Enemies in Psalm 119

August 31, 2023Posted inPsalms Commentary
Though Psalm 119 is a song of love for the law, the Lord’s servant (as he calls himself) did not write it in the isolation and calm of his study. One of the prominent themes in the psalm is the presence of enemies who seek to turn him aside from the law and hinder him…

Psalm 119: A Very Personal Prayer

August 26, 2023Posted inPsalms Commentary
We think of Psalm 119 as a psalm about the law, and it is that. What we don’t always recognize is that it is more than just an objective celebration of the beauty and value of the law. It is also a psalm about a very personal love for the law. By far the most…

The Law in Psalm 119

August 18, 2023Posted inPsalms Commentary
Everyone who knows anything about the Bible knows that Psalm 119 is a psalm about the law and that it is alphabetic, having twenty-two stanzas of eight verses each, every verse of each of the stanzas beginning with a particular letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Most also know that every verse contains at least one…

Psalm 119:81-88: Faithfulness in Affliction

July 26, 2023Posted inPsalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
There are two important words in Psalm 119:81–88 that appear more than once. The first is the word “fail,” and the second is the word “persecute.” “Fail” appears three times.               For your salvation my soul fails (v.81).               My eyes fail for your promulgation (v.82).               Almost they made me fail on the earth…