Carefully Examining the Text

This psalm “makes a proper distinction between the fate of righteous and the fate of the wicked, a favorite theme in Israel’s wisdom poetry (cf. Ps. 1; Prov. 1-9). Those blessed are those who trust in the LORD (vs. 1), the righteous (vs. 3), the good (vs. 4a), those who are upright in heart (vs. 4b). Wicked kings (vs. 3a) and people (vs. 5) must be eliminated so that the righteous will not be encouraged to do wrong (vs. 4)” Miller, 404.

125:1 Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever- Ps.68:15-16 The verb moved is translated shaken in Ps. 13:4; 15:5; 16:8; 21:7; 55:22; 62:2, 6; 82:5; 112:6 or slips in Ps. 17:5; 38:16; 46:2; 94:18 or moved in Ps. 46:5; 93:1; 96:10. “The same word is translated in Ps. 121:3 as stumble”- NICOT, 911. “Mountains are often symbolic of stability and endurance, particularly in contrast to the waters of chaos (Ps. 46). And here, the psalmist names the most important mountain of all, Zion, the location of the temple” Longman, 422. “He draws upon the traditional picture of impregnable Zion (cf. Ps. 46; 48; 76; Isa. 28:16)” Laymen’s, 689

125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem- “The second (simile) compares the LORD Himself and the mountains that surround Jerusalem” Broyles, 455. “Mount Zion is not the highest peak in the mountain range around Jerusalem. To the east lies the Mount of Olives, to its north Mount Scopas, to the west and the south are other hills, all of which are higher than Mount Zion” VanGemeren, 788. The same word for surrounds is used in both parts of the verse. “The mountains offered security to Jerusalem and became a symbol of divine protection” Miller, 404. 

So the LORD surrounds His people- “God is ‘around’ and present with His people (Ps. 34:7; Zech. 2:1-5)” VanGemeren, 788.
 
125:3 “Prophets constantly rebuked Israelite leaders for adversely influencing the nation through their own wickedness (cf Is. 1:21-31; Jer. 5:1-6; 6:13-15; Hos. 4:4-10). The psalmists acknowledged the principle also (cf. 72:1-4; 78:67-72; 101:1-8)” Miller, 404. Neh. 9:36-37 depicts foreign rule over Jerusalem but may describe the situation the people were in. The word for scepter can mean rod and “the sense of punishing force may be the more relevant one here” Alter, 446.

125:4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good- Ps. 18:20-27 This petition is the only place in the psalm where God is directly addressed. “It seems deliberately nonspecific and so leaves the particular means to Yahweh’s discretion” Broyles, 456. This also contains a warning to the congregation listening that they must do good. 

125:5 But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways- This contrasts with those who will not be moved in vs. 1. “Nationality or ethnicity does not guarantee Yahweh’s favor-one must maintain a relationship to Yahweh and a moral heart” Broyles, 456. The ‘evildoers’ are apostates who have turned to ‘crooked ways’ (vs. 5), i.e. paths that twist and turn away from the main road (cf. Judges 5:6)” VanGemeren, 789.

Peace be upon Israel- Ps. 120:6,7; 122:6-8; 125:5; 128:6- “Israel is equated with those who trust, the righteous, the good and the upright” Laymen’s, 689. Numbers 6:26; Israel stands for all God’s faithful people- Galatians 6:16; Rom. 2:29; John 1:47.

Psalm 124

The verses of the Psalm describe Israel’s trouble- vs. 3-5- deliverance- vs. 1-2, 6b, 7- praise- vs. 6a, 8. The psalm shows us “how serious the threat was, and how little confidence David placed in his own power to survive it” Kidner, 436.

124:1 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side- 118:6; vs. 1-2 provide the protasis, the ifs clause to a conditional sentence, to the stanza and vs. 3-5 the apodosis, the then clause of the conditional sentence- Miller, 402. The word if actually begins both vss. 1 and 2 (Gen. 31:42; Deut. 32:37; I Sam. 25:34; II Kings 3:14; Psalm 94:17; 106:23; 119:92; 124:1, 2; Isaiah 1:9). 

Let Israel now say- 118:2-4; 129:1. This “indicates that this psalm aims to encourage the congregation to give voice to their gratitude” Broyles, 453.

