Psalm 119

There are twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and this unusual psalm has twenty-two sections in each of which there are eight verses. The successive Hebrew letters are the headings of the successive sections, and all the verses in each particular section begin with the letter that is at the head of the section. Every verse of the first section begins with Aleph, the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet; every verse in the second section begins with Beth, the second Hebrew letter; and so on through the psalm till the last section is reached in which every verse begins with Tau, the last letter in the Hebrew.

The psalm has four main divisions. From verse 1 to verse 72 the psalmist is occupied with God's word in relation to his pathway, his conditions of life, his desires, his testimony, his enemies, his companions and his affections. In verses 73-96 he speaks of the loving kindness and power of Jehovah; in verses 97-144 it is the effectual working of God's word in the soul of His servant; and in the remaining verses we have the cries of the righteous to Jehovah for His salvation, while trusting in His word.

We must ever bear in mind that the writer of the psalm had not the light of Christianity, though there is much in it for the help and delight of those with the full knowledge that the New Testament gives. This and other psalms will be particularly valuable for the godly remnant of Israel in the coming day, when in the midst of their trials and sorrows, with enemies all around.

Jehovah's Name is used throughout the psalm with one exception, for in verse 115 the psalmist says, "Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my Elohim."

ALEPH. Verses 1-8. The psalm opens with the blessedness of the godly who walk in the ways of Jehovah, seeking Him with the whole heart. Those who walk in obedience to God's word will never be ashamed, they will ever be thankful to Jehovah and be kept by Him.

BETH. Verses 9-16. Heeding God's word will keep the young man clean, and hiding His word in the heart will keep us from straying and from sin. As taught of the Lord, the saint will be able to manifest God's word which he has learned to value, and upon which he meditates.

GIMEL. Verses 17-24. The knowledge of the Lord in the heart separates the godly from all that is contrary to His name. This divine knowledge makes the saint a stranger in the world, and brings him into reproach with the great down here, who speak against him. There is a great gulf between those who seek the will of the Lord and those who belong to the system of this world, for the godly seek counsel from His word, while the proud wander from His commandments.

DALETH. Verses 25-32. The separate soul is humble before the Lord, longing to live according to His will, being transparent in his walk, and desiring to understand His words and His ways. With falsehood all around the godly soul knows sorrow and sadness, having chosen the path of faithfulness, and cleaving to the testimonies of the Lord which enable him, with enlargement of heart, to run in His way.

HE. Verses 33-40. As taught of Jehovah, and as receiving understanding from Him, the saint is enabled to walk aright. While the natural man is only concerned with present advantage, the righteous, who seek the living way, find the word of the Lord to be good and righteous.

VAU. Verses 41-48. Loving kindness from the Lord is salvation for His people, and His answer to those who reproach them. With the word of truth in the mouth, and the feet in the path of God's will, the pious enjoy divine liberty, and with confidence can speak of His word before the great of this world, a word which he loves and in which he finds his pleasure.

ZAIN. Verses 49-56. Jehovah's word is the stay and song of His afflicted servant, yielding divine comfort when he is derided by the proud. The righteous are indignant at those who forsake the law of their God, but they have joy in their pilgrim way in the remembrance of the judgments and Name of the Lord.

CHETH. Verses 57-64. The portion of the psalmist was in keeping the words of the Lord and in seeking His favour. Walking in the path of obedience to the will of God, the godly are assailed by the wicked, but even in the darkest hours they can give God thanks. Such as fear the Lord are found together, and it is their delight to discern the loving kindness of Jehovah filling the earth.

TETH. Verses 65-72. Discernment and knowledge come from Jehovah who, in His goodness, teaches and disciplines His saints, so that they might not wander from the right way. The proud, who know not divine chastening, speak against those who are afflicted; but it is in times of trial that the godly prove how good God is and how invaluable is His word.

YOD. Verses 73-80. To learn the divine commandments, the creature needs understanding from his creator, and the knowledge acquired in this way brings joy to those who fear the Lord. In faithfulness God afflicts His servants, where there is the need, but His loving kindness comforts them, and they live by His tender mercies and delight in His law. The proud, ignorant of God's thoughts, act perversely and in false-hood against the righteous, while those who fear the Lord are united to acquire the knowledge of God. When the heart is matured in the things of God there is no need to be ashamed.

CAPH. Verses 81-88. In deep distress and exercise of soul the afflicted one looks for the Lord's salvation and the comfort of His word. Languid, like a leather bottle in the smoke, it seems as if his days are few, because of the proud persecutors who, in opposition to the will of the Lord, seek the downfall of the righteous. In these trying conditions, the righteous look to Jehovah for help in their extremity, counting on His quickening power that imparts the strength to keep His testimony.

