Psalm 119

Psalm 119 belongs to Book Five of the Psalms (Psalms 107–150). It follows Psalm 118, a song of thanksgiving, and is followed by Psalm 120, which begins the "Songs of Ascents." It is an alphabetic acrostic in which each successive letter of the twenty-two-letter Hebrew alphabet begins a stanza of eight verses; with twenty-two stanzas of eight verses each, it totals 176 verses. Nearly every verse contains one of a rotating set of terms such as law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments, and word.

Outline

• Verses 1–8 A declaration that those who walk in the law of the Lord are blessed, and a prayer for help in keeping His statutes
• Verses 9–24 A young man cleanses his way by taking heed to God's word, and the psalmist hides the word in his heart. The psalmist speaks of being a stranger in the earth and of princes who speak against him
• Verses 25–48 A plea that the soul that cleaves to the dust be quickened (revived), a resolve to keep God's law to the end, and a vow to speak of His testimonies even before kings
• Verses 49–72 The word as comfort in affliction, remembering the Lord's name in the night, and the confession that affliction proved good because through it the psalmist learned God's statutes
• Verses 73–96 The confession that God's hands made and fashioned the psalmist, his condition like a bottle in the smoke, and the word settled forever in heaven
• Verses 97–128 Meditating on the law all the day, the word sweeter than honey, the word as a lamp to the feet and a light to the path, and the Lord as hiding place and shield
• Verses 129–152 The word that gives understanding to the simple, tears shed over those who do not keep the law, and crying out before the dawning of the morning
• Verses 153–176 Pleas for deliverance and for quickening, praise offered seven times a day, and a final prayer that God would seek His servant, who has gone astray like a lost sheep

Key Verses

• Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." This confession that God's word guides one's life is the most widely quoted verse of the psalm (it opens the stanza that follows Psalm 119:97–104).
• Psalm 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart" — a resolve to treasure the word in the heart so as not to sin.
• Psalm 119:71 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted" — affliction is received as an occasion for learning God's word.

People and Places

• The psalmist The psalm has no superscription, so its author is not identified.
• The LORD The One to whom the psalmist calls and from whom he seeks the word.
• The proud, princes, and enemies People who mock and persecute the psalmist; none is named. No specific place is mentioned.

Considerations for Reading

• The acrostic structure is not visible in translation, so the psalm can easily read as though the same thoughts are simply repeated.
• "Law" here translates the Hebrew torah. Many interpreters hold that torah refers not merely to legal stipulations in a narrow sense but to the whole of God's instruction. Some also classify the psalm as a poem with the characteristics of wisdom literature.
• The Rule of Saint Benedict is known to have cited the "seven times a day" of verse 164 and the "midnight" of verse 62 in setting the hours of daily prayer in the monastery. The text itself, however, does not prescribe a system of prayer.
• In Christian interpretation, the "word" of this psalm is sometimes read in connection with the whole of Scripture or with Christ. What the text directly refers to, however, is God's law and promises. Traditions differ in emphasis, in keeping with their understanding of law and gospel, on how the psalmist's delight in the law relates to the life of the believer.

In the Korean Church

Verses 105, 9, and 11 are frequently used for Scripture memorization. Verse 71 is commonly quoted in sermons on the theme of suffering. Verses 147–148 are also cited to encourage attendance at early morning prayer meetings and meditation on the word.