Psalm 119
This psalm is a collection of David's precious thoughts, sorrowful complaints, humble petitions, and holy resolutions, which, it seems he had written down as they occurred, and which, in the end of his life, he digested into the form in which they now stand, consisting of as many parts as there are letters in the Hebrew alphabet, the eight verses of each always beginning with the same letter in the original. The general scope of it is to magnify God's word, and make it honourable. To intimate that it informs us of whatever we ought to expect from God in the way of gracious donation, and of whatever he may expect from us in the way of grateful returns of duty, it is represented under ten different characters, one or other of which is to be found in every verse, except the 122nd and 132nd: As God's Law, because framed and published by him as our Sovereign His Commandments, because given with authority, and lodged with us as a trust His Precepts, because peremptorily prescribed, and not left as a thing indifferent His Statutes, because fixed and determined, and of perpetual obligation His Word, because it is the declaration of his mind, and Christ, his essential Word, is all and in all therein His Way, because it represents Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and is the rule of our faith and obedience His Testimonies, because therein God, upon his word, his oath, and writ, declares to men the truths necessary to be known, in order to his honour and their salvation, as ratified in the death of his Son His Judgments, because it is framed in infinite wisdom, and by it we must both judge and be judged (but in verses 75, 84, 121, judgment denotes righteous conduct) His Righteousness, because it is holy, just, and good, and is the perfect standard of righteousness And his Truth, or Faithfulness, because its leading truths are eternal, and the faithfulness of God is pledged in every point thereof.
While I sing, let me all along enter into the spirit of the psalm. Let my delight be in God's testimonies; my desires after God's presence; and my endeavours to have God honoured. Let God's word be my rule, my food, my armour, my wealth, my comfort; and God himself, as therein revealed and bestowed, be my everlasting and infinite all.
Aleph, The 1st Part (verses 1-8)
Here, (1.) David marks out holy men as the only blessed men, ver. 1-3. (2.) Begs that, to his own honour and satisfaction, he may be helped of God to an upright observance of his laws, ver. 4-6. (3.) In the faith of God's direction and assistance, he resolves to praise and obey him, ver. 7-8.
Beth, The 2nd Part (verses 9-16)
He, (1.) Points out the proper method of mortifying lust and attaining true holiness, ver. 9. (2.) Professeth his attachment to God and his word, and supplicates wisdom, direction, and support, ver. 10-12. (3.) Reflects with satisfaction on his former regard to God's truth and ways, ver. 13-14. And, (4.) Resolves to persevere therein, ver. 15-16.
Gimel, The 3rd Part (verses 17-24)
(1.) With eagerness and longings of heart, he supplicates divine favour, and instruction in God's truths, ver. 17-20. (2.) Remarks the just vengeance of God upon such as wander from his ways, ver. 21. (3.) Supplicates preservation from reproach, as he observed, meditated on, delighted in, and consulted God's word in all his conduct, ver. 22-24.
Daleth, The 4th Part (verses 25-32)
He, (1.) Represents his distress, and his behaviour under it, ver. 25-26, 28, 30-31. (2.) Supplicates spiritual quickening, instruction, strength, rectitude of sentiment, and honour in the Lord's way, ver. 25, 31. (3.) Resolves under the influences of heaven, to be more active in holiness, ver. 32.
He, The 5th Part (verses 33-40)
He, (1.) Prays for divine instruction, sanctifying influences, quickening grace; for the accomplishment of God's promises to him; and against covetousness, vanity, and reproach, ver. 33-40. (2.) Enforces his requests, from his holy resolutions, his relation to God, his zeal for his honour, and his regard to his excellent declarations, promises, and precepts, ver. 33-34, 38-40.
Vau, The 6th Part (verses 41-48)
Here are, (1.) The prayers he presented to God, ver. 41, 43. (2.) The graces he exercised upon God and his word faith, hope, love, ver. 42-43, 47-48. (3.) The practice he resolved on, through grace, viz. to keep God's law; to seek and cheerfully practise his precepts; boldly publish his truth to others; and to delight in, meditate on, and zealously reduce them to practice, ver. 44-48.
Zain, The 7th Part (verses 49-56)
Represents, (1.) The comfort he had found in God's word, ver. 49-50, 52, 54. (2.) His desire that God would fulfil his promises, ver. 49; and his care to remember, think on, and practise God's truths, ver. 51-52, 55-56. (3.) The injurious reproach he suffered from the wicked; and his abhorrence of their sin and dread of their punishment, ver. 51, 53.
Cheth, The 8th Part (verses 57-64)
We have here, (1.) The portion he chose, ver. 57. (2.) The purpose he formed, ver. 57. (3.) The prayers he offered up, for favour, mercy, and instructions, ver. 58, 64. (4.) The penitential care he took to obey God's law, ver. 59-61. (5.) The complaints he uttered, ver. 61. (6.) His fervent thanksgiving, ver. 62. (7.) His choice companions, ver. 63. (8.) His deep sense of God's abundant mercy and grace, ver. 64.
Teth, The 9th Part (verses 65-72)
Contains, (1. ) Hearty acknowledgements of God's faithfulness and goodness, and of the excellency and usefulness of his word, ver. 65, 68, 72. (2.) Humble acknowledgements of the advantages he had received from his afflictions, ver. 67, 71. (3.) Complaints of the pride, calumnious reproach, and luxurious stupidity, of wicked men, ver. 69-70. (4.) Supplications for divine instruction, ver. 66, 68. (5.) Declarations of his regard to God's word, and resolutions to persevere in the observance thereof, ver. 66-72.
