1. Who to be Like (vv.1-8)
2. Overcoming Youthful Lust (vv.9-16)
3. Comfort in Loneliness (vv.17-24)
4. Holding On (vv.25-32)
5. Teach Me! (vv.33-40)
6. Not Ashamed (vv.41-48)
7. Stability Under Fire (vv.49-56)
8. Only Way to Have God (vv.57-64)
9. The Value of Suffering (vv.65-72)
10. Supporters and Detractors (vv.73-80)
11. On the Brink of Ruin (vv.81-88)
12. What is Certain (vv.89-96)
13. Getting Wiser (vv.97-104)
14. Determination to Stay the Course (vv.105-112)
15. Contrast with Evildoers (vv.113-120)
16. Time for God to Act (vv.121-128)
17.   Liberation through Truth (vv.129-136)
18.   The Character of His Commandments (vv.137-144)
19. Nearness of the One who Matters (vv.145-152)
20. Reasons for God to Intervene (vv.153-160)
21. Better than Money (vv.161-168)
22.   Hear me, Deliver me! (vv.169-176)

1. This is the longest chapter in the Bible, in the longest book in the Bible.
2. Psalm 119 is an acrostic psalm like Pss.111, 112, and others.
3. It is the most developed example in the OT.
4. The closest parallel is Lamentations 3, which contains twenty-two strophes of three lines.
5. In this literary tour de force, eight lines (verses) in each strophe begin with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet (vv.1-8 all begin with a word beginning with the letter Aleph, and so on to Tau, the last letter of the alphabet).
6. Each verse of the twenty-two strophes corresponds to the successive letters of the alphabet.
7. The 176 verses are accounted for as follows: 22 X 8 = 176.
8. The psalm is classified as a wisdom psalm.
9. The focus of the psalmist’s interest is the WOG (Torah). There are eight synonyms for the Mosaic Covenant:

1. rb'D' dabhar, word; occurring 24X.
2. jP'v.mi mishepat, judgments/ordinances; 23X.
3. tWd[ee edhuth, testimony; 23X.
4. hw"c.mi mitsewah, commandment; 22X.
5. qxo choq, statute; 21X.
6. ~ydIWQPi piqqudim, precepts; 21X.
7. hr'm.ai imerah, word/saying; 19X.
8. hr'AT torah, law; 25X).
9. All eight terms occur once in two strophes, heth and yod.

10. The other strophes exhibit six or seven of the synonyms.
11. The psalm has a kaleidoscopic patterning with a certain number of motifs being repeated throughout the strophes.
12. Each strophe has its own distinctive emphasis.
13. The psalm in not lacking in coherence and progressive movement.
14. The anonymous author was a young man (v.9; cp. vv.99,100) who had a history of reversionism.
15. Verses 67 and 176a unequivocally support the position that the author had been in reversionism (Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.; and I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant).
16. His troubles continued after He had repented, as seen in the much repeated mention of enemies and their persecution of him (vv.23, 42, 51, 61, 78, 84-87, 95, 107, 110, 121-122, 134, 139, 157, 161).
17. Like other psalms (116 and "Rebound psalms" of David), this one presents a believer in a situation where he has come under major persecution against a background of reversion recovery.
18. Like David, his sufferings remain after he turned to God.
19. The historical background for Ps.119 is not known.
20. This young man finds himself in a situation which is clearly described: he is reproached, oppressed, and persecuted by those who despise the WOG.
21. He is in imminent danger of death at the hands of powerful men (cf. vv.23, 46, 161).
22. Throughout the psalm he prays for deliverance based on his newfound zeal for the law of God.
23. He is a prisoner, as suggested by v.61 (cp. v.83), expecting death (v.109).

VERSE 1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless ( yrev.a; [interj., ashere, "blessed are"] %r,d'-ymeymit. [adj.m.p.cstr., complete, whole, entire; "blameless", + n.m.s. %r,D,, derek, way]),

Who walk in the law of the LORD ( ~ykil.hoh; [def.art.w/Qal.act.pt., halak, walk] tr;AtB. [prep.w/n.f.s.cstr., torah, law] `hw"hy> [pr.n.]).

VERSE 2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies ( yrev.a; [interj. ashere,] yrec.nO [Qal.act.pt.m.p.cstr. rc;n" natsar, watch, keep, observe] wyt'do[e [n.f.p.cstr.w/3m.s.sf. hd'[e edhah, testimony, witness]),

Who seek Him with all their heart ( `WhWvr>d>yI [Qal.impef.3m.p.w/3m.s.sf. vr;D' darash, seek] ble-lk'B. [prep.w/n.m.s.cstr. lebh, heart]).

VERSE 3 They also do no unrighteousness ( @a; [conj., also] Wl[]p'-al [neg. + Qal.pf.3m.p. l[;P' pa-al, do] hl'w>[; [n.f.s., hl'w>[; awelah, injustice; "unrighteousness"]);

They walk in His ways ( `Wkl'h' [Qal.pf.3c.p. %l;h' halak, walk] wyk'r'd>Bi [prep.w/n.m.s.w/3m.s.sf. derek, way]).

VERSE 4 You have ordained Your precepts ( hT'a; [pro.2m.s., you] ht'yWIci [Piel.pf.2m.s. hWc tsawah, command, appoint; "ordained"] ^yd,Qupi [n.m.p.w/2m.s.sf. ~ydIWQPi piqqudhim, precept]),

That we should keep them diligently ( rmov.li [prep.w/Qal.infin.cstr. rm;v' shamar, keep, guard] `daom. [adv., greatly; "diligently"]).

VERSE 5 Oh that my ways may be established ( yl;x]a; [interj., "Oh that!"] yk'r'd> [n.m.p.w/1c.s.sf., derek, way] WnKoyI [Niphil.impf.3m.p. !WK kun, be established, be firm])

To keep Your statutes ( rmov.li [prep.w/Qal.infin.cstr. rm;v' shamar, keep, guard] `^yQ,xu [n.m.p.w/2m.s.sf. qxo choq, statute])!

VERSE 6 Then I shall not be ashamed ( za' [adv., at that time, then] vAbae-al{ [neg. + Qal.impf.1c.s. vwOB bosh, be ashamed])

When I look upon all Your commandments ( `^yt,wOc.mi-lK'-la, [prep. of direction + n.m.s.cstr. + n.f.p.w/2m.s.sf. hw"c.mi mitsewah, commandment]).

VERSE 7 I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart ( ^d>Aa [Hiphil.impf.1c.s.w/2m.s.sf. hd;y" yadhah, give thanks] rv,yOB. [prep.w/n.m.s. rv,yO yosher, uprightness] bb'le [n.m.s. lebh, heart]),

When I learn Your righteous judgments ( ydIm.l'B. [prep.w/Qal.infin.cstr.w/1c.s.sf. dm;l' lamadh, learn] yjeP.v.mi [n.m.p.cstr. jP'v.mi mishepat, judgment, decision, ordinance] `^q,d>ci [n.m.s.w/2m.s.sf. qd,c, tsedheq, righteousness; "righteous"]).

VERSE 8 I shall keep Your statutes ( rmov.a, [Qal.impf.1c.s. rm;v' shamar, keep] ^yQ,xu-ta, [dir.obj. + n.m.p.w/2m.s.sf. qxo choq, statute, prescribed limit, boundary]);

Do not forsake me utterly ( ynIbez>[;T;-la; [neg. + Qal.impf.2m.s.w/1c.s.sf. bz:[' azabh, leave, forsake] `daom.-d[; [prep. of perpetuity, + adv., greatly; idiom showing magnitude])!

ANALYSIS: VERSES 1-8

1. The psalmist wants to be like those he describes in vv.1-3.
2. His recent history has not been in the company of the adjusted (cf. v.67).
3. Time in reversionism was lost time; he wants to make up for lost time.
4. The psalm opens with a double beatitude.
5. "How blessed" is an exclamatory interjection declaring the most favored status of "those whose way is blameless".
6. Such believers are, from the divine perspective, in the most desirable circumstance that exists.
7. They are under maximum divine approbation (Prov.11:20b).
8. God accords them special protection (Prov.13:6a).
9. "Whose way" refers to their modus vivendi (manner of life) and modus operandi (manner of operation).
10. Their Ph2 is constantly under the directive will of God, as taught in the doctrines and commandments of Scripture.
11. For believers in the age of Israel, walking "in the law of Yahweh" (vs. 1b) establishes the "blameless way".
12. For believers of this dispensation it is attained by walking in "the perfect law of liberty" (Jam.1:25).
13. On the one hand "blameless" does not mean perfection, but on the other hand it demands a high level of understanding and application of BD.
14. It requires the absence of glaring deficiencies relative to the CWL.
15. It is akin to being healthy versus unhealthy in body and mind.
16. Such a person applies the doctrine of separation (Ps.1:1), practices justice and righteousness (Ps.106:3), delights in the directive will of God (Ps.112:1), applies 1Jn.1:9 (Ps.32:1,2), and acclimates to DD (Job.5:17; Ps.94:12).
17. Verse 2 emphasizes application and intake of BD as the keys to attaining this state of blessedness.
18. "Testimonies" is one of the primary synonyms for describing the particulars of the "law of the LORD".
19. This noun indicates that each and every item bears witness to the character and the viewpoint of the Author of the Torah.
20. Those "whose way is blameless" also "seek Him with all their heart".
21. In other words, their MPR is learning the WOG and accepting the reality of it ("the law").
22. Verses 1 and 2 make it crystal clear that those who are favored by God are those who adhere to the content of the WOG (Prov.11:20 "The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their walk are His delight").
23. The adjective "blameless" (~ymiT') means: 1) complete, whole, entire, sound; 1a) complete, whole, entire; 1b) whole, sound, healthful; 1c) complete, entire (of time) 1d); sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity; 1e) what is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact (neuter adj./subst.).
24. Such believers are wholly committed to the MPR principle and all it implies.
25. The psalmist wants to be like these types in the fullest sense.
26. Verse 3 is an example of antithetical parallelism in Hebrew poetry.
27. Line 1 of v.3 suggests freedom from debilitating STA activity, not sinless perfection (Eccl.7:20).
28. Line 2 of v.3 suggests a reasonably high level of engagement in the "ways" of the Lord to insure sustained spiritual growth.
29. It absolutely requires the application of Rebound.
30. In v.4 he acknowledges before God the fact that the divine "precepts" (dQuPi piqqud [pik-kood]) arise from the directive will of God.
31. This noun occurs only in Psalms (25X; all but 3 occur in Ps.119), and is a general term for the requirements God places on His people.
32. The cognate verb means "to allocate" (paqadh).
33. God has "ordained" (or "commanded") His "precepts that" believers "should diligently keep them".
34. The healthy believer is the one who aggressively "keeps/guards" the things learned.
35. BD does not work if you do not apply it.
36. Verse 5 is the first of many petitions in this psalm.
37. He prays that God will bless his desire to apply what he learns in his niche.
38. He does not want anything to interfere with his desire "to keep" the "statutes" (word which means a boundary).
39. He knows he will suffer opposition, but he asks that his "ways be established".
40. This also implies the avoidance of activities and pursuits that interfere with carrying out the directive will of God.
41. At all times we should aspire to the viewpoint, geographical, and operational wills of God.
42. In v.6 he draws our attention to one of the blessings that comes with the application of BD.
43. Namely, that when we are under GAP (v.6b) we are "not ashamed" (v.6a).
44. Shame is what awaits all those who disregard the divine directives (in time, but especially in Ph3).
45. He employs another frequent synonym for the contents of the law - "commandments".
46. In v.7 he vows to "give thanks" for what he learns under GAP.
47. He employs yet another synonym for the law’s contents in the word "judgments".
48. This noun has a variety of meanings depending on the context; here the idea is that of a legal decision in jurisprudence.
49. He acknowledges that the divine "judgments" are "righteous" in accord with the character of the divine judge.
50. He hopes to offer the sacrifice of the lips "with uprightness of heart" that is the result of the answered petition of v.5.
51. A high level of application makes Bible class a pleasant experience rather than a painful one.
52. In v.8a he vows to "keep" the "statutes" right now, and not put it off until later.
53. Verse 8b is the first hint that he is experiencing a crisis.
54. The one who has these noble aspirations asks God "not to forsake him utterly".
55. Even though he had previously forsaken God and God was compelled to abandon him, he asks that God not abandon him to the crisis that is threatening to pre-empt his Ph2.
56. He recognizes that God has let this crisis that threatens his Ph2 go to the breaking point, but he pleads that God "not forsake him utterly".

