Psalms 119:68-176

68 You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.

69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart.

70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law.

71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.

74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

75 I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.

78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.

79 May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes.

80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.

81 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.

82 My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, “When will you comfort me?”

83 Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees.

84 How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors?

85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me, contrary to your law.

86 All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for I am being persecuted without cause.

87 They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.

88 In your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.

89 Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.

91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.

92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.

94 Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.

95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.

96 To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.

97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

98 Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.

99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.

100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.

101 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.

102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.

107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, LORD, according to your word.

108 Accept, LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.

109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.

110 The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts.

111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.

112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.^[a]

113 I hate double-minded people, but I love your law.

114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

115 Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!

116 Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.

117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.

118 You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their delusions come to nothing.

119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes.

120 My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.

121 I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors.

122 Ensure your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant oppress me.

123 My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise.

124 Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees.

125 I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.

126 It is time for you to act, LORD; your law is being broken.

127 Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold,

128 and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.

129 Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.

130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

131 I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.

132 Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.

133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

134 Redeem me from human oppression, that I may obey your precepts.

135 Make your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees.

136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

137 You are righteous, LORD, and your laws are right.

138 The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy.

139 My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words.

140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.

141 Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts.

142 Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

143 Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight.

144 Your statutes are always righteous; give me understanding that I may live.

145 I call with all my heart; answer me, LORD, and I will obey your decrees.

146 I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes.

147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.

148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, LORD, according to your laws.

150 Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law.

151 Yet you are near, LORD, and all your commands are true.

152 Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.

153 Look on my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law.

154 Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise.

155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees.

156 Your compassion, LORD, is great; preserve my life according to your laws.

157 Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes.

158 I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word.

159 See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, LORD, in accordance with your love.

160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

161 Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word.

162 I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil.

163 I hate and detest falsehood but I love your law.

164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.

165 Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

166 I wait for your salvation, LORD, and I follow your commands.

167 I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.

168 I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you.

169 May my cry come before you, LORD; give me understanding according to your word.

170 May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.

171 May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.

172 May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous.

173 May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.

174 I long for your salvation, LORD, and your law gives me delight.

175 Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me.

176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

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Psalms 119:68-176 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 205

