All Your commandments are faithful; they have persecuted me with a lie; help me! Psalm 119:86 NASB Faithful – It’s unfortunate that this translation pushes us to view the commandments as spiritual. “Faithful” makes it sound as if miṣwâ belong in the realm of religion, where “faith” operates differently than the rest of our “practical” lives. Such would…
The arrogant have dug pits for me, people who are not in accord with Your Law. Psalm 119:85 NASB Arrogant – Do you recognize arrogance when you encounter it? You will probably answer, “Yes.” But notice the connection that the psalmist makes in his poetic construction. You know, of course, that Hebrew poetry does not rhyme sounds. …
How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me? Psalm 119:84 NASB When – The great question of theology isn’t “Why is there evil?” Yes, that’s a big one, but it’s resolution doesn’t really change our circumstances. We live in a broken world no matter what. The real…
Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your statutes. Psalm 119:83 NASB In the smoke – What is a wineskin in the smoke? If we don’t understand this metaphor, we won’t understand why the psalmist connects it with obedience. So, in order to comprehend his phrase, we need to know…
My eyes fail with longing for Your word, while I say, “When will You comfort me?” Psalm 119:82 NASB Fail – Do you long for God’s Word? Well then, just pick up the Bible and read. Right? That’s what we might assume is the intent of the poet’s cry. After all, it his eyes that fail. Perhaps he’s just…
My soul languishes for Your salvation; I [ah]wait for Your word. Psalm 119:81 NASB כָּֽלְתָ֣ה לִתְשׁוּעָֽתְךָ֣ נַפְשִׁ֑י לִדְבָֽרְךָ֥ יִחָֽלְתִּי כָּל֣וּ עֵ֖ינַי לְאִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ לֵ֜אמֹ֗ר מָתַ֥י תְּֽנַֽחֲמֵֽנִי כִּֽי־הָ֖יִיתִי כְּנֹ֣אד בְּקִיט֑וֹר חֻ֜קֶּ֗יךָ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי כַּמָּה יְמֵ֣י עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ מָתַ֬י תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה בְרֹֽדְפַ֣י מִשְׁפָּֽט כָּֽרוּ־לִ֣י זֵדִ֣ים שִׁיח֑וֹת אֲ֜שֶׁ֗ר לֹ֣א כְתֽוֹרָתֶֽךָ כָּל־מִצְוֹתֶ֥יךָ אֱמוּנָ֑ה שֶׁ֖קֶר רְדָפ֣וּנִי עָזְרֵֽנִי כִּמְעַט כִּלּ֣וּנִי בָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽ֜אֲנִ֗י לֹֽא־עָזַ֥בְתִּי פִקֻּדֶֽיךָ כְּחַסְדְּךָ֥ חַיֵּ֑נִי…
May my heart be [ag]blameless in Your statutes, so that I will not be ashamed. Psalm 119:80 NASB Blameless – Martin Luther would have rejected the psalmist’s plea outright. A blameless heart was simply a human impossibility. Calvin would have had the same reaction. In fact, virtually all the Catholic theologians of the past followed the philosophical…
May those who [af]fear You turn to me, and those who know Your testimonies. Psalm 119:79 NASB Turn to me – šûb. 1050 times this verb is used in the Tanakh. We most often think of it in terms of repentance, that is, returning to God’s ways. “The Bible is rich in idioms describing man’s responsibility…
May the arrogant be put to shame, because they lead me astray with a lie; But I shall meditate on Your precepts. Psalm 119:78 NASB Lead me astray – How many lies have you believed? How many of your usual assumptions about life are actually based on lies? Those seem to be particularly important questions in the political…
May Your compassion come to me so that I may live, for Your Law is my delight. Psalm 119:77 NASB Compassion – “Go for it!” Yes, that’s the sense of the “May come to me Your compassion.” You’ll notice I rearranged the syntax to match the Hebrew which begins with yebō’ûnî (from the verb bôʾ. Of course,…