VERSE 9 How can a young man keep his way pure ( hM,B; [prep.w/interrog.pro., "by what means?"] r[;N:-hK,z:y> [Piel.impf.3.m.s. hk;z" zakhar, be clean, keep clean/pure, + n.m.s., na-ar, youth])?

By keeping it according to Your word ( rmov.li [prep.w/Qal.infin.cstr. rm;v' shamar, keep] `^r,b'd>Ki [prep.w/n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. rb'D' dabhar, speech, utterance, word]).

VERSE 10 With all my heart I have sought You ( yBili-lk'B. [prep.w/n.m.s.cstr., with all, + n.m.s.w/1c.s.sf., lebh, heart] ^yTiv.r;d> [Qal.impf.1c.s.w/2m.s.sf. vr;D' darash, seek]);

Do not let me wander from Your commandments ( ynIGEv.T;-la; [neg. + Hiphil.impf.2.m.s.w/1c.s.sf., shagah, wander, stray] `^yt,wOc.Mimi [prep.w/n.f.p.w/2m.s.sf., mitsewah, commandment]).

VERSE 11 Your word I have treasured in my heart ( ^t,r'm.ai [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hr'm.ai imerah, utterance, word] yTin>p;c' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. !p;c' tsaphan, hide, treasure, store up] yBiliB. [prep.w/n.m.s.w/1.c.s.sf., lebh, heart]),

That I may not sin against You ( ![;m;l. [prep. of purpose] al{ [neg.] `%l'-aj'x/a, [Qal.impf.1c.s. aj'x' chata, sin, + prep.w/2f.s.sf., against You]).

VERSE 12 Blessed are You, O LORD ( %WrB' [Qal.pass.pt.m.s. %r;B' barak, bless] hT'a [pro.2.m.s.] hw"hy> [pr.n.]);

Teach me Your statutes ( nIdeM.l; [Piel.imper.w/1c.sf. dm;l' lamadh, teach] hw"hy [pr.n.] `^yQ,xu [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. qxo statute]).

VERSE 13 With my lips I have told of ( [yt;p'f.Bi [prep.w/n.f.dual.w/1.c.s.sf. hp'f' shaphah, lip] yTir>P;si [Piel.pf.1.c.s. rp;s' saphar, recount; "told"])

All the ordinances of Your mouth ( lKo [n.m.s.] `^ypi-yjeP.v.mi [n.m.p.cstr. jP'v.mi mishepat, decision of law; "ordinance", + n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hP, peh, mouth]).

VERSE 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies ( yTif.f; [Qal.pf.1.c.s. fWf shush, exult, rejoice] %r,d,B. [prep.w/n.f.s., derek, way] ^yt,wOd>[e [n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. tWd[e edhuth, testimony]),

As much as in all riches ( l[;K. [prep. + prep., 'As much as'] `!Ah-lK' . [n.m.s.cstr. + n.m.s. hon, wealth]).

VERSE 15 I will meditate on Your precepts ( hx'yfia' [Qal.impf.1.c.s. xy:fi siach, mediate, ponder, reflect] ^yd,QupiB. [prep.w/n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. ~ydIWQPi piqqudim, precept])

And regard Your ways ( hj'yBia;w> [conj.w/Hiphil.impf.1.c.s. jb;n" nabhat, look, regard, pay attention to] `^yt,xor>ao [n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. xr;ao orach, path, way of living]).

VERSE 16 I shall delight in Your statutes ( [v'[]T;v.a, [Hithpael.impf.1.c.s. [['v' sha-a, to be blinded, to stroke; to sport, take delight in, be preoccupied with] ^yt,QoxuB. [prep.w/n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hQ'xu chuqqah, something prescribed, ordinance, statute]);

I shall not forget Your word ( al [neg.] xK;v.a, [Qal.impf.1c.s. xk;v' shakhach, forget] `^r,b'D> [n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. rb'D' dabhar, word]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 9 through 16

1. We learn from this strophe that the psalmist was a young man.
2. He begins the Beth file by asking God a question and then supplying the answer himself (v.9).
3. He asks, "How can a young man overcome the STA predilections typical of this age bracket?".
4. The apostle Paul refers to it as "youthful lusts" in 2Tim.2:22.
5. Strict adherence to sound doctrine ("Your word") is the sure way to insure that a young man can avoid the pitfalls of youth.
6. The drive to experience the pleasures of life on the part of the young leads them down paths that are destructive to a truly happy and fulfilling life.
7. God’s "word" is the way to avoid bad associations and harmful pursuits.
8. The psalmist woke up at some point in his youth and decided to chart a new course for his life and break with his negative, STA-driven peers.
9. As we shall see, this made him exceedingly unpopular with his old associates and they began a campaign to destroy him.
10. In v.10a he affirms before God his new commitment to the paths of righteousness.
11. He was not wavering in his break for the past but approached his newfound love for doctrine "with all my heart".
12. In so doing he recognized the ever-present potential of sliding backward according to the inclinations of his lust pattern (v.10b).
13. He asks God to keep him alert and on the strait and narrow of divine viewpoint.
14. Before, he had been "arrogant" and careless in his attitude towards the POG (cf. v.21).
15. The synonym "commandments" denotes the authority behind the WOG.
16. Each and every commandment is vital to the overall enterprise he has begun.
17. He now treats God’s "word" like a treasure rather than an afterthought.
18. And so he places the WOG above all inferior systems of success and happiness.
19. This enables him to avoid the kind and degree of sinning that brought him into the deep waters of misery and DD.
20. Concentration of the treasure enables him to sidestep the sin that had neutralized his Ph2.
21. The study of BD enables us to resist the temptations of the flesh so that we can glorify God and be qualified to receive blessings that would otherwise be withheld from us (cf. 1Jn.2:1).
22. In v.12a he pauses to extol the One who has given him this fresh start, and petitions the Lord to "teach" him the "statutes" (v.12b).
23. Throughout the psalm he recognizes the on-going need to be taught, no matter the level of his current understanding.
24. This should be the prayer of all believers who make a claim to +v.
25. He them reminds God that he has not been reticent to witness verbally to those around him of the "ordinances" (mishepat) which God has taught him (v.13).
26. As he learns, he tells others who will listen of the divine viewpoint of life.
27. Opportunities arose whereby he had a chance to explain his actions and viewpoint.
28. His life was totally consumed with his newfound love for BD in the same way a person would delight over "riches" (v.14; Qal.pf. indicates his recent +H from BD).
29. The synonym "testimonies", as the noun suggests, indicates that which bears witness to the character of another.
30. The teachings and directives of BD mirror the character of their Author.
31. Actually, BD is infinitely more valuable than categories of human wealth.
32. It does for those who find it what money could never do, due to its inherent limitations.
33. Doctrine applied is a source of physical wealth, but physical wealth cannot procure spiritual blessing and deliverance (cp. Prov.3:16; Ps.49).
34. The noun translated "precepts" (piqqudhim) in v.15a occurs only in Psalms.
35. Twenty-one of the twenty-four occurrences are in Ps.119 (Pss.19:9; 103:18, 111:7; cp. Ps.119:4, 15, 27, 40, 45, 56, 63, 69, 78, 87, 93, 94, 100, 104, 110, 128, 134, 141, 159, 168, 173).
36. It denotes that which is necessary to meet any exigency (that which is ample).
37. The psalmist affirms that he spends time reflecting upon what he has learned (v.15a; cp. vv.23, 48, 78, 97, 148).
38. This keeps him from being a "forgetful hearer".
39. It is very important that we spend time reflecting upon the things we have learned.
40. This is principally done when we are by ourselves.
41. Line 2 of v.15 is an affirmation that he has followed through with regard to the things he spends time thinking about.
42. What a man thinks about is what he is (Prov.23:7).
43. He learns it, he thinks about it, and he does it.
44. All three steps are necessary so that GAP is not short-circuited.
45. God’s "ways" (or "paths") are now his ways.
46. What he now "delights in" he is not apt to "forget" in the face of pressures from within (STA temptation) and from without (persecution; v.16).
47. In the Beth file he presents a profile of a young man who has totally committed himself to learning, thinking, and applying BD that has brought much inner happiness into his life.