1. Psalms 100:5; Psalms 106:1; Psalms 107:1; Psalms 135:3; Matthew 19:17
2. S Exodus 18:20; ver 12
3. Job 13:4; Psalms 109:2
4. S Psalms 17:10; Isaiah 29:13; Isaiah 6:10; Acts 28:27
5. ver 67,75
6. S Job 28:17; S Psalms 19:10; Pr 8:10-11,19
7. S Genesis 1:27; S Job 4:17; Job 10:8; Psalms 100:3; Psalms 138:8; Psalms 139:13-16
8. S Psalms 34:2
9. ver 9; Psalms 130:5
10. ver 7,138,172
11. Hebrews 12:5-11
12. Psalms 6:4
13. S ver 41
14. ver 41; Psalms 90:13; Psalms 103:13
15. S ver 47
16. ver 51; Jeremiah 50:32
17. ver 86,161; Psalms 35:19
18. ver 27,125
19. ver 1; S 1 Kings 8:61
20. S Genesis 26:5
21. S ver 6
22. ver 20; Psalms 84:2
23. ver 123
24. S ver 43
25. S Psalms 6:7; Psalms 69:3; Lamentations 2:11
26. ver 41,123
27. S ver 61
28. Psalms 6:3; Psalms 39:4; Revelation 6:10
29. ver 51; Jeremiah 12:3; Jeremiah 15:15; Jeremiah 20:11
30. ver 51
31. Psalms 35:7; Psalms 57:6; Jeremiah 18:20,22
32. ver 138; Psalms 35:19
33. S Psalms 109:26
34. S Psalms 7:1
35. S ver 78
36. ver 150; Isaiah 1:4,28; Isaiah 58:2; Isaiah 59:13
37. S Psalms 41:2
38. ver 124; Psalms 51:1; Psalms 109:26
39. ver 2,100,129,134,168
40. ver 111,144; S Psalms 111:8; Isaiah 51:6; S Matthew 5:18; Matthew 24:34-35; 1 Peter 1:25
41. S Psalms 36:5
42. S Psalms 45:17
43. S Job 8:19; Psalms 148:6; Ecclesiastes 1:4
44. Jeremiah 33:25
45. Psalms 104:2-4; Jeremiah 31:35
46. Psalms 37:4; S Psalms 112:1
47. ver 50,67
48. ver 83
49. S Psalms 103:5
50. ver 146; Psalms 54:1; Psalms 116:4; Jeremiah 17:14; Jeremiah 31:18; Jeremiah 42:11
51. S ver 45
52. S Psalms 69:4
53. ver 99
54. Psalms 19:7
55. S ver 47
56. S ver 15; Psalms 1:2
57. ver 130; S Deuteronomy 4:6; Psalms 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:15
58. ver 15
59. S ver 56; S Deuteronomy 6:17; Job 32:7-9
60. Proverbs 1:15
61. S ver 57
62. S Deuteronomy 17:20
63. S Deuteronomy 4:5
64. S Psalms 19:10; Proverbs 8:11
65. Proverbs 24:13-14
66. S Psalms 111:10
67. ver 128
68. Proverbs 20:27; 2 Peter 1:19
69. ver 130; Proverbs 6:23
70. S Nehemiah 10:29
71. ver 7
72. S ver 25
73. Psalms 51:15; Psalms 63:5; Psalms 71:8; Psalms 109:30; Hosea 14:2; Hebrews 13:15
74. S ver 64
75. S Judges 12:3; Job 13:14
76. S ver 61
77. Psalms 25:15; S Psalms 64:5; Isaiah 8:14; Amos 3:5; Psalms 140:5; Psalms 141:9
78. ver 10
79. ver 14,162
80. S Psalms 108:1
81. ver 33
82. S 1 Kings 18:21; James 1:8; James 4:8
83. ver 47
84. S Genesis 15:1; S Psalms 18:2; Psalms 32:7; Psalms 91:1
85. S ver 43; ver 74
86. S Psalms 6:8; Psalms 139:19; Matthew 7:23
87. S Psalms 18:35; Psalms 41:3; Psalms 55:22; Isaiah 46:4; Psalms 54:4
88. S ver 41
89. Psalms 25:2; Romans 5:5; Romans 9:33
90. Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 46:4
91. Psalms 34:4
92. ver 6
93. S ver 10
94. Isaiah 1:22,25; Ezekiel 22:18,19
95. ver 47
96. S Job 4:14; S Isaiah 64:2; Habakkuk 3:16
97. S Joshua 24:14
98. Jeremiah 10:7; Habakkuk 3:2
99. S 2 Samuel 8:15; S Job 27:6
100. S Job 17:3
101. ver 21,121,134; Psalms 106:42
102. Isaiah 38:14
103. ver 81
104. S ver 82
105. S ver 88; S Psalms 25:7
106. ver 12
107. S Psalms 116:16
108. S ver 79
109. S Numbers 15:31
110. S ver 47
111. Psalms 19:10
112. S Job 3:21
113. S Psalms 19:8
114. ver 104,163; Psalms 31:6; Proverbs 13:5
115. ver 18
116. ver 22,S 88
117. S ver 105; Proverbs 6:23
118. S Psalms 19:7
119. Psalms 42:1
120. S ver 20
121. S Psalms 6:4
122. S 2 Samuel 24:14; S Psalms 9:13; Psalms 25:16; Psalms 106:4
123. S Psalms 5:11
124. ver 9; Psalms 17:5
125. S ver 11; S Romans 6:16; Psalms 19:13; Romans 6:12
126. S ver 122; Psalms 142:6; Luke 1:74
127. S ver 56,S 88
128. S Numbers 6:25; Psalms 4:6; Psalms 67:1; Psalms 80:3
129. ver 12
130. Psalms 6:6; Isaiah 22:4; Jeremiah 9:1,18; Jeremiah 13:17; Jeremiah 14:17; Lamentations 1:16; Lamentations 3:48
131. ver 158; Psalms 106:25; Isaiah 42:24; Ezekiel 9:4
132. S Exodus 9:27; S Ezra 9:15; Jeremiah 12:1
133. S Nehemiah 9:13
134. S ver 75; S Psalms 19:7
135. ver 86
136. Psalms 69:9; John 2:17
137. S Joshua 23:14
138. Psalms 12:6
139. ver 47
140. S Psalms 22:6
141. ver 61,134
142. ver 151,160; Psalms 19:7
143. ver 24,S 47
144. S ver 34; Psalms 19:9
145. ver 10
146. ver 22,55
147. S ver 94
148. Psalms 5:3; Psalms 57:8; Psalms 108:2
149. S Psalms 63:6
150. S Psalms 27:7
151. ver 124
152. S ver 40
153. S Psalms 37:7
154. S Psalms 34:18; Psalms 145:18; Philippians 4:5
155. S ver 142
156. ver 7,73
157. S ver 89; S Psalms 111:8; Luke 21:33
158. S Psalms 13:3; Lamentations 5:1
159. S Psalms 3:7
160. S Psalms 44:17; Proverbs 3:1
161. Psalms 35:1; Jeremiah 50:34; Micah 7:9
162. S 1 Samuel 24:15
163. ver 25
164. S ver 41
165. ver 94,118; Job 5:4
166. S Nehemiah 9:27; James 5:11
167. ver 25; 2 Samuel 24:14
168. ver 149
169. S Psalms 7:1
170. S Psalms 44:18
171. ver 104; S Exodus 32:19; Psalms 139:21
172. S ver 136
173. ver 25; S Psalms 41:2
174. S ver 89; S Psalms 111:8
175. ver 23,122,157; 1 Samuel 24:14-15; 1 Samuel 24:11
176. ver 120
177. S ver 111
178. 1 Samuel 30:16; Isaiah 9:3; Isaiah 53:12
179. S ver 128
180. ver 47
181. ver 7,160
182. Psalms 37:11; Proverbs 3:2; Isaiah 26:3,12; Isaiah 27:5; Isaiah 32:17; Isaiah 57:19; Isaiah 66:12
183. S ver 11; S Psalms 37:24; 1 John 2:10
184. ver 81; Genesis 49:18
185. ver 47
186. S ver 56,S 88
187. ver 2,22
188. S Job 10:4; S Job 23:10; Psalms 139:3; Proverbs 5:21
189. S Job 16:18; Psalms 18:6
190. S ver 34
191. S ver 9
192. 1 Kings 8:30; 2 Chronicles 6:24; Psalms 28:2; Psalms 140:6; Psalms 143:1
193. Psalms 3:7; Psalms 22:20; Psalms 59:1; Psalms 31:2
194. S ver 41
195. Psalms 51:15; Psalms 63:3
196. Psalms 94:12; Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:2
197. Psalms 51:14
198. ver 7,S 75
199. Psalms 37:24; Psalms 73:23; Isaiah 41:10
200. S Joshua 24:22
201. ver 166
202. ver 16,24
203. ver 116,159; Isaiah 55:3
204. ver 10; S Psalms 95:10; Jeremiah 50:17; Ezekiel 34:11; S Luke 15:4; Isaiah 53:6
205. S Psalms 44:17

Footnotes 1

[a]. Or "decrees / for their enduring reward"