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 direct reference to the law of God; there are only one or two exceptions in the whole psalm.
The psalms uses eight words for the law: law, statutes, precepts, judgments, testimonies, commandments, and word (which translates two different Hebrew words). Stanza 1 (aleph) contains the first six, stanza 2 (beth) the last two (vv. 9, 11). According to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, these words have somewhat different connotations, though all refer to the law of God or more generally to the word of God.
“Law” (torah) means teaching or instruction and implies that we cannot know the law of God without his revelation to us. It shows us how to live with each other and how to approach God. It is a body of regulations imposed on us by God himself.
“Statutes” designates duties imposed by God which must be performed. It sometimes applies to what we would call laws of nature. God gave to the sea a decree which it cannot pass (Prov. 8:29), commanded the sun, moon and stars (Ps. 148:3–6), and made a law for the rain (Job 28:26).
“Precepts” occurs two dozen times in the Old Testament, and only three of these are outside of Psalm 119. It “is a general term for the responsibilities God places on his people.” It derives from a Hebrew verb that the KJV often translates as visit. Visitations by God may be for good (Psalm 8:4) or evil (Ex 20:5), but are always exercisings of his authority over us.
“Judgments” often refers to God’s acts of chastising or punishing sin, but in Psalm 119 almost always to his decisions regarding right and wrong which are the basis for his punishments. The word contains the idea of the justice of God’s law as a revelation of his own righteousness and his demand that we be holy as he is holy.
The Old Testament uses the word “testimonies” in the phrases “ark of the testimony” and “tabernacle of the testimony” because the ark of the covenant (another word for the law) held the two tables of the law and stood in the Most Holy Place. It comes from a root that means “witness.” It teaches us that the law of God is God’s unchanging testimony or witness to us regarding himself and his will.
Of all the words Psalm 119 uses, “commandments” is probably the one that most clearly conveys the ideas of authority and obedience. God does not give us suggestions or advice about how to live. He speaks with authority; he tells us in very specific terms what we may and may not do.
The two Hebrew words (dabar and imra) that our translations render as “word” are difficult to distinguish, but we may say at least this about them: they can refer either to the law or to the promise of God. We find both uses in this psalm. For the idea of law we can look at verse 9: “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word (dabar).” And also verse 11: “Your word (imra) I have hidden in my heart.” For the idea of promise, verse 38—“Establish Your word (imra) to Your servant,”—and verse 25—“Revive me according to your word (dabar).” The context determines the particular emphasis.
In this connection we should remember that the ten commandments themselves contain promises. The second commandment promises mercy to thousands of those who love him, and the fifth commandment long life to those who honor father and mother. Furthermore, the ceremonial law is full of symbolic displays of the promises of atonement and cleansing. Observing these ceremonies with a sincere heart was a taking hold by faith of the promises displayed in them.
Psalm 119 is an outpouring of love and admiration for the law of God. It does not see the law as burdensome, but as an easy yoke and the way of life and joy.
But how is it the way of life? Life does not come through the commandments. “What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son (Rom. 8:3).” Nevertheless, the law defines the sphere of life; outside it is only death. To give us life Christ must restore us to the way of the commandments. It is only there that we can walk with God, know him, and love him as our gracious Father and savior. This is why Psalm 119 says, “Revive me in your way (v. 37),” “Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in your righteousness (v. 40),” “Revive me according to Your judgments (v. 156).” The law does not save, but Christ saves us to obedience to it and to the sphere of life that it describes.