VERSE 17 Deal bountifully with Your servant ( lmoG> [Qal.imper.2.m.s. lm;G" gamal, reward, deal fully with] ^D>b.[;-l[; [prep., toward, + n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. db,[, ebhedh, servant]),

That I may live and keep Your word ( hy<x.a, [Qal.impf.1.c.s. hyx chayah, live] hr'm.v.a,w> [conj.w/Qal.impf.1.c.s. rm;v' shamar, keep] `^r,b'd> [n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. rb'D' dabhar, word]).

VERSE 18 Open my eyes, that I may behold ( yn:y[e-lG: [Piel.imper.2.m.s. hlG galah, uncover; "Open", + n.f.dual.w/1.c.s.sf. !yI[; ayin, eye] hj'yBia; [conj., "that", w/Hiphil.imper.1.c.s.chort. jbn nabhat, to pay attention, regard])

Wonderful things from Your law ( tAal'p.nI [Niphil.pt.f.p., alP pala, be extraordinary] `^t,r'ATmi [prep.w/n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hr'AT torah, law]).

VERSE 19 I am a stranger in the earth ( ykinOa' [indef.pro.1.p.s., anochi, I] rGE [ger, resident alien, sojourner] #r,a'b' [prep.w/n.f.s. #r,a erets, earth]);

Do not hide Your commandments from me ( rTes.T;-la; [neg. + Hiphil.impf.2.m.s. rt's' sathar, hide, conceal] yNIM,mi [prep.w/1.c.s.sf.] `^yt,wOc.mi [prep.w/n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hw"c.mi mitsewah, commandment]).

VERSE 20 My soul is crushed with longing ( yvip.n: [n.f.s.w/1.c.s.sf. vp,n< nephesh, soul] hs'r>G" [Qal.pf.3.f.s., garas, be crushed] hb'a]t;l. [prep.w/n.f.s. hb'a]T; ta-abhah, longing; hapax])

After Your ordinances at all times ( ^yj,P'v.mi-la, [prep., toward; "after", + n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. jP'v.mi mishephat] `t[e-lk'b. [prep.w/n.m.s.cstr. + n.m.s. t[e eth, time]).

VERSE 21 You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed ( T'r>[;G" [Qal.pf.2.m.s. r[G ga-ar, rebuke] ~ydIzE [adj.m.p. dzE zedh, arrogant, presumptuous; 13X: Pss.19:14; 119:21, 51, 69, 78, 85, 122; Prov.21:24; Isa.13:11; Jer.43:2; Mal.3:15,19] ~yrIWra] [Qal.pass.pt.m.p. rr;a' arar, curse]),

Who wander from Your commandments ( ~ygIVoh; [Qal.act.pt.m.p. hgv shaghah, go astray] `^yt,wOc.Mimi [prep.w/n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hw"c.mi mitsewah, commandment]).

VERSE 22 Take away reproach and contempt from me ( lG: [Qal.imper. llG galal, roll away; "take away"] hP'r>x, [n.f.s. cherepah, reproach] zWbw" [conj.w/n.m.s., buz, contempt] yl;['me [prep, min, w/prep.w/1.c.s.sf]),

For I observe Your testimonies ( yKi [conj.] ^yt,do[e [n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hd'[e edhah, testimony] `yTir>c'n" [Qal.pf. 1.c.s. rcn natsar, guard, observe]).

VERSE 23 Even though princes sit and talk against me ( ~G: [conj.] ~yrIf' [n.m.p. rf; shar, prince] Wbv.y" [Qal.pf.3.c.p. bvy yashabh, sit, abide] WrB'd>nI [Niphil.pf.3.c.p. rbD dabhar, speak] yBi [prep.w/1.c.s.sf.]),

Your servant meditates on Your statutes ( ^D>b.[; [n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. db,[, ebhedh, servant] x;yfiy" [Qal.imp.3.m.s. xyf siach, mediate, ponder, contemplate] `^yQ,xuB. [prep.w/n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. qxo choq, statute]).

VERSE 24 Your testimonies also are my delight ( ^yt,do[e-~G: [conj., also, + n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hd'[e edhah, testimony] y['vu[]v; [n.m.p.w/1c.s.sf. ~y[ivu[]v; sha-ashuim, enjoyment; 9X: Pss.119:24, 77, 92, 143; Prov.8:30]);

They are my counselors ( yven>a; [n.m.p.cstr. vyai ish, man, human being, each; since it is in the plural, the idea is that the psalmist has in mind a number of "testimonies" that are his "counselors"] `ytic'[] [n.f.s.w/1.c.s.sf. hc'[e etsah, counsel]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 17-24

1. The gimel file brings to our attention the extreme distress and isolation of the psalmist.
2. In a life-threatening situation, he asks that God "deal bountifully with" (Qal.imper. lm;G", gamal, deal fully) His "servant" (cp. Pss.116:7; 13:6, where those believers were subject to the same pressures).
3. What he wants is stated in v.17b: namely, preservation and perpetuation of his Ph2 course.
4. If his enemies prevail, then he cannot "keep" God’s "word" to finish his course with honor.
5. Throughout the psalm there is his repeated plea for preservation of life as a reward for strict adherence to the WOG (vv.17, 25, 40, 50, 88, 93, 107, 116, 144, 149, 154, 156, 159, 175).
6. The above verses all contain the Hebrew verb chayah, to live (in Qal and Piel stems).
7. Only by an extension of life can he "keep" God’s "word" and in so doing qualify for maximum Ph3 reward.
8. In v. 18 he prays for spiritual enlightenment via GAP.
9. "Open my eyes" recognizes his dependence upon God to perceive what would otherwise be hidden from him.
10. He is not content to remain at his present level of perspicacity.
11. The WOG contains "wonderful/extraordinary things" for those who make the intake of BD their MPR.
12. Only those who are seekers have the covering removed from their eyes to see things that before were obscured by the natural near-sightedness of those who are negative.
13. In v.19 he acknowledges the sense of isolation and alienation that all who are enlightened feel - surrounded, as it were, by those who are indifferent and hostile to BD (cp. Heb.11:13).
14. We who are positive and in tune with what we learn are, in the cosmos, as in a strange land with strange customs and foreign speech.
15. There is a very real sense in which we do not fit in.
16. In his isolation, he prays that God would make Himself and His plan all the more apparent to him.
17. He asks that God "not hide his commandments from" him.
18. God hides His word from those who do not seek Him with all their heart, preferring the ways of the devil’s world.
19. Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples via parables, and at the same time hid the Plan from those who were not open and positive (Mk.4:10-12).
20. Truth is obscured to those who will not submit to it as it is made available.
21. He does not want to be left out with respect to the commandments; he desires maximum insight.
22. He recognizes how much he needs continual insight to deal with his pressures.
23. In an alien place surrounded by those who are antagonistic, he expresses his sense of soulish "longing after the ordinances/judgments/rulings".
24. Isolated from those who are like-minded, he feels all the more the need to be refreshed and enlightened in the spiritual desert in which he finds himself.
25. He cannot escape the feeling of "longing" to be under GAP.
26. Wherever he was, he was not in a setting where his positive volition received the support of those around him.
27. The verb "crushed" indicates crushed to pieces, and points to a state of mind which feels overpowered, even to the point of being crushed with a longing for more and more knowledge of the "ordinances".
28. This feeling never left him, hence the words "at all times".
29. This feeling becomes more acute when we are in the company of those who are saturated with human viewpoint.
30. In v. 21 he affirms what will happen to those who do not take God seriously.
31. God "does rebuke" all who arrogantly "wander from" the "commandments".
32. The masses of negative volition face rebuke under temporal judgments and in final judgment.
33. All who are negative are described as "arrogant" in that they put themselves above the directive will of God.
34. All who disregard the adjustments to God are "cursed" with eternal loss.
35. Negative volition "wanders" far afield from the "commandments" that bring life and blessing to those who truly turn to God and break from the evil ways and thoughts.
36. He was such a person when he arrogantly pursued his own STA interests.
37. He thought he knew what would bring him the greatest happiness.
38. Therefore, in v.22 he prays that God would "take away" the "reproach and contempt" that he was under as a reversionist.
39. People thought well of him, but God had a very different attitude towards his wayward child.
40. Hebrews 10:38 (quoted from Hab.2:4) expresses in different language what God thinks of a believer who "shrinks back" from following what he had previous confidence in.
41. Such "arrogant" ones are "cursed".
42. He wants the "reproach and contempt" lifted based on the fact that he "observes Your testimonies" (v.22b).
43. With his recent turnaround and the lifting of the divine displeasure, he has come under the disfavor and reproach of certain "princes" (v.23a).
44. He was somehow connected to men of power within the political structure he had become a part of.
45. When he turned to God, he began to stand for what was right and this brought him into conflict with his peers.
46. Apparently he began to speak out against the status quo and was supportive of measures that were in keeping with what he was learning in "bible class".
47. Men of power within the kingdom were meeting and discussing how they might neutralize him.
48. He came to know about this clandestine activity and the talk that was directed against him.
49. By contrast he was formulating his counter strategy, which consisted of private meditation upon the divine "statutes" (v.23b; cp. v.15a).
50. Intake of doctrine and reflection upon the details enabled him to deal with the intense conflict in his public life that came from his so-called colleagues.
51. The divine "testimonies" he meditated upon were a source of great "delight", as well as acting as unseen "counselors" on how to deal with the opposition.
52. The noun "delight" is actually a plural which occurs only here and in vv.77, 92, 143, and Prov.8:30.
53. His company was not the fellowship of positive, like-minded believers, but was the invisible "counselors" who were at his side when he meditated upon Scripture.
54. It is of no little interest that v.24b has the m.p. noun for man in the text, namely, ish.
55. The literal rendering of that line is: "These men, my counselors."
56. Scripture not only told him what to stand for, but how to go about it, and the support he could expect to have from the Source of the "testimonies".
57. The gimel file brings us into the conspiracy formed against him because of his stand for the truth.
58. His sense of isolation and his overpowering compulsion to learn what was as yet hidden to his view was counterbalanced by the great pleasure that learning and reflecting upon doctrine brought into his life.