124:2 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side- This psalm has “abundant use of incremental repetition” Alter, 443. “To dwell on what might have been is often an unrealistic, fruitless exercise. Here it is used to good effect” Laymen, 688. “His presence has protected Israel from destruction on many occasions” VanGemeren, 785.

When men rose up against us- Ps. 2:1-3 

124:3 Then they would have swallowed us alive- Swallowed is used in Num. 16:30; Ps. 55:15; Prov. 1:12; Isaiah 5:14; Jer. 51:34; Jonah 1:17.

124:4 Then the waters would have engulfed us- Verses 4-5 “are an especially effective use of the emphatic structure of incremental repetition. Verse 4 displays semantic parallelism with verbal repetition in its two halves (waters/ torrent, swept us us/ come up past our necks” Alter, 444. Psalms 18:4-5; 42:7; 69:1-2, 15; 88:3-7; Isaiah 8:7-8; 43:2; Lam. 3:54; Jonah 2:3, 5 

124:5 Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul- Psalm 74:12-15; 89:9-10; 93:3-4 The LORD’s sovereignty over the raging waters.

124:6 Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth- The enemy is compared to 3. “A hungry lion that would have seized them as prey (vs.6)” Willis, 64-65. 

124:7 Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper- Ps. 91:3 

The snare is broken, and we have escaped- 119:110; 140:5 

124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD- Ps. 20:7 The name of the LORD in I Sam. 17:45; Ps. 118:10, 11, 12; Prov. 18:10. 

Who made heaven and earth- 115:15; 121:2; 134:3; 146:6 I Peter 4:19

Psalm 124 and Jesus
124:1 The LORD is for us- Romans 8:31-39.

124:3 The word swallowed as used in the LXX is used in I Peter 5:8 of Satan going about as a roaring lion seeking who he can devour (or swallow, same word). Death and Satan may be great monsters seeking to swallow us, but Jesus swallows up death- I Cor. 15:54; II Cor. 5:4. 

124:6 Blessed in the LXX is the same word used in Eph. 1:3; I Peter 1:3 which Blessed God for the great salvation He accomplished in Christ. 

124:7 The word translated escaped in the LXX is used in Col. 1:13; I Thess. 1:10; II Tim. 4:17-18 to speak of salvation in Christ. 

124:8 The word help is used in Hebrews 4:16 of how we seek help for Jesus. 

124:8 The name of Jesus is the name on which we must call- Acts 2:21, 38; 4:12.

124:8 Jesus is Maker of heaven and earth- John 1:1-3, 10.

Psalm 123 A Song of Ascents
“Verses 1-2 are written in the tone of a psalm of trust, but 3-4 are in the form of a community lament.

123:1 To You I lift up my eyes- 121:1; Lifting up eyes can indicate arrogance- II Kings 19:22; Ps. 131:1 but here they are lifted up to God and not against Him. 

“To phrase ‘to You’ is in the emphatic position, suggesting the psalmist’s complete orientation to God” McCann, 1187.

O You who are enthroned in the heavens- Pss. 2:4; 11:4; 115:3, 16; 135:15 “His faithful love and wisdom are equally beyond our calculating (Ps. 36:5; Is. 55:9)” Kidner, 435. “The Lord whose heavenly throne (1) speaks of His endless resources as well as His worldwide sovereignty” Motyer, 573.

123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master- “The eye symbolizes longing, need, expectancy” Motyer, 573.“They await some provision for their own benefit.

As the eyes of the maid to the hand of her mistress- “Everyone in this community, man and woman, looks urgently to God for a sign of grace” Alter, 441.  

So our eyes look to the LORD our God- “God’s people are in the position of ‘servants’ (see Pss. 34:22; 69:35-46; 113:1; 116:16)” McCann, 1187. This shows their humility before God. Israel looks for the good hand of the LORD- Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31. “The simile certainly emphasizes the psalmist’s utter dependence on God, like that of slaves on their master” Longman, 419. 

“The repetition of ‘eyes’ which occurs in each of the four poetic lines in vv. 1-2, is another instance of the steplike pattern that characterizes the Songs of Ascents (see Pss. 120:5-7; 121:1-4, 7-8; 122:2-5)” McCann, 1187. 

Until He shall be gracious to us- This is another example of the steplike parallel pattern (climactic parallelism).

123:3 Be gracious to us- Pss. 4:1; 6:2; 9:13; 25:16; 26:11; 27:7.