LAMED. Verses 89-96. What comfort and rest of heart for the saints to know that the word of the Lord is unmovable and heavenly, and that He is ever faithful, everything down here being under His control and serving His will. It is this stable, heavenly word that is the preserving power of the righteous where the wicked seek their destruction, the word of Him to whom they belong and who is their Saviour. Amidst all the imperfections around, it is blessed to realise that God's word gives light and help for everything we have to meet.

MEM. Verses 97-104. Meditating on God's word, which the psalmist loved, made him wiser than his ever-present foes, and gave him more understanding than his teachers and the aged; and the divine words, which to the righteous are sweeter than honey, keep the feet from every evil and false path.

NUN. Verses 105-112. Amidst the darkness of a world that knows not God, His word shows the path to be taken, and preserves the steps of those who trust Him. Afflictions, foes and snares may abound, but the Lord preserves His own, directing their way for His pleasure, and enabling them to praise Him.

SAMECH. Verses 113-120. Love of Jehovah's law caused the righteous to hate all given to double-mindedness and evildoing; for all who feared the Lord observed the commandments of God, and counted on Him to protect and uphold them amidst the evildoers, and to deal justly with their deceit and falsehood.

AIN. Verses 121-128. When the proud oppressed him, the servant of the Lord looked for His salvation, His loving kindness, and the knowledge of His word to give him understanding of His testimonies. Feeling the time had come for Jehovah to intervene against the lawless, the righteous pleads his love and very high valuation of the law despised by those who took their own false way.

PE. Verses 129-136. The testimonies of the Lord, so wonderful in the eyes of the saints, gave them light and understanding. Their desires were for Jehovah and His words, that they might be the recipients of His favour, be established in their goings, and be delivered from the iniquity and oppression of men. Longing for the face of the Lord to shine upon them, they had great sorrow in beholding the disobedience of those who turned from His law.

TZADE. Verses 137-144. Righteousness is prominent in this section, where Jehovah is spoken of as righteous, and His righteousness everlasting. His judgments too are righteous, and His testimonies are commanded in righteousness, being for ever. The servant of the Lord was exceedingly zealous for His word, and he loved His words which are very pure, delighting in His law, and desiring the understanding that would make life worth while for him.

KOPH. Verses 145-152. The feelings of the godly remnant of Israel are expressed by Jehovah's servant crying to Him for an answer to their pleadings, and for His salvation. In the darkness of the night they hope in God's word, and count upon His loving kindness. If the enemy has drawn nigh there is confidence that Jehovah is near, and that His word can be relied on at all times.

RESH. Verses 153-160. Here the cry is for deliverance from affliction, for the Lord to plead the cause of the righteous, and for redemption. Three times over (verses 154, 156, 159) there is the cry to be quickened, that life in the power of God's word might be practically realized. When the Lord intervenes on be-half of His people, the wicked who have persecuted, oppressed and dealt treacherously, will not be spared. The word of Jehovah, seen in its completeness, is truth; and His every righteous judgment, like His righteousness and righteous testimonies, as considered in the preceding section, is everlasting.

SHIN. Verses 161-168. The leaders of God's earthly people were found as persecutors of the just instead of being administrators of righteousness; but the hearts of the righteous rested on God's word, rejoicing in it, having great peace, praising seven times a day, and hoping for the salvation of Jehovah. Obedience and abhorrence of falsehood marked the remnant, who lived under the eye of the Lord.

TAU. Verses 169-176. Cries and supplication to Jehovah mark this closing section, for deliverance is not yet experienced. The remnant long for deliverance, divine help and salvation, and for the time when they shall praise God's righteousness, as taught of Him. In the midst of the trials there is delight in the law of the Lord, with the confession of having gone astray, and thus needing to be sought of God.

How good it is for us to consider the exercises of the godly in a past dispensation, with little light, but with confidence in the Lord and delight in His word. There is much in all this for our admiration and instruction, but we are reminded in the different sections that, however blessed their portion, there is not the light of Christianity, or the rich blessings of those who know the Father and have their part in Christ in the heavenly places. Already we know the salvation of God, and the deliverance effected for us by the work of Christ on the cross; we are before God as His sons and His children, having the Spirit of sonship, forming part of Christ's body and bride, and waiting for the coming of the Lord to bring us into all the blessedness of what God has promised.
H. Taberner.