VERSE 25 My soul cleaves to the dust ( yvip.n: [n.f.s.w/1.c.s.sf. vp,n< nephesh, soul] hq'b.D' [Qal.pf.3.f.s. qb;D' dabhaq, cling] rp'['l, [prep.w/n.m.s. rp'[' aphar, dust]);

Revive me according to Your word ( ynIYEx; [Piel.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. hyx chayah, to live; restore {from danger posed from enemies}] `^r,b'd>Ki [prep.w/n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. rb'D' dabhar, word]).

VERSE 26 I have told of my ways, and You have answered me ( yTir>P;si [Piel.pf.1.c.s.rps saphar, recount] yk;r'D> [n.f.p.w/1.c.s.sf. %r,D, derek, way] ynInE[]T;w: [conj.w/Qal.impf.2.m.s.w/1.c.s.sf. hn[ anah, answer]);

Teach me Your statutes [ynIdeM.l; ( Piel.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. dm;l' lamadh, teach] `^yQ,xu [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. qxo choq, statute {boundary}]).

VERSE 27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts ( ynInEybih] [Hiphil.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. !yB bin, understand, to cause to understand] ^yd,WQPi-%r,D, [n.f.s.cstr. derek, way, + n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. ~ydIWQPi piqqudhim, precept]),

So I will meditate on Your wonders ( hx'yfia'w> [conj.w/Qal.impf.1.c.s. xyf siach, ponder] `^yt,Aal.p.nIB. [prep.w/Niphil.pt.f.pl.w/2.m.s.sf. alP pa-al, be extraordinary; "wonders"]).

VERSE 28 My soul weeps because of grief ( yvip.n: [n.f.s.w/1.c.s.sf. nephesh, soul] hp'l.D' [Qal.pf.3.f.s. @lD dalaph, to drip, leak, weep] hg"WTmi [prep.w/n.f.s. hg"WT tunah, grief, heaviness; 4X:Ps.119:28; Prov.10:1; 14:13; 17:21]);

Strengthen me according to Your word ( ynImeY>q; [Piel.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. ~wq qum, to establish] `^r,b'd>Ki [prep.w/n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. rb'D' dabhar, word]).

VERSE 29 Remove the false way from me ( rseh' [Hiphil.imper. rws sur, to turn aside; cause to turn aside, remove, take away] rq,v,-%r,D, [n.f.s. derek, way, + n.m.s. sheqer, lie, falsehood] yNIM,mi [prep w/1c.s.sf., "from me"]),

And graciously grant me Your law ( ^t.r'Atw> [conj.w/n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. torah, law] `ynINEx' [Qal.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. !nx chanan, be gracious]).

VERSE 30 I have chosen the faithful way ( yTir>x'b' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. rxB bachar, choose] hn"Wma/-%r,D, [n.f.s. derek, way, + n.f.s. hn"Wma/ emunah, fidelity, faithfulness]);

I have placed Your ordinances before me ( ^yj,P'v.mi [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. jP'v.mi mishepat, judgment, ordinance] `ytiyWIvi [Piel.pf.1.c.s. hwv shawah, set, place]).

VERSE 31 I cling to Your testimonies ( yTiq.b;D' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. qbD dabhaq, cling] ^yt,wOd>[eb. [prep.w/n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. tWd[e edhuth, testimony]);

LORD, do not put me to shame ( hw"hy> [pr.n.] `ynIveybiT.-la; [neg. + Hiphil.imper. 2.m.s.w/1.c.s.sf. vwB bosh, be ashamed; put to shame])!

VERSE 32 I shall run the way of Your commandments ( #Wra' [Qal.impf.1.c.s. #wr rutz, run] ^yt,wOc.mi-%r,D, [n.f.s. derek, way + n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hw"c.mi mitsewah, commandment]),

For You will enlarge my heart ( yKi [conj.] byxir>t; [Hiphil.impf.2.m.s. bxr rachabh, to make large, enlarge] `yBili [n.m.s.w/1.c.s.sf. lebh, heart]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 25-32

1. The daleth file begins with his lament regarding the jeopardy he is in due to those who want him out of the way.
2. "My soul cleaves to the dust" is an expression underscoring how desperate his situation has become vis-a-vis his enemies (v.25a).
3. Apart From God, he has no hope of survival; all he has to look forward to is the return of his flesh to dust if God doesn’t act.
4. Therefore, in v.25b he asks God to "Preserve him alive".
5. This is the Piel imperative of the verb "to live" (chayah), and is mistranslated "Revive me".
6. The basis for this hoped-for deliverance is seen in the words "according to Your word".
7. He has initiated the process whereby God is bound to deliver him.
8. The words "I have told of Your ways and You have answered me" is an allusion to his "rebound prayer" (v.26a).
9. In that prayer he fully recounted all his folly while in reversionism, and God answered him with forgiveness and insight.
10. He goes on to ask God to "teach" him the "statutes" (v.26b).
11. He makes this request throughout the psalm numerous times.
12. In v.27 he asks God to "make him understand the way of Your precepts": that is, give him more than just a rudimentary understanding of the things God has ordained.
13. With knowledge he wants real understanding so he can apply these things properly to his niche (cp. Prov.4:7).
14. He does not want to apply in clumsy or extreme fashion.
15. In v.27b he declares his obligation to "meditate/ponder on" the divine "wonders".
16. BD is extraordinary, as seen in the term "wonders" (cp. v.18b where the same Niphil participle feminine plural of pa-al is used to describe the contents of the law).
17. A part of the wonder of it all is to learn how God rewards those who line up with the contents of the law.
18. The Law of Moses taught through type the wonderful plan of salvation.
19. The psalmist speaks to God of his on going "grief" (literally, "heaviness").
20. His "soul weeps" is a reference to the inner lupe (sorrow) that he has for his past misdeeds while in reversionism.
21. Therefore, he prays that God would encourage him from what he learns under GAP (v.28b).
22. To be encouraged is to be strengthened.
23. This will offset the tremendous lupe of soul that he comes under as he faces the consequences of his past.
24. In v.29 he prays that God will "remove the false way from" him.
25. He desires that all connection with that approach to life will fade in the rear-view mirror.
26. He wants no part in the things that brought him into the deep waters of reversionism.
27. He had lived a lie and he wanted no part in that kind of life.
28. When you sincerely pray for God to "remove the false way" from you He will honor that prayer, but the near-term fall-out in your life will not be pleasant.
29. He appeals to grace ("graciously grant") to provide him with a life under doctrine ("Your law"; v.29b).
30. He affirms that he has indeed made a complete break with his past modus vivendi and operandi (v.30a).
31. He now follows "the faithful way" instead of the "false way".
32. He made the choice based on the positive volition that surfaced when he finally came to grips with the enormity of his sins and crimes.
33. Having made the choice he now "places" the divine "ordinances/judgments/rulings" before" him as he faces the onslaught of his old friends (v.30b).
34. He now "cleaves" to his only life-line, the divine "testimonies", his reliable counselors (v.24).
35. Even though his soul cleaves to the dust, indicating his desperate circumstances, he will "cleave" to the one thing they cannot take away from him, BD.
36. He prays that his trust in the WOG will not be in vain, and that God will vindicate his +v in the midst of all his detractors (v.31b).
37. He leaves it all to God as to the how and when of his vindication before those who hate him.
38. The only running he will do is in the direction of application of the things he is learning (v.32a).
39. He no longer caters to people; his chief concern is the implementation of the "commandments".
40. "I shall run" indicates that he will not procrastinate when it comes to application of doctrine, come what may.
41. In v.32b he demonstrates that he walks by faith, apart from which it is not possible to please God.
42. He has faith that God will do for him what he has asked in vv.12b, 18a, and 26b (cp. vv.33, 64, 108, 124, 135, 171, etc.).
43. The "enlarged heart" is a reference to the expanded doctrinal frames of reference that is the result of the intensification of the intake of BD.
44. The daleth file sees him under the isolation and lupe associated with reversion recovery and the focus of his only hope, the specifics of doctrine through which he places his hope for future vindication.

VERSE 33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes ( ynIreAh [Hiphil.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. hry yarah, teach] hw"hy> [pr.n.] %r,D, [n.f.s. derek, way] ^yQ,xu [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. choq, statute {parameters}]),

And I shall observe it to the end ( hN"r,C.a,w> [conj.w/Qal.impf.1.c.s.w/3.f.s.sf. rcn natsar, guard] `bq,[e [adj.m.s. aeqebh, consequence, end {of Ph 2}]).

VERSE 34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law ( ynInEybih] [Hiphil.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. !yB bin, discern, understand] hr'C.a,w> [conj.w/Qal.impf.1/c.s. rcn natsar, keep, observe] ^t,r'At [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf., torah, law])

And keep it with all my heart ( hN"r,m.v.a,w> [conj.w/Qal.impf.1.c.s. w/3.f.s.sf. rmv shamar, keep, guard] `ble-lk'b. [prep.w/n.m.s.cstr. + n.m.s., lebh, heart]).

VERSE 35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments ( ynIkeyrId>h; [Hiphil.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. %rD darakh, tread, march; "walk"] bytin>Bi [prep.w/n.m.s.cstr. bytin" nathibh, beaten path; 5X: Job.18:10; 41:24; Pss.78:50; 119:35] ^yt,wOc.mi [n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hw"c.mi mitsewah, commandment]),

For I delight in it ( Ab-yKi [conj. + prep.w/3.m.s.sf., "in it"] `yTic.p'x' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. #px chaphats, take pleasure in]).

VERSE 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies ( yBili-jh; [Hiphil.imper. hjn natah, stretch out; "Incline", + n.m.s.w/1.c.s.sf., lebh, heart] ^yt,wOd>[e-la, [prep. + n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. tWd[e edhuth, testimony])

And not to dishonest gain ( la;w> [conj.w/neg.] `[c;B'-la, [prep.w/n.m.s. betsa, profit, unjust gain]).

VERSE 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity ( rbe[]h; [Hiphil.imper. rb[ abhar, to pass over; to cause to pass over/by] eyn:y[e [n.f.dual.w/1.c.s.sf. !yI[; ayin, eye] tAar>me [prep.w/Qal.infin.cstr. har ra-ah, see] aw>v' shawa, emptiness, vanity]),

And revive me in Your ways ( ^k,r'd>Bi [prep.w/n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. derek, way] `ynIYEx; [Piel.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. hyx chayah, to live; restore]).

