August 05, 2021

STUDY OF PSALM - Chapter 119

PSALM 119 – THE WORD (From Aleph to Taw)

INTRODUCTION: Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, consisting of a total of 176 verses. It is written as an acrostic consisting of 22 stanzas, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
  • Each stanza contains 8 verses.
  • Each verse begins with the Hebrew letter of the corresponding stanza.
When translated into English it is difficult to keep the integrity of the message while maintaining the acrostic pattern, but here is an example of the stylization of this psalm using the first stanza / first letter of the Hebrew alphabet:

Alef
A blessing is on them that are undefiled in the way;
and walk in the law of Jehovah;
A blessing is on them that keep his testimonies,
and seek him with their whole heart;
Also on them that do no wickedness,
but walk in his ways.
A law hast thou given unto us,
that we should diligently keep thy commandments.
Ah, Lord! that my ways were so directed
that I might keep thy statutes!
And then shall I not be confounded,
while I have respect unto all thy commandments.
As for me, I will thank thee with an unfeigned heart,
when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
An eye will I have unto thy statutes:
O forsake me not utterly.

This seems like a tedious and limiting way to write a psalm. It is. But it actually serves a purpose. The ancient Israelites used acrostics to not only teach Biblical lessons, but it also served the purpose of teaching the Hebrew alphabet during recitation and writing.

AUTHOR: We are not given the name of the author. David, Ezra, Ezekiel, Esther and Daniel have all been suggested as possible candidates. Most scholars believe that it was written during or after the time of the Babylonian exile. It was likely written over a significant period of time, as there is no definite connection between the stanzas. The writer undoubtedly lived under oppression and not only loved the Word of God, but depended on it deeply.

THEME: Modern readers tend to skim through this psalm and it's legalistic themes of strict adherence to the “law”. But as the original targeted audience, Israelites of old would have poured over every word in their desire to follow God's commandments and to lead a happy life. Even so, Psalm 119 is hardly a collection of hints for happiness. It stands strongly upon God's authority and the all-encompassing sufficiency of His Word.

Psalm 119:66 is recited prior to the blowing of the Shofar in celebration of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah (along with: 119:108; 119:122; 119:160; 119:162).

💛NUGGET:  There is a tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church that King David used this psalm to teach his sons (including Solomon) the Hebrew alphabet and the “alphabet of the spiritual life.”

In the NKJV, every verse but four (84, 121, 122, 132) directly references God's Word in some way.  
The synonyms used to describe God's Word are:


The 22 stanzas of Psalm 119 are outlined below with corresponding Hebrew letter and subject headings (adapted from the notes of F.W. Grant, Believer's Bible Commentary):

Vs. 1-8: Aleph א The Blessedness of Obeying the Word
[Begins with a double blessing in vs. 1-2: “Happy are those who...” ]
The psalmist prayed to be totally committed to obedience.

Vs. 9-16: Beth ב Cleansing by the Word
[The letter “Beth” also means “a house.” Some have suggested that this section tells us how to make our heart a home for the word of God.]

Vs. 17-24: Gimel
ג Discernment by the Word
The psalmist called himself a 'resident alien' on earth, totally dependent upon God.

Vs. 25-32: Daleth
ד Revived through the Word
The psalmist sought clarity from God to understand and apply the Torah to his life.

Vs. 33-40: He
ה – Teach Me the Word
[“He” is the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and it is used at the beginning of verbs to make them causative. The prayers in this section have the meaning, “Cause me to learn,” “Cause me to understand,” “Cause me to walk”...]

Vs. 41-48: Waw
ו Victory through the Word
The psalmist longed for evidence of God's faithful love (hesed).

Vs. 49-56: Zayin
ז – Rest and Comfort through the Word
The psalmist is comforted by God's righteous judgments.

Vs. 57-64: Heth
חPerseverance in the Word
Blaise Pascal, the brilliant French philosopher and devout Christian... called verse 59 ‘the turning point of man’s character and destiny.’ He meant that it is vital for every person to consider his or her ways, understand that our ways are destructive and will lead us to destruction, and then make an about-face and determine to go in God’s ways instead.” (Boice)

Vs. 65-72: Teth
ט The Benefit of the Word in Times of Affliction
The psalmist learned from his affliction as a result of the Lord's discipline.

Vs. 73-80: Yod
יInsights through the Word
The repetition of the plea, “Let me...”:
Let me be comforted by Your kindness.
Let me live by Your mercies.
Let me be vindicated by God.
Let me be in the presence of those who fear You.
Let my heart be blameless.

💛NUGGET: The “yod” is the small Hebrew letter Jesus referred to as a “jot” in Matthew 5:18: “Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

Vs. 81-88: Kaph כAfflicted but Revived by God’s Word
[This seems to be the low point of the psalm. The psalmist is exhausted and weak.]

Vs. 89-96: Lamed
לEternity of the Word
The eternal character of God's law is celebrated in this stanza.

Vs. 97-104: Mem
מ – Wisdom through the Word
This is a pure song of praise. It contains no single petition, but is just one glad outpouring of the heart.” (Morgan)

Vs. 105-112: Nun
נ – God's Word is a Lamp and a Light
This is the most famous verse of Psalms 119: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Vs. 113-120: Samek ס – The Wicked and the Word
The psalmist looks to God as his shelter and shield in the presence of his enemies.

Vs. 121-128: Ayin
ע – Separation and Deliverance through the Word
The fact that the Bible is not mentioned here, in verse 122, may be an indication of the depth of mental anguish to which the psalmist fell as a result of the oppression he had endured from wicked men. For a moment his eyes seem to be off the Bible and on his fierce oppressors instead.” (Boice)

Vs. 129-136: Pe
פ – Joy and Communion through the Word
The psalmist expressed sorrow for those who do not obey God.

Vs. 137-144: Tsadde
צ – Everlasting Righteousness of the Word
The psalmist reinforced God's role as Judge.

Vs. 145-152: Qoph ק – Experience through the Word
The psalmist was discouraged by the nearness of his enemies, but put his hope in nearness of God.

Vs. 153-160: Resh
ר – Salvation through the Word
In complete dependence, the psalmist prayed that God would give him life as promised through His faithful love (hesed).

Vs. 161-168: Shin
ש – Perfect Peace through the Word
The psalmist obeys God in order to enjoy abundant life in Him.

Vs. 169-176: Tau
ת – Prayer and Praise through the Word
The psalmist concludes with words of praise to God and prays for God to: “hear me, teach me, help me, save me, seek me.”

💛NUGGET: George Wishart was the Bishop of Edinburgh in the 17th century. Wishart was condemned to death for his faith. But when he was on the scaffold, he made use of a custom that allowed the condemned person to choose one psalm to be sung, and he chose Psalm 119. Before two-thirds of the psalm had been sung, his pardon arrived and his life was spared.

VIDEO:  Amy Grant:  https://youtu.be/a6LC8cu03Ig


READING FOR TOMORROW:  Chapters 120-125

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