Jod, The 10th Part (verses 73-80)
Contains, (1.) Thankful acknowledgements of God's kindness in creating, and of his equity and faithfulness in afflicting, ver. 73, 75. (2.) Earnest supplications for divine instruction, for fresh discoveries of God's mercy; for the confusion of enemies, and the comfortable fellowship of friends; and for an honourable soundness of heart, ver. 73, 76-77, 79-80. (3.) Holy joy in the comfort of fellow saints, and especially in God's mercy and word, ver. 74, 76-77. (4.) An holy resolution to meditate on, and cleave to God's testimonies amidst persecution, ver. 78.
Caph, The 11th Part (verses 81-88)
Contains, (1.) Bitter complaints of great and long distress, ver. 81-87. (2.) Fervent supplications for speedy comfort, help, and quickening, ver. 82, 86, 88. (3.) Pleas wherewith these supplications are enforced: as, that his distress was become insupportable; that his hope was in God's word, and he clave to it in his profession and practice; that his life was but short, to have so much of it spent in the furnace of affliction; that the malice and pride of his enemies were excessive; and, in fine, that God's loving kindness was infinite, ver. 81-88.
Lamed, The 12th Part (verses 89-96)
Represents, (1.) The eternity and unchangeableness of God's word and works, ver. 89-91. (2.) The advantage of delighting in, and cleaving to God's truths, ver. 92-93. (3.) God's interest in men, a reason of his saving the observers of his law, ver. 94. (4.) David's adherence to God's truths amidst furious persecution, ver. 95. (5.) The superlative excellency of God's word above all earthly enjoyments, ver. 96.
Mem, The 13th Part (verses 97-104)
Represents the psalmist's ardent affection to God's law, ver. 97; because that, (1.) Thereby he had attained much useful knowledge and wisdom, ver. 98-100. (2.) Thereby he was enabled to refrain from, and hate sin, ver. 101, 104. (3.) Thereby he was preserved steady in the path of his duty, ver. 101-02. (4.) And thereby he obtained much comfort to his soul, ver. 103.
Nun, The 14th Part (verses 105-112)
Represents, (1.) The remarkable usefulness of God's word, ver. 105. (2.) David's solemn dedication of himself to his service, ver. 106. (3.) His recourse to God by prayer under his afflictions, ver. 107-08. (4.) His faithful adherence to the Lord's way, amidst trouble and persecution, ver. 109-10. (5.) His solemn and deliberate choice of God's word for his portion and rule, ver. 111-12.
Samech, The 15th Part (verses 113-120)
We have here, (1.) David's hatred of sin, and love of God's law, ver. 113. (2.) His profession of dependence upon God, ver. 114. (3.) His debarring of wicked men from his company, ver. 115. (4.) His prayer for support, comfort, and honour, in the Lord's way, ver. 116-17. (5.) His foresight of, and trembling at the ruin of the wicked, ver. 118-20.
Ain, The 16th Part (verses 121-128)
Here David, (1.) Appeals to God for his integrity and equity, ver. 121. (2.) Supplicates that God would protect him against enemies; grant him merciful deliverance, and saving instruction; and arise for the maintenance of his own honour, ver. 121-26. (3.) Enforces his requests with these pleas that he was God's servant; and that he could no longer bear up under trouble, ver. 122-25. (4.) Professeth his superlative regard to God's law, and hatred of all iniquity, ver. 127-28.
Pe, The 17th Part (verses 129-136)
Here David, (1.) Declares his esteem of, and regard to God's word, ver. 129-31; and his deep concern for men's violation thereof, ver. 136. (2.) Supplicates for mercy, direction, preservation, deliverance, spiritual comfort, and instruction, ver. 132-35.
Tzaddi, The 18th Part (verses 137-144)
Contains, (1.) David's celebration of the righteousness of God's nature and work, and of the righteousness, faithfulness, and purity of his word, ver. 137-38, 140, 142, 144. (2.) His avowed remembrance of, zeal for, and delight in God's word, notwithstanding much contempt and trouble, suffered on account of his adherence to it, ver. 139-43. (3.) His fervent prayer for spiritual instruction, ver. 144.
Koph, The 19th Part (verses 145-152)
Contains, (1.) David's importunate supplications for gracious audience, necessary salvation, and quickening influence, ver. 145-47, 149. (2.) His hopes in, and meditations on God's word as perfectly true, and perpetually stable, ver. 147-48, 151-52. (3.) In danger from wicked men, he flees to God for relief, ver. 149-51.
Resh, The 20th Part (verses 153-160)
Contains, (1.) David's cries to God that he would consider his affliction, plead his cause, deliver him, and quicken his soul, ver. 153-54, 156, 159. (2.) His adherence to, love for, and high esteem of God's word, ver. 153-54, 157, 159-60. (3.) His description of the character and misery of the wicked, ver. 155, 157-58.
Schin, The 21st Part (verses 161-168)
Here, (1.) David complains to God of persecution from princes, ver. 161. (2.) Professeth his holy awe of, his delight in, love to, and careful observance of God's testimonies, and his utter detestation of falsehood, ver. 161-68. (3.) Avows his persuasion of the happiness of the godly, and his own hopes of God's salvation, ver. 165-66.
Tau, The 22nd Part (verses 169-176)
Here, (1.) David's prayers for access to God, and for instruction, deliverance, help, and recovery, from God, ver. 169-70, 173, 175-76. (2.) Hearty professions of his regard to God's word, and to the salvation therein contained, ver. 169-76. (3.) His humble confession of his wandering from God, and desire to be brought back, ver. 176.
Read or sing this psalm in the Scottish Psalter or the Bay Psalm Book.