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Poor Man’s Commentary by Robert Hawker: … there are ten words, which every verse but one (namely Psa119:122) hath, one or other of them in it: namely, the words WAY, LAW, TESTIMONIES, COMMANDMENTS, PRECEPTS, STATUTES, JUDGMENTS, WORD, RIGHTEOUSNESS, TRUTH. Fourthly, and above all; one verse in it (namely, Psa119:139) demands the first and greatest attention, because it contains the words of Christ, “My zeal hath consumed me;” the well known words of Jesus. See Joh2:17; Psa69:9. And it should seem as if the Holy Ghost had graciously designed, by the introduction of these memorable words in the midst of this Psalm, to lead the church to perceive the Lord Christ in and through every part of it. With these several particularities in view, and especially this last, let us enter upon the perusal, and may He who hath the Key of David open its blessed contents to our diligent researches after Him, that we may have expounded to us, by that infallible Teacher, the things herein contained concerning himself.
What It Says:
Psa 119:17 GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Psa 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Psa 119:19 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
Psa 119:20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
Psa 119:21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Psa 119:22 Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
Psa 119:23 Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
Psa 119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
Psa 119:25 DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
Psa 119:26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
Psa 119:27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
Psa 119:28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
Psa 119:29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
Psa 119:31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
Psa 119:32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
What It Means:
Psa 119:17 GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
DISCERNMENT BY THE WORD
How does the psalmist pray that God will deal with him? Bountifully
Define: Bountifully – abundantly, copiously, plenteously, amply, beneficially, richly, (Antonym: sparsely, a little)
What 2 blessings is he seeking? 1. that I may live and 2. and keep thy word
What does the psalmist call himself? Thy servant.
BBC: Without Him we can do nothing. We need His grace for living and also for obeying His word. Let us ask for plenteous grace since our need is so great.
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: "reward" thy servant. Let him have the return of his faith and prayers.
Dan 9:18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
Again: Psa 119:17 GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Do you see that the servant has come to his King and is laying out before Him exactly what he wants in a humble and respectful way? He wants the King to “deal bountifully,” be gracious and kind to him, that he may have both the blessing of life – and the opportunity to obey His word. Notice that he is requesting both that he may live and that he may keep God’s word. We often think of obedience as being something we much muster up inside ourselves, and in one sense that is true. We must choose to be obedient. But we cannot be obedient without the help of God!!
1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
It is the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ that gives us grace and peace. Keeping God’s word is our faithful occupation – the thing that occupies us during life and which also gives us life -- but only if we are serving and seeking the King, and His approval.
Psa 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
What does the psalmist want God to do for him? Please open my eyes
The psalmist knows that the only way he can “behold wondrous things out of thy law” is if God opens his eyes to see them. He is praying for “discernment” to see the wondrous things God has put into His law. This is the same thing for which we much pray when we begin each study of God’s word – that we may be blessed with the privilege to see and understand the wonders of God’s word.
Define: Discernment – the ability to: distinguish, tell the difference, perceive, understand, fathom, detect, be aware of, notice, see, discover, observe, catch sight of, glimpse, detect, spot (Antonym: miss, not see, be blind to)
Paul also prayed for discernment in the form of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God, for believers:
Eph 1:17-20 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
We, the finite, cannot comprehend The Infinite unless He reveals Himself to us. Unless God opens our eyes, we remain blind.
Joh3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
2Ki 6:17-18 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
Psa 119:19 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
What does the Psalmist call himself? A stranger.
We are strangers and pilgrims in the earth. The earth is a foreign territory to us, who are born here. Does that not sound odd? Yet it is true. Each one of us has to learn how to live and to thrive on this planet.
What does he request of God? Please do not hide your commandments from me.
The only way to make sense of living here is to abide by the commandments from God, who does understand and who knows what we need. We need God’s help to understand His commandments and to make them real in our lives. If we do not seek God to make His word plain to us, then we might read it, but it will not be plain to us.
Mat13:13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
The Pulpit Commentary: The psalmist prays that the true meaning of God’s Word may not be kept back from him.
1Co 2:13-14 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The Psalmist knew that only God can reveal His truth to a man, and Paul taught this same idea in the New Testament. The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God, unless they are revealed to him by the Holy Spirit – because they can only be “spiritually discerned.”
Psa 119:20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
He has a deep broken hearted longing for what? thy judgments
Define: Judgments – rulings, decisions, findings, verdicts, sentences, conclusions, results, opinions, views, feelings, thoughts, way of thinking, reasoning, belief, assessment, wisdom, discrimination, intelligence
We often think of the judgments of God as only His verdict over sin but God’s judgment is above ours in all things. God’s opinions are more learned than ours. His decisions are more righteous than ours. His judgment and His grace have given us new life in Christ! The psalmist is expressing how broken he feels when God seems to be distant from Him. He longs, he craves, he yearns for the Lord and His only concrete connection is “thy judgments” which bring him back to the place He longs to be.