VERSE 38 Establish Your word to Your servant ( ~qeh' [Hiphil.imper. ~wq qum, to rise; cause to rise, establish] ^t,r'm.ai [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hr'm.ai imerah, utterance, speech, word, communication] ^D>b.[;l. [prep.w/n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf db,[, ebhedh, servant]),

As which produces reverence for You ( rv,a] [rel.pro., "As that which"] `^t,a'r>yIl. [prep.w/n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. ha'r> re-ah, fear, respect]).

VERSE 39 Turn away my reproach which I dread ( rbe[]h; [Hiphil.imper. rb[ abhar, pass over/by; cause to pass by] ytiP'r>x, [n.f.s.w/1.c.s.sf. hP'r>x, cherpah, reproach] rv,a] [rel.pro.] yTir>gOy" [Qal.pf.1c.s. rgy yaghor, dread]),

For Your ordinances are good ( yKi [conj.] ^yj,P'v.mi [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. jP'v.mi mishepat, judgment, ordinance] `~ybiAj [adj.m.p. bAj tobh, good]).

VERSE 40 Behold, I long for Your precepts ( hNEhi [interj.] yTib.a;T' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. baT ta-abh, to long for; 3X: Pss.119:40; 119:174; Amos.6:8] ^yd,Qupil. [prep.w/n.m.p.cstr. w/2.m.s.sf. ~ydIWQPi [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf., piqqudhim, precept; 24X: Pss.19:9; 103:18; 111:7; 119:4, 15, 27, 40, 45, 56, 63, 69, 78, 87, 93, 94, 100, 104, 110, 128, 134, 141, 159, 168, 173]);

Revive me through Your righteousness ( ^t.q'd>ciB. [prep.w/n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hq'd'c. tsedhaqah, righteousness] `ynIYEx; [Piel.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. hyx chayah, live; revive, preserve alive]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 33-40

1. The he file concerns itself with an overwhelming desire on the part of the psalmist to continue to advance his thinking in the details of the law, and the preservation of his life under the onlsaught of the wicked.
2. The strophe begins with "Teach me" and ends with "Preserve me alive".
3. He wants his life to be in the mainstream of the "statutes" (v.33a).
4. He promises to "observe it (i.e. "the way of Your statutes") to the end" of Ph2 (v.33b).
5. The petition "Give me understanding" occurs 6X in the psalm and is causative.
6. He asks God to do whatever it takes to make him into the complete opposite of what he was in reversionism.
7. Only with real insight into the particulars can he fulfill his desire "to observe Your law" (v.34a).
8. His desire is to adhere to doctrine at the highest level (v.34b), which is a goal that is clearly attainable and commanded in the Torah (cf. Deut.6:1-9).
9. He continues this vein of petition in v.35a where he asks God to "Make me walk in the path of Your commandments".
10. The particular noun for "path" means a beaten path.
11. Again, the idea is to enable him to implement in Ph2 the "commandments" found throughout the Torah.
12. This petition is that God will supply every incentive and every corrective so he can fulfill the great commandment to love God with all his heart.
13. In v.35b he tells God that this is not a chore for him, but something he "delights in".
14. But he does need help both to learn correctly the body of doctrine and then to apply it at the optimum level.
15. In v.36a he continues with this line of petitioning, asking God to make him an eager learner.
16. "Incline my heart to Your testimonies" is realized where the believer is what is referred to as a "quick study".
17. V.36b hints at his previous STA predilection: namely, monetary gain.
18. The men he was in league with were greedy and corrupt.
19. They had no compunction in causing harm to others, using their power to take by deceit, robbery, and extortion what wasn’t theirs.
20. This, then, is the "false way" alluded to in v.29a.
21. This class of men are prevalent in civilization and are the envy of those who are consumed by monetary and power lust (other vv. where this particular noun occurs: 1Sam.8:3; Job.22:3; Prov.1:19; 15:27; 28:16; Isa.33:15; Jer.6:13; 8:10; Ezek.22:27; Hab.2:9; Mal.3:14).
22. He wants to overcome the common STA predilection of "looking at vanity" (v.37a).
23. He wants to arrive at a level of growth that "all that is in the world, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life" does not turn his head away from the consistent application of BD (cf. 1Jn.2:16).
24. The reason is that the things that are seen are temporal and the things that are unseen but real are eternal (1Jn.2:17; cp. 2Cor.4:18; 1Cor.7:31).
25. Rather, he wants to be preserved alive so he can end his Ph2 with distinction by adhering to God’s "ways" (v.37b).
26. In v.38 he petitions that God would make the reality of His "word" (imerah) so much a part of him that he is occupied with what God thinks of Him and not what is important to STA-driven cosmic types.
27. BD produces "reverence/respect/fear/awe" of the One who is perfect in attributes and Who will vindicate the adjusted.
28. He wants to line up in the big things and in the little things (cf. Mt.5:19).
29. In v.39a he asks God to "turn away my reproach which" he "dreads".
30. The reproach he speaks of is not the reproach of his enemies, but the reproach of God which he was under while in reversionism.
31. This same petition is found in v.22a, and as in that verse the key to lifting the deserved reproach of righteousness is in the doing of God’s "ordinances" (v.39b; cp. 22b).
32. Here he acknowledges the intrinsic "good" of the divine "ordinances".
33. The divine decisions or judgments are good inasmuch as it is well with those who steadfastly adhere to them in time.
34. The file ends with an impassioned plea ("Behold") to the fact that he "longs for" those things which are necessary to full spiritual health and well being (v.40a).
35. He is not a casual seeker who turns to God when in a jam, but someone with an all-out quest to get it together.
36. Based on this fact (v.40a), he can ask for God to "preserve him alive" based on the immutable attribute of +R (v.40b).
37. He bases his request upon the stringency of divine righteousness by which He maintains His order of grace, both as to its promises and its responsibilities.
38. This request comes from one who has separated from his past vanity with all its attendant criminality (vv.36b & 37a).
39. Query: What happened to turn this man away from the evil he and his associates were into?
40. Possibility: He directly observed something so heinous and repressive that it sickened him and turned his life around.

VERSE 41 May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O LORD ( ^d,s'x] [n.m.p. w/2.m.s.sf. chesed, loyalty] ynIauboywI [conj.w/Qal.impf.3.m.p.w/1.p.s.sf. awOB bo, come] hw"hy> [pr.n.]),

Your salvation according to Your word ( ^t.['WvT. [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. h['WvT. teshu-ah, salvation, deliverance] `^t,r'm.aiK. [prep.w/n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hr'm.ai imerah, utterance, communication, word]);

VERSE 42 So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me ( hn<[/a,w> [conj.w/Qal.impf.1.c.s. hn"[' anah, reply] ypir>xo [Qal.act.pt.w/1.c.s.sf. @r;x' charaph, reproach] rb'd' dabhar, word; "for him"; or "reproachful word"]),

For I trust in Your word ( yTix.j;b'-yKi [conj. + Qal.pf.1.c.s. xj;B' batach, trust] `^r,b'd>Bi [prep.w/n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. rb'D' dabhar, word]).

VERSE 43 And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth ( lCeT;-la;w> [conj.w/neg. + Hiphil.impf.2.m.s. lc;n" natsal, snatch away] yPimi [prep.w/n.m.s.w/1.c.s.sf. hP, peh, mouth] daom.-d[; [prep. + adv., "utterly"] rm,a/-rb;d> [n.m.s.cstr. rb'D' dabhar, word, + n.f.s. tm,a/ emeth, truth; "word of truth"]),

For I wait for Your ordinances ( yKi [conj.] ^j,P'v.mil. [prep.w/n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. jP'v.mi miwhepat, judgment, ordinance] `yTil.x' [Piel.pf.1.c.s. lxy yalach, wait, hope]).

VERSE 44 So I will keep Your law continually ( hr'm.v.a,w> [conj.w/Qal.imper.1.c.s. rm'v' shamar, keep] ^t.r'At [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hr'AT torah, law] dymit' [adv., continually]),

Forever and ever ( `d[,w" ~l'A[l. [prep.w/n.m.s, olam, w/conj.w/adv., adh, ever]).

VERSE 45 And I will walk at liberty ( hk'L.h;t.a,w> [conj.w/Hithpael.impf.1.c.s. %lh halakh, walk; to walk around] hb'x'r>b' [def.art.w/prep.w/n.f.s. bx'r' rachabh, broad, wide; "liberty"; cp. at vv.32,96]),

For I seek Your precepts ( yKi [conj.] ^yd,Qupi [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. ~ydIWQPi piqqudhim, precept] `yTiv.r'd' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. vrD darash, seek]).

VERSE 46 I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings ( hr'B.d;a]w: [conj. w/Piel.impf.1.c.s. rbD dabhar, speak] ^yt,do[eb. [prep.w/n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hd'[e edhah, testimony] dg<n< [prep., what is conspicuous, before] ~ykil'm. [n.m.p., melekh, king]),

And shall not be ashamed ( al{w> [conj.w/neg.] `vAbae [Qal.impf.1.c.s. vwB bosh, be ashamed]).

VERSE 47 I shall delight in Your commandments ( [v;[]T;v.a,w> [conj. w/Hithpael.impf.1.c.s. [['v' sha-a, take delight in] ^yt,wOc.miB. [prep.w/n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hw"c.mi mitsewah, commandments],

Which I love ( rv,a] [rel.pro.] `yTib.h'a' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. bha ahabh, love]).

