The longest chapter in the Bible is an acrostic psalm, with 22 stanzas, each stanza consisting of eight lines, each line beginning with the same letter. We will examine the 176 verses across five days. The subject in all of these verses is God's Law, that is, His Mosaic Covenant with Israel.
Caroline Cobb has an album on the psalms. (You can find Caroline Cobb on Spotify here.) Her rendition of Psalm 119 is I Love Your Word.
Psalm 119:1-8, Law, statutes, ways
>Aleph
Blessed are they whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart.
They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.
You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.
I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.
The psalm begins with a promise of blessings to those who follow YHWH and obey His law. God's law is associated with righteousness. Verse 2 claims that in keeping God's laws, one then seeks Him with all their heart -- the law points to God and is not, of itself, to be worshiped. In verse 3, the concept of "wrong" (says Kidner) is that of wronging someone, of hurting someone.
Psalm 119:9-16, Help me meditate!
>Beth
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount all the laws
that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
Verses 9 and 11 are often quoted. Verse 9 is a prayer by the young psalmist (suggests Kidner) while verse 11 emphasizes the value of memorizing and meditating on the Law. This would have been especially important in the days of the psalmist when copies of the Law would have been rare and hard to obtain. The memorization and meditation occurs again in verses 13 and 15; in verse 13 the psalmist repeats the Law out loud.
As Kidner points out, this psalm uses at least eight different synonyms for God's covenant law. The main ones are the following, which Kidner says intermingle throughout the psalm, reminding him of bellringers ringing in the changes.
- torah (NIV "law" in verse 1),
- edah (NIV "statutes" in verse 2, or "testimonies"),
- piqqud (NIV "precepts" in verse 4),
- choq (NIV "decrees" in verses 5 and 8z)
- mitsvah (NIV "commands" in verse 6)
- mishpat (NIV uses "laws" again in verse 7)
- dabar (NIV uses "word" in verse 9, below)
- imrah (NIV uses "word" in verse 11)
The Hebrew seems to have more synonyms for Law than our English! In addition to these eight, we see derek (NIV "ways" in verse 3 and again in 37.)
Psalm 119:17-24, I want to see!
>Gimel
Do good to your servant, and I will live;
I will obey your word.
Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.
I am a stranger on earth;
do not hide your commands from me.
My soul is consumed with longing
for your laws at all times.
You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed
and who stray from your commands.
Remove from me scorn and contempt,
for I keep your statutes.
Though rulers sit together and slander me,
your servant will meditate on your decrees.
Your statutes are my delight;
they are my counselors.
In verse 18, the psalmist, as he meditates, asks that God opens his eyes to see (comprehend) the full effect of that Law. The next verse expresses a similar thought, in its negative. Other parallel thoughts occur with verses 21 and 22: the arrogant stray from God's commands while the psalmist seeks to avoid such scorn; in verses 23 and 24 the psalmist contrasts counselors: rulers slander him while the Law is his true counsel.
Psalm 119:25-32, Moody and weary
>Daleth
I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life according to your word.
I recounted my ways and you answered me;
teach me your decrees.
Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;
then I will meditate on your wonders.
My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.
Keep me from deceitful ways;
be gracious to me through your law.
I have chosen the way of truth;
I have set my heart on your laws.
I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD;
do not let me be put to shame.
I run in the path of your commands,
for you have set my heart free.
When depressed and defeated, the psalmist begs for salvation promised in the Law. The lead verse in this sequence is then reflected in the second as the plea of the psalmist has been answered. A similar plea appears in verse 28, the fourth verse of this stanza, as the psalmist expresses sorrow. In verse 29, the psalmist pleads for gracious treatment (chanan) as he seeks to avoid deceit. In verses 30-32, the psalmist describes a sequence of choices regarding the law. He "chooses", "sets his heart", "holds fast" and "runs to" the Law. In the last verse the request for gracious treatment is answered with a heart that has been set free.
Psalm 119:33-40, Teach me!
>He
Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.
The first four verses in this stanza as for teaching that will direct the psalmist's heart and life. The fifth asks to be directed away from worthless things. The next two suggest repentance and forgiveness while the last two lines include, once again, a declaration of joy in God's precepts.
We will continue with this long psalm in the next post.
Some Random Thoughts
It is common, in reading David's love of God's Word (or Law), to identify God's Word with all of the Old Testament scripture or even (for Christians) with both the Old and New Testaments. But David had at most the Pentateuch to study and likely far less. I can imagine David reading Leviticus and saying, "I love your word!" -- but I would struggle to understand what David is seeing in the Mosaic Law! I am so far removed from his time and culture.
First published October 16, 2025; updated October 16, 2025
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