We continue reading in Psalm 119. The longest chapter in the Bible is long acrostic, 22 stanzas, each stanza consisting of eight lines, each line in a stanza beginning with the same letter. The subject in all of these verses is God's Law, that is, His Mosaic Covenant with Israel.
Psalm 119:41-48, Freedom and confidence
>Waw
May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise;
then I will answer the one who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame,
for I delight in your commands
because I love them.
I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love,
and I meditate on your decrees.
God's precepts give freedom (verse 45) and salvation (verse 41) and confidence (verse 46.) Meditation (Hebrew siach) is mentioned again in the last verse of these eight. It appeared earlier in verse 27.
The Jewish position for prayer often included hands lifted up, whether standing or kneeling. (In 1 Kings 8:22, Solomon stands with outstretched arms.) Here, in verse 48, hands are lifted up.
The Hebrew letter ו (waw), by itself, corresponded to the English word "and", much like y in Spanish or e in Italian. It was often used as a pronominal suffix, placed at the beginning of a word. This means that the psalmist had lots of choices for the beginning of these eight verses that beings with waw. For example, verse 41 begins wî·ḇō·’u·nî, (וִֽיבֹאֻ֣נִי) a word built on the verb bo, "to be", or "to abide", with the waw prefix ("and" or "also") and a suffix meaning "to me", so the first word of the sentence becomes "also come to me."
Psalm 119:49-56, Comfort and hope
>Zayin
Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
The arrogant mock me without restraint,
but I do not turn from your law.
I remember your ancient laws, O LORD,
and I find comfort in them.
Indignation grips me because of the wicked,
who have forsaken your law.
Your decrees are the theme of my song
wherever I lodge.
In the night I remember your name, O LORD,
and I will keep your law.
This has been my practice:
I obey your precepts.
The psalmist is a stranger in this life and God's Law gives him comfort (verses 50 and 52) and hope (verse 49.) The meditation of the psalmist includes thinking on YHWH during the night.
Psalm 119:57-64, I seek your face
>Heth
You are my portion, O LORD;
I have promised to obey your words.
I have sought your face with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
I have considered my ways
and have turned my steps to your statutes.
I will hasten and not delay
to obey your commands.
Though the wicked bind me with ropes,
I will not forget your law.
At midnight I rise to give you thanks
for your righteous laws.
I am a friend to all who fear you,
to all who follow your precepts.
The earth is filled with your love, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.
These verses include a strong declaration of commitment, love and adoration. All who likewise follow YHWH are included as friends. Indeed, the psalmist will remember God's words even when tortured (verse 61)!
As in the previous stanza, worship during the nighttime hours is mentioned.
Psalm 119:65-72, You are Good
>Teth
Do good to your servant
according to your word, O LORD.
Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I believe in your commands.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.
The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
One of my favorite Hebrew words is tov (or towb) meaning "good" or "pleasant." (It appears seven times in Genesis 1.) As it begins with ט (teth, tet) it (or slight variants) is, naturally enough, the first word in verses 65, 66, 68, 71 and 72.
In verse 71, the psalmist is thankful for affliction, affliction that taught him principles from the Law.
Psalm 119:73-80, May it be
>Yodh
Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous,
and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
May my heart be blameless toward your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.
The Hebrew letter yod can be placed at the front of a verb as a prefix, indicating a future tense. For exsample, the verb hayah (הָיָה) means "to be" and so in verse 80, yehi, (יְהִ֣י) means "let be" or "may if be". Thus English translations of this passage often have the word "may" or "let" in verses 75-80, where the letter yod is used as a prefix.
We will continue with this long psalm in the next post.
First published October 16, 2025; updated October 16, 2025
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