VERSE 48 And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments ( yP;k;-aF'a,w> [conj.w/Qal.impf.1.c.s. afn nasha, lift, up, + n.f.dual.w/2.m.s.sf. @K; kaph, palm, hand] ^yt,wOc.mi-la, [prep. + n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hw"c.mi mitsewah, command.]),

Which I love ( rv,a] [rel.pro.] yTib.h'a' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. bha ahabh, love]);

And I will meditate on Your statutes ( hx'yfia'w> [conj.w/Qal.impf.1.c.s. xyf shiach, ponder, reflect, meditate, think about] `^yQ,xub. [prep.w/n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. qxo choq, statute {boundary}]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 41-48

1. He opens the waw file by appealing to chesed, which stressed divine loyalty to the Mosaic Covenant (cp. Ex.34:6,7).
2. He asks that it "come" to him in his time of need (v.41a).
3. God could not do any less for him as a now-faithful member of the community of positive Israelites.
4. The covenant promised forgiveness and renewal to any and all who turned away from evil (Ex.34:7).
5. "Come to me" is a plea to come to his aid as he suffers the consequences of making a stand for the WOG.
6. In v.41b he specifies what it is he is asking for - deliverance ("salvation") from those who are trying to neutralize him.
7. Deliverance "according to" God’s "word" is what he wants, and what he eventually got.
8. God can do no less than what He has promised.
9. As he faces the false accusations of his accusers, he prays for the grace of a fearless and complete defense based on truth.
10. V.42a seems to point to an upcoming trial of some sort at which he will need to "have an answer for him who reproaches me".
11. God has promised to give us the words on such occasions and tells us not to spend time planning what we will say (Lk.12:11,12).
12. His deliverance depends in part on his ability to give a verbal defense (vv.41,42).
13. The deliverance desired in v.41 is related to the encounter anticipated in v.42.
14. He is innocent of the charges brought against him (v.69), and so he does not want to be frustrated when he is called upon to respond.
15. He bases his claim for deliverance in his upcoming trial on the fact he "trusts in" the WOG (v.42b).
16. He does not trust in men or even in his own abilities to win the day, but on God’s ability to turn the occasion in his favor.
17. In v.43 he continues to petition God not to let him be put in a situation where he is for any reason unable to witness for the "word of truth".
18. To "take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth" would be to face total frustration in the hearing that is designed to convict him of things that are rigged against him.
19. Even an innocent person can be completely frustrated and intimidated.
20. As things progress, he intends to "wait for" God’s "ordinances" (v.43b).
21. To wait for his helpers, the divine judgments, is the same thing as waiting for God.
22. Truth will be brought into his frame of reference by God the HS, and based on this he will speak.
23. In vv.44-478 we have a series of future imperfects ("I will/shall").
24. In these verses he declares what it is he is willing to do and strives to do by the grace of God.
25. First and foremost is his declaration that he "will keep" the Torah from this time forward ("continually"), and "forever and ever" (v.44).
26. This affirmation is made frequently throughout the psalm.
27. Next, in v.45, follows his declaration to "walk at liberty".
28. This means that he will courageously follow doctrine and will not allow himself to be intimidated by circumstances.
29. Truth sets us free if we will follow its lead (Jn.8:32; Gal.5:1,13).
30. We do not need to be enslaved by human viewpoint, STA lusts, and the demands of those who are at odds with God’s plan (Rom.8:12).
31. We who adhere to BD possess true freedom/liberty (2Cor.3:17; Gal.2:4; Jam.1:25; 2:12).
32. The psalmist now knows a freedom he did not have when he was enslaved to the ISTA and to the corruption of the system he was in.
33. The divine "precepts" provide him with true liberty (and protection).
34. The pursuit of liberty is keyed to seeking the divine precepts (v.45b).
35. Whatever men are allowed to do cannot override the liberty that is within.
36. He has no real reason to fear, as God is in control and he follows the commandments.
37. Let them say and do what they will; he is fully a part of something that is infinitely better and will prevail over the pride and glitz of the cosmos.
38. The liberty that the cosmos often glories in is really enslavement to the STA and will result in eternal shame and loss.
39. In v.46 he anticipates the privilege to witness doctrine "before kings".
40. He recognizes that once he has overcome the crisis at hand he will be in a position to "speak" about the divine "testimonies" in the presence of heads of state.
41. His niche was such that he would have this opportunity (cp. Mt. 10:18; Acts.26:1,2).
42. He would not allow himself to be intimidated by those who occupied the highest offices (v.46b).
43. To be ashamed of BD in the presence of anybody is to deny Christ.
44. Paul was not ashamed of the gospel in the presence of Greek philosophical sophistication or Roman imperialism (Rom.1:16).
45. Remember, all men are but flesh in whom God has placed the spark of life (Isa.2:22; Ps.76:12).
46. Ultimately they do not reject your witness but God, who will bring them into judgment (Jn.12:48).
47. Do not fear their reproach/ridicule (Isa.51:7).
48. At all times he will "delight in" God’s "commandments" which he "loves" (v.47).
49. He will not be concerned with what men think, as God will vindicate his faith and devotion.
50. By telling God what he will do, he binds himself to a commitment or vow.
51. In v.48a he promises to "lift up" his "hands"/palms in a bold gesture, signifying both the Source of, and the total dependence on, the "commandments".
52. Verse 48b repeats from v.47b and demonstrates his utter delight with the things of doctrine.
53. Verse 48c declares his intention to be absorbed in the object of his love by quiet reflection upon the specifics of the Torah and all that pertains thereto.
54. The waw file brings us to a confrontation with those who are out to get him in a setting that has official overtones.
55. In this file he speaks to his intention to faithfully bear witness to the truth and to continue to do so, both privately and publicly, into the indefinite future.
56. Any attitude that falls short of his example is unworthy of both the Source and the object of his love.

VERSE 49 Remember the word to Your servant ( rb'D'-rkoz> [Qal.imper. rkz zakhar, remember, + n.m.s. dabhar, word] ^D,b.[;l. [prep.w/n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf., ebhedh, servant]),

In which You have made me hope ( l[; [prep.] rv,a] [rel.pro.] `ynIT'l.x;yI [Piel.pf.2m.s. w/1.c.s.sf. lxy yachal, wait, hope]).

VERSE 50 This is my comfort in my affliction ( tazO [indef.pro.] ytim'x'n< [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hm'x'n< nechamah, comfort] yyIn>['b. [prep.w/n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. ynI[\ ani, affliction]),

That Your word has revived me ( yKi [conj.] ^t.r'm.ai [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hr'm.ai imerah, utterance, word] `ynIt.Y"xi [Piel.pf.3.f.s. w/1.c.s.sf. hyx chayah, preserve alive]).

VERSE 51 The arrogant utterly deride me ( ~ydIzE [adj.m.p. dzE zedh, arrogant] daom.-d[; [prep. + adv., "utterly"] ynIcuylih/ [Hiphil.pf.3.m.p.w/1.c.s.sf. #yl litz, scorn, deride]),

Yet I do not turn aside from Your law ( ^t.r'ATmi [prep.w/n.f.s. w/2.m.s.sf., torah, law] al [neg.] `ytiyjin" [Qal.pf.1.c.s. hjn natah, stretch, turn aside]).

VERSE 52 I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O LORD ( yTir>k; [Qal.pf.1.c.s. rkz zakhar, remember] ^yj,P'v.mi [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. jP'v.mi mishephat, judgment] ~l'A[me [prep.w/n.m.s. olam, ever] hw"hy> [pr.n.]),

And comfort myself ( `~x'n<t.a,w" [conj.w/Hithpael.impf.1.c.s. ~xn nacham, comfort]).

VERSE 53 Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked ( hp'['l.z: [n.f.s., zale-aphah, burning heat; 3X: Pss.11:6; 119:53; Lam.5:10] ynIt.z:x'a] [Qal.pf.3.f.s.w/1.c.s.sf. zxa achaz, grasp, seize] ~y[iv'r>me [prep.w/adj.m.p. [v'r' rasha, wicked]),

Who forsake Your law ( ybez>[o [Qal.pt.m.p. bz[ azabh, leave] `^t,r'AT [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. torah, law]).

VERSE 54 Your statutes are my songs ( ^yQ,xu [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. qxo choq, statute] yli-Wyh' [Qal.pf.3.c.p. hyh hayah, be, + prep.w/1.c.s.sf.] Armiz> [n.m.p.rymiz" zamir, song, psalm])

In the house of my pilgrimage ( tybeB. [prep.w/n.m.s.cstr. tyIB; bayith, house] `yr'Wgm. [n.m.p.w/1.c.s.sf. rWgm' maghur, temporary residence; cp. Gen.17:8; 28:4; 36:7; 37:1; 47:9; Ex.6:4]).

VERSE 55 O LORD, I remember Your name in the night ( hw"hy> [pr.n.] yTir>k;z" [Qal.pf.1c.s. rkz zakhar, remember] ^m.vi [n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. shem, name] hl'y>L;b; [prep.w/n.m.s. hl'y>l; layelah, night]),

And keep Your law ( hr'm.v.a,w" [conj.w/Qal.impf.1.c.s. rmv shamar, keep] `^t,r'AT [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. torah, law]).

VERSE 56 This has become mine ( tazO [demon.pro.] yLi-ht'y>h' [Qal.pf.3.f.s., hayah, + prep.w/1.c.s.s.f., "mine"]),

That I observe Your precepts ( yKi [conj.] ^yd,Qupi [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. ~ydIWQPi piqqudhim, precept] `yTir>c'n" [Qal.pf.1.c.s. rcn natsar, observe]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 49-56

