of the word contains God’s promises which flow from God’s goodness and faithfulness. There is a deep understanding and reliance by the Psalmist on the Lord’s goodness and sovereignty.
Some of the verses are in the form of prayers, others are statement or declarations of intent.
The last stanza! After spending nearly 6 months of daily considering a verse from Psalm 119, we’re at the end. This last stanza covers verses 169 to 176 and all begin in the Hebrew with the letter tav. It can also be transliterated as tau or taw.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
169. Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word!
Second last stanza. In this post we’re considering the twenty-first stanza - verses 161 to 168 prefixed in the Hebrew with the letter shin.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
161. Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words. Persecution comes to all believers in some form or another. In the Psalmist’s case his pursuers wanted to kill him and destroy his reputation and legacy.
Third last stanza. In this post we’re considering the twentieth stanza–verses 153 to 160 prefixed in the Hebrew with the letter resh.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
153. Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. Further prayers for relief–for ‘deliverance’ which is the Hebrew chalats (H2502). Its root meaning is to pull something off or strip something away. He is not seeking reinforcements or resilience, but instead the removal of the cause of the affliction.
We’re closing in on the end of the Psalm. These reflections below are on the nineteenth stanza which covers verses 145 to 152. Each verse in the Hebrew begins with the letter qof.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
145. With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD! I will keep your statutes. This verse continues the dominating sub-theme of the Psalm seeking to be obedient in the face of pursuit and persecution.
We’re up to the eighteenth stanza of Psalm 119–looking at verses 137 to 144 where each line in the Hebrew begins with the letter tsade.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
137. Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules. Here we see the necessary connection or relationship between a righteous God and His laws. If the Lord is wholly righteous, then His decrees (and acts) will also be right.
We’re considering the seventeenth stanza of Psalm 119 - from verses 129 to 136 prefixed with the letter pe.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
129. Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. The Psalmist recognises the beneficial character and purpose of God’s word. The word translated as ‘wonderful’ reflects the miraculous and marvellous. The use of the word ‘soul’ is interesting. It is the Hebrew nephesh (H5315) and literally refers to a breathing creature, but can be read as a man, a person, the self or soul.
We’ve made it as far as the sixteenth stanza of Psalm 119 - from verses 121 to 128 prefixed with the letter ayin.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
121. I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. One of the very few verses in the Psalm that doesn’t make specific reference to God’s word, testimonies, precepts, law, way, etc.
We’ve made it as far as the fifteenth stanza of Psalm 119 - from verses 113 to 120 prefixed with the letter samech.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
113. I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. An interesting comparison/contrast being drawn here. I guess the inference is that if one loves the law of God (and the consequence of seeking to be obedient to it) that double-mindedness is precluded.
We’re looking at the fourteenth of twenty-two stanzas of Psalm 119 - verses 105 to 112 prefixed with the letter nun.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
105. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Perhaps the best known verse from this Psalm? Inspiration and lyric-source for the song Thy Word by Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. An interesting metaphor that indicates the Lord illuminates both the path we should take and the position of our feet.
We’re looking at the thirteenth of twenty-two stanzas of Psalm 119 - verses 97 to 104 prefixed with the letter mem.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
97. Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. This is one of the better known and most frequently quoted verses from this Psalm. David’s love for and appreciation of the word of God was so great that he declares that it is the object of his meditation continually.
Continuing on to record my reflections on a verse of Psalm 119 each day that began here and left off here.
We’re looking at the twelfth of twenty-two stanzas of Psalm 119 - verses 89 to 96 prefixed with the letter lamed.
These verses, from the ESV®1, interspersed with my comments are:
89. Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. This verse firstly contains the idea that the Lord’s words are for perpetuity - continuing forever.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)?
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.
This is my fifth post reflecting on stanzas from Psalm 119. This covers verses 33 to 40 under the letter he (also spelt hei).
These verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments read as follows:
33. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. This verse contains a prayer or request and a declaration. The first clause prayer is answered in many ways and times, but seen explicitly in Scripture in John 14:26 (which I mention in relation to Psalm 119 verse 26) where Jesus speaks about the role of the Spirit.
This is my fourth post reflecting on stanzas from Psalm 119. This covers verses 25 to 32 under the letter dalet (also spelt daleth).
These verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments read as follows:
25. My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Your word. ‘My soul cleaves to the dust’ is such an interesting and evocative phrase. A soul (our mind, will and emotions) grovelling and wallowing in the dust.
My third post looking at a stanza of Psalm 119. This covers verses 17 to 24 under the letter gimel.
These verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments read as follows:
17. Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. The word translated as ‘bounty’ is the Hebrew gamal (H1580) and speaks of bestowing, doing good, rewarding or serving. So ‘deal bountifully’ could equally be ‘do good’, ‘bestow reward’.
This is the second post looking at a stanza of Psalm 119. The first looked at the first eight verses called aleph. This second stanza is called beth (apparently pronounced like ‘bet’). In Hebrew these eight verses all begin with the letter beth.
These eight verses, from the NASB®1, interspersed with my comments read as follows:
9. How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
This is my first post looking at a stanza of Psalm 119 which I’ve spoken about here and here.
The first staza of Psalm 119 is entitled ‘aleph’ - being the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet where each verse begins with this Hebrew letter1.
The first eight verses, from the NASB®2, interspersed with my comments read as follows:
1. How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.
This year (all nine days of it) I’ve been taking advice that pastor Philip Henry gave to his son Matthew some 300 years ago. Matthew was the author of the well-regarded commentary he called An Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, but is more commonly known today as Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary. I wrote about this particular piece of advice mid last year. The advice is to meditate on a new verse from Psalm 119 each day.
In a book that I’m currently reading, Ancient Paths, the author, Corey Russell quotes Matthew Henry who quotes his father Philip Henry about the benefits of meditating on a different verse from Psalm 119 every day. (Yes, I’m quoting someone who quotes someone who quotes someone who speaks about quoting a Psalm).
But let’s go to the source. Here’s what Matthew Henry had to say about his father Philip in Matthew’s work entitled An Account of the Life and Death of Mr.