Psa 63:1 (A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.) O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
Psa 84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
When does he say he feels like this? at all times
Act 13:22-23 And when he had removed (Saul), he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
David longed for the Lord so deeply and so much that if there seemed to be even a tiny gap in his experience of God his heart felt broken. God called him “a man after mine own heart” – a man who felt in his heart just like God feels in His heart for us. Jesus also had this kind of a heart for God. Only one time did Jesus experience this “gap” with God and that was when he was on the cross:
Mar15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Psa 119:21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Who has God rebuked? the proud
He says “the proud” are what? cursed
Why are the proud rebuked and cursed? Because they do err from thy commandments. They are not following God’s commandments. God is neither on their hearts nor in their minds and they don’t bother to obey Him. They are sinners who have turned their backs on God and are therefore condemned.
Joh3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Psa 119:22 Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
What does he beg to have removed from himself? reproach and contempt
What explanation does he give? for I have kept thy testimonies
Define: Reproach – criticism, blame, discredit, reprimand, accusation, scolding, rebuke, accusation
Define: Contempt – disdain, dislike, disrespect, disapproval, scorn, hatred, derision, condescension (Antonym: admiration)
He desires that God would remove all reprimand and dislike from himself because he is a believer and has “kept thy testimonies.” Grace and forgiveness have always been in God’s hand to give to those who love the Lord and obey Him. He is not talking about self reproach nor self contempt because we read in the next line:
Psa 119:23 Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
What did the Princes do? sat in judgment and spoke against him
It was the Princes who were reproaching him and showing him contempt. They were speaking against him and judging him.
What did God’s servant do when this happened? thy servant did meditate in thy statutes
BBC: Even when those in positions of authority collaborate in vilifying the Christian, he can find strength and solace in meditating on the Bible, "answering his traducers by not answering them at all."
Define: Vilifying – defamatory, libelous, slanderous, unfounded, (Antonym: admiring) – those who speak ill of, malign, run down, belittle, do a hatchet job on, criticize, (Antonym: compliment)
Define: Traducers -- specifically Satan (compare [H7854]): - false accuser, devil, slanderer.
1Pe 3:8-9 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Our Psalmist shows us how to accomplish this: by meditating in God’s statutes or scriptures when we are vilified. He did not raise up a self defense, nor answer them back, he depended on God’s defense of him. He kept his mind on the scripture even when the princes were speaking against him, just like Jesus did before Pilate.
Mar15:4-5 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
Psa 119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
The Psalmist says that God’s testimonies are also: 1. My delight and 2. My counselors
He has taken the Word of God to be personal: “my delight” and “my counselors.” If something is personal we feel it deep in our hearts. He finds refreshing joy in the Word of God and also uses it as his own personal governing guide and counsel for every situation.
Biblical Illustrator: These are two great benefits, which commonly men crave: Pleasure to refresh them; Counsel to govern them. David protests he found them both in the Word and sends all others, who would have them, to seek them there where he found them.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible: Thy testimonies also are my delight,.... Or "delights" (x); exceeding delightful to me. The whole of Scripture is so to a good man; he delights in the law of God, after the inward man; the Gospel is a joyful sound to him; the doctrines of peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation by Christ, are very pleasant; the promises of it give more joy than the finding of a great spoil; and the precepts and ordinances of it are not grievous, but ways of pleasantness and peace; and my counsellors; or, "the men of my counsel" (y); though David took counsel with men about affairs of state; yet concerning spiritual ones, or what related to his soul, and the concerns of that, not they, but the Scriptures, were the men of his counsel. The Gospel is the whole counsel of God relating to salvation; in it Christ, the wonderful Counsellor, gives advice to saints and sinners: the whole word of God may be profitably consulted on every occasion, and in every circumstance in which a child of God may be; all Scripture, being divinely inspired, is profitable for doctrine, for correction, and instruction in righteousness, 2Ti3:16.
First he sought discernment from the Lord, and then the Lord blessed Him so that he did find both pleasure and instruction in His word. That is precisely how we must approach Bible reading and study. It is only the Holy Spirit who can make God’s word plain to us, so before we begin (each time) we much seek Him to open our eyes and our hearts to His word. Once the Holy Spirit makes God’s word plain to us we find great joy and true guidance there. By faith we then receive strength to do God’s will. Let us also not forget that David had Nathan the prophet to guide him in God’s word.
2Sa7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
We have the privilege of the printed word of God in the Bible at our fingertips. We also have Bible teachers and mature believers that we may consult when we need God’s help and encouragement in the faith. By our faith in Jesus we are saved and counseled by the Holy Spirit in our very own hearts. God has given us many resources with which to seek Him. He wants us to find Him. Amen!
Psa 119:25 DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
SENSE OF PERSONAL INSUFFICIENCY THROUGH THE WORD
(CEV) I am at the point of death. Let your teachings breathe new life into me.
How many times have we been blessed to understand God’s word and experience the joy of being in His spirit, and then at a later date suddenly find ourselves, once again, “cleaving unto the dust”?