1. In the zayin file he speaks to God of his unwavering adherence to the WOG in the face of the vicious verbal maligning he is the object of.
2. He begins by asking God to "remember the word" of promise with respect to those who remain loyal under the onslaught of the wicked (v.49a).
3. God has promised in the Torah never to forsake the righteous who are persecuted for their faith (Deut.31:6; cp. Heb.13:5,6; Ps.118:6).
4. Those who adhere to "the word" under fire are promised divine support.
5. God’s word has become his hope amidst all the verbal attacks that he is under (v.49b).
6. God "has made him hope" in it because of his exposure to Scripture.
7. With the testing come the promises that we are expected to claim.
8. Also with the testing comes the "comfort" he needs.
9. The comfort that helps sustain him is the fact that he has not perished (v.50).
10. The WOG has preserved him alive in the crisis because God has responded to his response to doctrine (v.51).
11. His repentance and all-out intake and application of the commandments "has preserved him alive".
12. His "affliction" is his undeserved sufferings from the source of people.
13. For the second time in the psalm he labels his enemies as the "arrogant".
14. Arrogant people are people who are negative, putting themselves above the POG.
15. By "utterly deride" he means an all-out assault upon his character ("utterly" at vv.8, 43, 51).
16. High level application of BD results in affliction in the Angelic Conflict (2Tim.3:12).
17. In spite of the verbal assault, he is not intimidated as he "does not turn aside from" the Torah.
18. At every turn he credits his advantages to his total commitment to the law.
19. He fortifies himself against the assault as he "remembers" the eternal "ordinances"/rulings/ judgments (v.52).
20. "From of old" indicates their antiquity, imperishability, and incorruptibility.
21. The WOG is as ancient as God is and it is upheld by God’s perfect essence.
22. Divine wisdom predates all God’s works (Prov.8:22-31).
23. As God is, so is His word (Ps.90:2).
24. Even though Scripture was revealed through men during the period of the formation of the Canon, it has always been a part of the divine will.
25. As he reflects upon the "ordinances" he "comforts" himself, knowing that what he believes and applies will reward his patient endurance beyond all comparison (v.52b).
26. God the HS brings peace, comfort, and joy to the heart of those who remember what they have learned and applied.
27. The derision of man cannot take that away.
28. Verse 53 presents a quite different soulish response to the WOG vis-a-vis "the wicked".
29. The noun "burning indignation" means "raging heat" and occurs 3X: Pss.11:6; 119:53; Lam.5:10.
30. Here it refers to intense emotional anger when he thinks about the wholesale violation of the "law" on the part of those he was in league with.
31. God exhibits the same attitude towards those who "forsake" His +R (cp. Pss.69:24; 78:49; Isa.30:7; Nah.1:6; Zeph.3:8).
32. God has indignation every day (Ps.7:11).
33. His indignation is directed toward the believer under heavy DD (Ps.38:3).
34. God’s indignation is directed against apostate Israel (Pss.85:4; 102:12; Jer.10:10; 21:5; 32:37; Lam.2:6; Ezek.21:31; 22:24; 22:31).
35. It is used of His wrath against the nations (Isa.34:2; Jer.50:13, 25).
36. It is a technical synonym for the Tribulation (Isa.26:20; Dan.8:19; 11:36; Nah.1:6; Hab.3:12).
37. It is technical for eternal condemnation (Rom.2:8).
38. And it is used of the intermediate agents of God’s wrath (Isa.10:5;13:5).
39. Here and in 2Cor.7:11 it is used of the righteous indignation believers regularly have toward those who demonstrate maximum disregard for God’s ways.
40. There were those occasions when the psalmist was "seized" with the most intense feelings of anger when contemplating the activities of "the wicked".
41. Jesus came under this emotion when confronted with the traffickers in the Temple (Mt.21:12) and in his "woes" against the ruling religious classes (Mt.23).
42. This is a normal reaction on the part of the righteous when confronted with the gross evil of their times.
43. His attitude towards the entrenched attitudes and practices of the ruling class was anything but tolerant and accommodating.
44. He detested those people and was on occasion "seized" involuntarily with the divine perspective.
45. In v.54 he moves to a more tranquil state of mind.
46. The "statutes" are his "songs" which refresh and lighten the hardships of his "pilgrimage".
47. The "statutes" are like favorite songs in his spiritual isolation.
48. The psalmist calls his earthly life "the house of my pilgrimage", which follows the thought expressed in v.19.
49. This attitude is not confined to times of extreme affliction and persecution, but is an attitude that follows all who are aware to the brevity of life and their alienation from the devil’s world (cp. 2Chr.29:15).
50. This feeling of not belonging to the status quo is very strong in those who are fully adjusted to the WOG and who are looking for an abiding and better country (Heb.11:13).
51. A place of pilgrimage is but a temporary place in which the pilgrim finds himself.
52. The specifics of doctrine become our songs in the place where we are aliens and strangers.
53. The intake of BD is a taste of the good things to come (Heb.6:5).
54. Suffering especially brings this sense of not belonging to the surface.
55. When the night closes in and there is the tendency to be afraid, he "remembers" God’s matchless "name"/reputation (v.55a).
56. He reviews God’s perfect attributes and surpassing deeds, which spurs him to "keep" the Torah (v.55b).
57. Contemplation of Who and What God is helps us in time of distress to stick with the imperatives and viewpoint of Scripture.
58. The final line in the zayin file (v.56) begins with the demonstrative pronoun zoth - "This".
59. It is followed by the Qal Perfect of the "to be" verb, hayah.
60. Next comes the preposition with the 1.c.s.sf., translated "mine".
61. Line 2 of vs.56 tells us what it is that he has that is so special.
62. He has, in the midst of all his isolation and alienation, the greatest thing that anyone could be in possession of: the observation of the divine "precepts".
63. It is really the only thing that matters.
64. It is the ultimate gift which a person gives himself, with God’s help.
65. The zayin file stresses his stability in the midst of verbal assault and alienation from those who hate God.

VERSE 57 The LORD is my portion ( hw"hy> [pr.n.] yqil.x, [n.m.s.w/1.c.s.sf. ql,xe cheleq, portion, share]);

I have promised to keep Your words ( yTir>m;a' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. rma amar, say; promise] rmov.li [prep.w/Qal.infin. cstr. rmv shamar, keep] `^yr,b'D> [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. dabhar, word]).

VERSE 58 I sought Your favor with all my heart ( ytiyLixi [Piel.pf.1.c.s. hlx chalah, feel weak; entreat; "sought"] ^yn<p' [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hn<P' paneh, face, presence; "favor"] ble-lk'b. [prep.w/n.m.s.cstr. + n.m.s., lebh, heart]);

Be gracious to me according to Your word ( ynINEx' [Qal.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. !nx chanan, be gracious] `^t,r'm.aiK. [prep.w/n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. imerah, word {as spoken}]).

VERSE 59 I considered my ways ( yTib.V;xi [Piel.pf.1.c.s. bvx chashabh, consider] yk'r'd> [n.f.p.w/1.c.s.sf., derek, way])

And turned my feet to Your testimonies ( hb'yvia'w" [conj.w/Hiphil.impf.1.c.s. bwv shub, turn] yl;g>r; [n.f.dual.w/1.c.s.sf. lg<r, reghel, foot] `^yt,do[e-la, [prep. + n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hd'[e edhah, testimony]).

VERSE 60 I hastened and did not delay ( yTiv.x; [Qal.pf.1.c.s. vwx chush, hurry] al{w> [conj.w/neg] yTih.m'h.m;t.hi [Hithpael.pf.1.c.s. hh;m' mahah, linger])

To keep Your commandments ( rmov.li [prep.w/Qal.infin.cstr. rmv shamar, keep] `^yt,wOc.mi [n.f.p.w/2.m.s.sf. hw"c.mi mitsewah, commandments]).

VERSE 61 The cords of the wicked have encircled me ( yleb.x, [n.m.p.cstr. lb,x, chebhel, cord, rope] ~y[iv'r> [adj.m.p. [v'r' rasha, wicked] ynIduW>[i [Piel.pf.3/c.p.w/1.c.s.sf. dw[ ur, to surround, go around]),

But I have not forgotten Your law ( ^t.r'AT [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf., torah, law] al{ [neg.] `yTix.k'v' [Qal.pf.1.c.s. xkv shakhach, forget]).

VERSE 62 At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You ( hl'y>l;-tAcx] [n.f.s.cstr. chatsoth, half, + n.m.s., layelah, night] ~Wqa' [Qal.impf.1.c.s. ~Wq qum, rise] tAdAhl. [prep.w/Hiphil.infin.cstr. hdy yadhah, throw; give thanks] %l' [prep.w/2.m.s.s.f.])

Because of Your righteous ordinances ( l[; [prep./conj.] yjeP.v.mi [n.m.p.cstr. jP'v.mi mishepat, judgment] `^q,d>ci [n.m.s. w/2.m.s.sf. qd,c, tsedheq, righteousness]).

VERSE 63 I am a companion of all those who fear You ( ynIa' [pers.pro.1.c.s.] rbex' [adj.m.s., chabher, associate] rv,a]-lk'l. [prep.w/n.m.s.cstr. + rel.pro., asher] ^Warey> [Qal.pf.3.c.p.w/2m.s.sf. ary yare, fear]),

And of those who keep Your precepts ( yrem.vol.W [conj.w/prep.w/Qal.pt.m.p.cstr., shamar, keep] `^yd,WQPi [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. ~ydIWQPi piqqudhim, precept]).

VERSE 64 The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O LORD ( #r,a'h' [def.art.w/n.f.s., erets, earth] ha'l.m' [Qal.pf.3.f.s. alm male, be full, fill] ^D>s.x; [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf., chesed] hw"hy> [pr.n.]);

Teach me Your statutes ( ^yQ,xu [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. qxo choq, statute {boundary}] `ynIdeM.l; [Piel.imper.1.c.s. dm;l' lamadh, teach]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 57-64

