Therefore I carefully follow all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way. Psalm 119:128 NASB Carefully follow – Step one: recognize that the miṣwōt are designed to ensure the success of society. Step two: do them! Now you know why ʿǎl-·kēn opens each of these last two verses in this section of the acrostic. There’s no…
Therefore I love Your commandments above gold, yes, above pure gold. Psalm 119:127 NASB Therefore – Why does the psalmist begin this verse with עַל־כֵּן (ʿǎl-·kēn means “for that reason, therefore”)? What is the “therefore” there for? It immediately tells us that as a consequence of the previous verse, the following statement is supplied. In other…
It is time for the Lord to act, for they have broken Your Law. Psalm 119:126 NASB For the Lord – Notice the change in the Chabad translation (the same by Robert Alter): “A time to do for the Lord; they have made void Your Torah.” What happened? Here’s the Hebrew verse: עֵת לַֽעֲשׂ֣וֹת לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה הֵ֜פֵ֗רוּ תּֽוֹרָתֶֽךָ I’ve highlighted…
I am Your servant; give me understanding, so that I may know Your testimonies. Psalm 119:125 NASB So that I may know – What is the job of a servant: to understand or to obey? Of course, it’s nice to know why you’re asked to do something, but it certainly isn’t necessary. Your job as a…
Deal with Your servant according to Your graciousness, and teach me Your statutes. Psalm 119:124 NASB According to – Perhaps the most important word in this verse is the preposition ki. It’s attached to the word ḥesed like this: כְחַסְדֶּ֗ךָ (ke–ḥăsdĕ’-kā, “according to ḥesed yours”). Such a tiny addition. Why is it so critical? Because the psalmist…
My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation, and for Your righteous word. Psalm 119:123 NASB Longing for – Yesterday we discovered that the psalmist wants a guarantee about life. He asks God to act as his bond, to ensure he will not fall victim to his enemies. It sounds so good to hear that God cares enough to…
Be a guarantor for Your servant for good; Do not let the arrogant oppress me. Psalm 119:122 NASB Guarantor – Who guarantees your life? Does that sound like an odd question? It probably should. We don’t think about guarantying life. We think about guarantying death. That’s what life insurance really is. It’s a guarantee that someone will…
I have done justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors. Psalm 119:121 NASB Ayin 121 I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors. עָשִׂיתִי מִשְׁפָּ֣ט וָצֶ֑דֶק בַּל־תַּ֜נִּיחֵ֗נִי לְעֹֽשְׁקָֽי 122 Be a guarantor for Your servant for good; Do not let the arrogant oppress me. עֲרֹ֣ב עַבְדְּךָ֣ לְט֑וֹב אַל־יַֽעַשְׁקֻ֥נִי זֵדִֽים 123 My eyes…
My flesh trembles from the fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments. Psalm 119:120 NASB I am afraid – Something is wrong here. If we follow the NASB, we think that in his current condition the psalmist is terrified of God’s judgments. That’s what the present tense of these two verbs sāmar (to tremble)…
You have removed all the wicked of the earth like impurities; therefore I love Your testimonies. Psalm 119:119 NASB All the wicked – Well, I certainly wish this were true. Perhaps some day it will be, but right now this statement seems as fictitious as you could imagine. I can’t think of any period in any culture in human…