Define: Cleaving -- H1692, דּבק, dâbaq, daw-bak', A primitive root; properly to impinge, that is, cling or adhere; figuratively to catch by pursuit: - abide, fast (like glue), cleave (fast together), follow close (hard, after), be joined (together), keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.
The Pulpit Commentary: My soul cleaveth unto the dust. My soul is greatly depressed—lies, as it were, in the dust of death. Quicken thou me according to thy Word. Raise me up to life and health and vigor.
His soul is deeply depressed and he is unable to raise himself up out of the dust, so he requests of God to “quicken” or make me lively once again, “according to thy word,” or as is promised in thy word.
Psa138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
Isa57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
God has promised that when we seek Him with our whole heart, we shall find Him and he will revive the spirit of the humble (those who have suffered ill treatment from others) and the heart of the contrite ones (those who are feeling the press of guilt for sins they have committed). God has written his laws in our hearts and when we wander from the word, even for a short time, that feeling of “cleaving unto the dust” begins to show up. The remedy for the pain in our hearts is a visit with God.
Pro8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
Jer29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
God does not promise that we will never have problems, but he does promise that when we seek Him with our whole heart, we will find Him and in His Presence is fullness of joy! God has given us counsel in the past and he will give us counsel in the future, too!
Psa 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psa 119:26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
The psalmist has “declared my ways” unto the Lord meaning he has gone to the Lord for counsel and shared with him the things he had done and – praise God – “thou heardest me” or God listened and heard him speaking.
What does he then request? teach me thy statutes
We know he knows the word of God, but he again requests that God teach him his statutes. We need to have our eyes opened again and again. We do not “reach a level” and then stay there. No, our life is ongoing daily and problems pop up again and again and we need to again, and always, seek counsel from God. We have an ongoing relationship with God and with life and need to often bring ourselves back to His word and His Presence.
Isa26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Psa 119:27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
He asks God to make him able to understand the way of his precepts. We cannot understand God or his word without the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit to make us able to understand God’s word.
What happens once God gives us understanding? Once he understands, then he plans on speaking of God’s wondrous works to others. He plans on testifying of God’s workings in his life so that others may also understand God and be reminded of Him, and encouraged by Him.
Psa 119:28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
My soul what? melts for heaviness
Define: Melteth -- H1811, דּלף, dâlaph, daw-laf', A primitive root; to drip; by implication to weep: - drop through, melt, pour out.
He says his soul has melted with weeping and heaviness. I would think that if the Princes were speaking against me, I would feel like that, too.
What does he ask of God? He asks the Lord to strengthen him as is promised in His word.
Psa27:14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Psa31:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.
God gives us strength when we have good courage to trust and wait on Him. We have hope in the Lord. The Lord gives us what we need!! Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart.
Psa 119:29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
What does he ask the Lord to remove from him? the way of lying
For what does he ask the Lord? grant me thy law graciously
He asks God to remove the way of lying and to replace it with thy law -- which is truth. And furthermore he asks that it be done “graciously” and kindly. He wants to teach the law graciously not as a legalist but as one who loves the Lord and his fellow humans.
BBC: By the Spirit of God and through the Word of God, we can distinguish between truth and error. The Bible inculcates (impresses on the mind) a holy hatred for every form of lying. It also teaches us that truth is what God says about a thing.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
He has chosen what? the way of truth
What has he laid before himself? God's judgments
Because he has chosen the way of truth he has laid the judgments of God open before himself.
BBC: No one drifts into holiness. It requires a deliberate choice of the way of truth as revealed in the Sacred Scriptures. Spurgeon says, "The commands of God must be set before us as the mark to aim at, the model to work by, and the road to walk in."
Psa 119:31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
What has he stuck to? God's testimonies
What does he request of God? put me not to shame
BBC: The psalmist had adhered to the testimonies of God as if he had been glued to them. But he still realizes his proneness to wander, and cries to the LORD in conscious dependence.
Psa 119:32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
What does he say he will do? run the way of thy commandments
When God does what? enlarges his heart
BBC: It is when God gives us big hearts, not big heads, that we hasten to keep His commandments. It is more a matter of the affections than of the intellect.
We’ve often read about “walking in the ways of the Lord” but here the Psalmist says he will RUN the way of thy commandments. There shall be no hesitation or holding back. There shall be a rush to obey God’s commandments, but, even that, is only possible when God makes his heart big enough to do it. A large heart is open, trusting, knowledgeable, friendly and hospitable. A small heart is closed off and hidden… and there are many sizes in between.
1Ki 4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
Matthew Henry Concise Commentary: It is very desirable, that those who have large gifts of any kind, should have large hearts to use them for the good of others.
Jas1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
2Ti 1:6-7 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Read our study verses again:
Psa 119:17 GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Psa 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Psa 119:19 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
Psa 119:20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
Psa 119:21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Psa 119:22 Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
Psa 119:23 Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
Psa 119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
Psa 119:25 DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
Psa 119:26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
Psa 119:27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
Psa 119:28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
Psa 119:29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
Psa 119:31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
Psa 119:32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
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