1. He opens the heth file with an affirmation that Yahweh is his "portion" (v.57a; cp. Pss.16:5; 73:14; cp. 17:14).
2. God has decreed certain temporal and eternal blessings and he does not need anything else.
3. God will not withhold anything that is necessary or fitting for each one of us.
4. We do not need to pursue things; God will pursue us with them.
5. This reality brings inner peace and encourages contentment.
6. When we are malcontent it is because we are ruled by STA appetites.
7. The Hebrew noun means "allotment".
8. There is a divine allotment of temporal blessing for each of us.
9. God provided him with everything he needed to deal with the crisis at hand.
10. He does not look to men or to his own ingenuity to deal with his testing.
11. God’s part is specified in line 1 of vs.57, and his is set forth in line 2.
12. For his part he has "promised to keep" God’s "words" (v.57b).
13. Application of BD ensures the believer that there will be a steady and timely provision of logistical support, as well as above-and-beyond blessings in Ph2.
14. He has vowed to apply what he has learned, come what may, and God will be there for him, meeting his daily needs.
15. God has unlimited resources with which to bless and care for us; we need to focus on the execution of the imperatives in thought, word, and deed.
16. He affirms that he has not failed to "entreat" God’s "favor (face) with all his heart" (v.58a).
17. Prayer is a very important element in the requisitioning of our daily portion.
18. For all of his diligence in applying prayer and other obligations, he fully recognizes that the divine benefits that enable him to stay alive and finish his course are based on the overriding principle of grace (v.58b).
19. So he asks that God "be gracious" to him, and that the grace allotted to him be "according to Your word".
20. Twelve times in this psalm he asks that things be done according to the WOG (vv.9, 25, 28, 41, 58, 65, 76, 107, 116, 154, 169, 170).
21. This is the same as praying that things be done according to God’s will.
22. He wants every benefit that is in accord with the letter and spirit of Scripture.
23. He is fully qualified to offer this prayer, as he has previously "considered" his "ways" and "turned" 180 degrees toward the "testimonies" (v.59).
24. He thought about where he was headed and decided that he did not want to end up like others, and directed his "feet" in the paths of righteousness.
25. This verse also suggests a previous pattern of life outside the directive will.
26. In v.60 he mentions the fact that he did not delay in his decision to turn his life around.
27. He knew that there would be repercussions that would follow when he broke from false paths.
28. He chose persecution over pleasing men.
29. He immediately began to set his spiritual house in order, as he uses the imagery of physical movement ("feet" and "hastened").
30. In v.61 he reports the expected response of his former associates in evil.
31. The news of his "defection" from their criminal pursuits unleashed a campaign of vilification and persecution that was akin to being in physical bonds (v.61a).
32. The Lord is more than capable of cutting all such cords when there is a break from the old ways (Ps.129:4).
33. The conspiracy against him did not dampen his commitment to the Torah (v.61b).
34. The slander and intrigue that was against him was the immediate fall-out for total devotion to the ways of the Lord.
35. Some believers wither under this barrage (seed sown in shallow soil), but not him.
36. God’s law and His promises were more real than the murderous plots of men.
37. In v.62 he vows to "rise" in the middle of the night and "give thanks" to God for his "righteous ordinances".
38. Four times he so refers to the specifics of the Torah (vv.62, 106, 160, 164).
39. And so he falls into the category of Ezek.18:9, that being someone who turns to the truth and sidesteps the SUD.
40. While men were out to kill him, he was no longer on God’s black list.
41. He was extremely thankful for the ruling that God, in grace and righteousness, can pardon someone who is worthy of death.
42. Instead of lying awake and being fearful, he would arise and thank God for his good fortune.
43. He affirms that he is now a duly constituted member of a new fraternity, the community of "all who fear" God and "who keep" the divine "precepts".
44. He knows there are others who are like him even though he is isolated from their fellowship.
45. The noun "companion" is based on a root which means "knit together".
46. A person is classified according to the company he keeps and according to the things he does (cp. Prov.28:7,24; Phil.3:20).
47. His repentance and pursuit of doctrine has vaulted him into new company.
48. In v.64 he declares a truism: namely, that chesed is evident everywhere.
49. God’s devotion to His creation is manifest everywhere (cp. Ps.33:5).
50. And so he can end the file by asking God to manifest chesed toward him by blessing him greatly under GAP.
51. Ten times (the number that symbolizes "law") in Ps.119 he makes this appeal (vv.12, 26, 33, 64, 66, 68, 108, 124, 135, 171; cp. Pss.25:4,5; 27:11; 86:11).
52. A characteristic of those who fear God is that they never assume that they cannot learn more.

VERSE 65 You have dealt well with Your servant ( t'yfi[' [Qal.pf.2.m.s. hf'[' ashah, do; "dealt"] bAj [n.m.s., tobh, good] ^D>b.[;-~[i [prep. + n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf. db,[, ebhedh, servant]),

O LORD, according to Your word ( hw"hy> [pr.n.] `^r,b'd>Ki [prep.w/n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf., dabhar, word]).

VERSE 66 Teach me good discernment and knowledge ( ynIdeM.l; [Piel.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. dml lamadh, teach] bWj [n.m.s.cstr., tobh, good, excellence] ~[;j; [n.m.s., ta-am, taste, discernment] t[;d;w" [conj.w/n.f.s., da-ath, knowledge]),

For I believe in Your commandments ( yKi [conj.] `yTin>m'a/h, [Hiphil.pf.1.c.s. !ma aman, believe] ^yt,wOc.mib. [prep.w/n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hw"c.mi mitsewah, commdment]).

VERSE 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray ( ~r,j, [adv., before] ynIa] [pers.pro.1.c.s.] hn<[/a, [Qal.impf.1.c.s. hn"[' anah, afflict] ggEvo [Qal.pt.m.s. ggv shaghagh, go astray; 4X: Lev.5:18; Job.12:16; Ps.119:67]),

But now I keep Your word ( hT'[;w> [conj.w/adv., now] ^t.r'm.ai [n.f.s.w/2.m.s.sf. hr'm.ai imerah, word] `yTir>m'v' [Qal.pf.1.c.s., shamar, keep]).

VERSE 68 You are good and do good ( hT'a;-bAj [adj.m.s. + pers.pro.2.m.s.] byjimeW [conj.w/Hiphil.pt.m.s. bjy yatabh, do good]);

Teach me Your statutes ( ynIdeM.l; [Piel.imper.w/1.c.s.sf. dml lamadh, teach] `^yQ,xu [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf., choq, statute]).

VERSE 69 The arrogant have forged a lie against me ( ~ydIzE [adj.m.p. dzE zedh, arrogant] Wlp.j' [Qal.pf.3.c.p. lpj taphal, glue, smear, plaster over; "have forged"; 3X: Job.13:4; 14:17] rq,v, [n.m.s., sheqer, lie] yl;[' [prep.w/1.c.s.sf. "against me"]);

With all my heart I will observe Your precepts ( ble-lk'B. [prep.w/n.m.s.cstr. + n.m.s., heart] rCoa/ [Qal.impf.1.c.s.rc;n" natsar, observe] `^yd,WQPi [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf. ~ydIWQPi piqqudhim, precept]).

VERSE 70 Their heart is covered with fat ( ~B'li [n.m.s.w/3.m.p.sf., lebh, heart] vp;j' [Qal.pf.3.m.s., taphash, be fat; insensitive; "is covered"; hapax] bl,xeK; [def.art.w/prep.w/n.m.s. bl,xe [n.m.s., chelebh, fat; best part]),

But I delight in Your law ( ynIa] [pers.pro.1.c.s.] ^t.r'AT [n.f.s. w/2.m.s.sf., torah] `yTi[.v'[]vi [Piel.pf.1.c.s. [;['v sha-a, take sport/delight in]).

VERSE 71 It is good for me that I was afflicted ( yli-bAj [adj.m.s., tobh, good, + prep.w/1.c.s.sf.] ytiyNE[u-yki [conj. + Pual.pf.1.c.s. hn;'[ anah, be afflicted]),

That I may learn Your statutes ( ![;m;l. [prep., "in order that"] dm;l.a, [Qal.imp.1.c.s., lamadh, to learn] `^yQ,xu [n.m.p.w/2.m.s.sf., choq, statute, ordinance, limit]).

VERSE 72 The law of Your mouth is better to me ( ^yPi-tr;At [n.f.s.cst., torah, + n.m.s.w/2.m.s.sf., peh, mouth] yli-bAj [adj.m.s. tobh, good; "better", + prep.w/1.c.s.sf.])

Than thousands of gold and silver pieces ( ypel.a;me [prep. !mi min, more than; w/adj.m.p.cstr. @l,a, eleph, a thousand] bh'z" [n.m.s., zahabh, gold] `@s,k'w" [conj.w/n.m.s., keseph, silver]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 65-72

1. The teth file draws our attention to deserved and undeserved suffering.
2. He confesses to God that he has no complaints with regard to how God is handling his niche that has been filled with suffering.
3. Hence, the words: "You have dealt well with Your servant" (v.65a).
4. All that has transpired has been "according to Your word" (v.65b).
5. He has fully acclimated to all aspects of the suffering he is under.
6. And so he prays that God would "teach" him "good discernment and knowledge" (v.66a).
7. "Good discernment" refers to the ability to correctly apply what he learns to the crisis he is under.
8. Paul prayed for this very same thing with respect to the church at Philippi (Phil.1:9 "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment").
9. He wants to perceive clearly with the mind the issues that come before him.
10. He desires to make good judgment calls with respect to all the applications of the commandments he has learned.
11. He also wants to continue to build up his reservoir of "knowledge", which comes from GAP.
12. He is not one who believes only in part, which fact he states without reservation in v.66b.
13. We are enjoined in Scripture to "believe all things" of doctrine (1Cor.13:7).
14. Without faith, the request of line 1 (vs.66a) is not going to be granted.
15. In v.67 he acknowledges that his present sufferings are the result of his reversion recovery.
16. "Before I was afflicted I went astray" refers to his days as a reversionist.
17. "But now I keep Your word" refers to the thing that has brought affliction into his life.
18. His affliction is his persecution for his stand for the WOG.
19. Verse 67 documents the fact that this psalm is dealing with someone who previously "went astray" (cp. vv.110,176).
20. He doesn’t merely believe the commandments, but he affirms that he is a doer of BD.
21. He confesses that even though he is surrounded by dangerous and vicious enemies, God is "good and does good" (v.68a).
22. God is intrinsically "good" and performs "good" in all His dealings with the recovering psalmist.
23. Since God is "good", he yet again asks God to "teach" him the "statutes" (v.68b).
24. A part of God’s perfect goodness is to give the believer who has failed another chance to learn and be delivered from the cursing that comes upon those who disregard His ways.
25. In v.69a he issues a complaint with respect to those who are verbally attacking him without cause.
26. The verb "forged" means, literally, "to smear" as per our idiom (cp. Job.13:4; 14:7).
27. He is the object of a smear campaign.
28. The "lie" that was being spread about him had no basis in fact, and so he was under undeserved suffering (vv.78,86).
29. This was a part of the price he paid for his attachment to doctrine.
30. What his enemies, the princes, are doing is in complete contrast to what he is doing: an all-out effort to apply the divine "precepts" (v.69b).
31. The psalm is replete with these contrasts (cp. vv.23, 51, 59, 61, 70, 76, 83, 87, 95, 110, 157, 161).
32. The trumped-up charge forged against him was intended to be the basis for his execution (v.95).
33. He describes his adversaries as men whose "heart is covered with fat" (v.70a).
34. This is an idiom for the scar tissue or hardness of heart that causes these men to be so insensitive to justice and truth (cf. Ps.17:10).
35. He is not, so he affirms in v.70b that he "delights in" the Torah.
36. Hardness of heart is the immediate consequence of disregarding what is right and in accord with truth (cf. Mt.19:8; Mk.3:5; Jn.12:40; Acts.19:9; Rom.11:7; 2Cor.3:14; Eph.4:18; Heb.3:13).
37. In v.71a he acknowledges that all his sufferings have served a beneficial purpose.
38. His pre- and post-reversionism afflictions have made him a serious student of BD.
39. Both DD and undeserved suffering serve to bring our +v to the surface.
40. He is no longer blinded by materialism, which was his area of weakness.
41. He is no longer stupid when it comes to money; he recognizes the surpassing superiority of "the law of" God’s "mouth" (v.72a).
42. What comes from God’s mouth is not to be compared with "thousands of gold and silver pieces" (v.72b; cp. v.127; Ps.19:10;