119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. |
120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments. |
121 I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors. |
122 Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me. |
123 Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness. |
124 Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes. |
125 I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies. |
126 It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law. |
127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. |
128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. |
129 Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. |
130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. |
131 I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments. |
132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. |
133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. |
134 Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. |
135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. |
136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law. |
137 Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments. |
138 Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. |
139 My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words. |
140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. |
141 I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts. |
142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. |
143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. |
144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live. |
145 I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes. |
146 I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. |
147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word. |
148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word. |
149 Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment. |
119 Because this psalm was very large, and the matter of it of the greatest importance, the psalmist thought fit to divide it into two and twenty several parts, according to the number of the Hebrew letters, that he might both prevent tediousness, and fix it in the memory. Each part consists of eight verses. All the verses of the first part beginning with Aleph, all the verses of the second with Beth, and so on. It is observable, that the word of God is here called by the names of law, statutes, precepts or commandments, judgments, ordinances, righteousness, testimonies, way and word. By which variety, he designed to express the nature and perfection of God's word. It is called his word, as revealed by him to us; his way, as prescribed by him for us to walk in; his law, as binding us to obedience; his statutes, as declaring his authority of giving us laws; his precepts as directing our duty; his ordinances, as ordained by him; his righteousness, as exactly agreeable to God's righteous nature and will; his judgments, as proceeding from the great judge of the world, and being his judicial sentence to which all men must submit; and his testimonies, as it contains the witness of God's will, and of man's duty. And there is but one of these one hundred and seventy six verses, in which one or other of these titles is not found. The general scope and design of this psalm is, to magnify the law and make it honourable: to shew the excellency and usefulness of divine revelation, and recommend it to us, by the psalmist's own example, who speaks by experience of the benefits of it, for which he praises God, and earnestly prays for the continuance of God's grace, to direct and quicken him in his way.
119:121 Judgment, etc - Just judgment.
119:122 Surety - Do thou undertake and plead my cause.
119:123 The word - For the performance of thy faithful or merciful promise.
119:126 To work - To put forth thy power for the restraint of evil - doers.They - The wicked. Made void - Or, abrogated thy law, have openly cast off its authority.
119:127 Therefore - Because the general apostacy of others makes this duty more necessary.
119:129 Wonderful - In regard of the deep mysteries, the most excellent directions, and the exceeding great and precious promises of God contained in them.
119:131 Panted - I thirst after thy precepts, and pursue them eagerly.
119:133 Steps - My motions and actions.
119:136 Rivers - Plentiful tears, witness of my deep sorrow for God's dishonour, and for the miseries which sinners bring upon themselves.
119:140 Pure - Without the least mixture of falsehood.
119:142 Everlasting - The same in all ages and places.
119:143 Trouble - Outward troubles and anguish of spirit.
119:148 Watches - The middle watch, which was set in the middle of the night; and the morning watch, which was set some hours before the dawning of the day.
119:149 Judgment - According to thy word.