For we are greatly filled with contempt- We are not told who gives the scorn, the actual things said, nor the reason for it. “Superlatives are used here and in vs. 4 to indicate the overabundance of scorn and contempt they have received” Miller, 402. 

123:4 Our soul is greatly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease- Lam. 3:30ff., 33.

And with the contempt of the proud- Proud are enemies of the psalmists in Pss. 94:2; 140:5. There is a strong contrast in the Psalm. It begins with “to You” and ends with “the arrogant”- VanGemeren, 783. 

Jesus and Psalm 123

123:2, 3 Lord- The term used in the LXX is κυριος and it is used of Jesus in many NT passages including Matt. 7:21, 21, 22, 22; Luke 6:46, 46. The word is used over 700 times in the NT and many of them are of Jesus. He is LORD and we are utterly dependent upon Him for salvation and all blessings. 

123:2 Servant- in the LXX is the term δουλος and it is used of the NT writers in Rom. 1:1; James 1:1; II Peter 1:1; and Jude 1. It is used of all Christians in Romans 6:16-23. It is used of Jesus in Philippians 2:7. Jesus, who is addressed as Lord, is also a servant. The LORD became a servant to show us mercy. We are totally dependent upon His mercy for salvation.  

123:2, 3 Have mercy upon us- The word used was addressed to Jesus in Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30-31; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 17:13; 18:39. As these begged for Jesus to have mercy upon them, we are beggars who fall before Him totally dependent upon His mercy.

When God takes flesh in the person of Christ, Jesus, who was God became a servant- John 13:1-17; Phil. 2:5-8. 

Psalm 122 A Song of Ascents, of David

The phrase “of David” is omitted in most mss. of the LXX and the Vulgate- Miller, 399. 

“The psalm gives more evidence of having been written as a pilgrim psalm than any among the Psalms of Ascents (120-134), with the possible exception of the last one” Miller, 399. 

Psalms of Zion are Pss. 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 132.

122:1-2 Journey to Jerusalem
122:1 I was glad when they said to me- “The idea did not originate with him, but he joined with a group of pilgrims to go to the city” Longman, 416.  Vss. 1, 8-9 use first person singular words.

“We hear the voice of an individual singer who is part of a larger group of pilgrims going up to Jerusalem” NICOT, 899. The words I was glad or I rejoiced set “the tone for the remainder of the psalm” NICOT, 900. 

 ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD’- Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:3; Ps. 84:10; Jer. 31:6; Zech. 8:21. 

“The verbal phrase is not a cohortative but an imperfect and should be rendered ‘we will go’” VanGemeren, 775.  

122:2 Our feet are standing within Your gates, O Jerusalem- Notice that the I shifts to our. “At last Jerusalem and the house of the LORD come into sight, and we have arrived” Kidner, 433. The city is personified and addressed in the second person” Longman, 416.

The OT believer rightly regarded Jerusalem as the center of the whole earth- Ps. 48:2; Ezek. 5:5.

122:3-5 He celebrates the city
122:3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city compact together- Ps. 48:1-2, 13; 147:2. “The word ‘Jerusalem’ ends (v. 2) and begins v. 3” McCann, 1184. 

“True brotherhood was realized at this center of the community” Allen, 159. The word translated compact is used in Ex. 26:3, 3, 6, 9, 11; 36:10, 10, 13, 16, 18 for the curtains of the tabernacle joined together. The word compact is also used of military alliances- II Chron. 20:35, 36, 37; Dan. 11:6, 23.

122:4 To which the tribes go up- Ex. 23:17; Deut. 16:16; Ps. 48:9; 84:5- “Go up is the technical verb for pilgrimage” Alter, 439 and it is also used for going up the temple mount- Ps. 24:3.

122:5 For there thrones were set for judgment- Deut. 17:8; II Sam. 8:15; 15:1-6; I Kings 3:16-28; 10:9; II Chron. 19:8; Ps. 72:1-4; 89:29; Isaiah 2:4; 9:7; 11:2-5; 16:5; Jer. 21:10-11 Kings were to administer just and right judgment. “Other songs of Zion show the integral connection between the city and the king (Pss. 84:9; 132, esp. vss. 11-12)” Broyles, 451.

122:6-9 He prays for the peace of the city
122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem- Jer. 15:5 There is a wordplay between peace and Jerusalem- Heb. 7:2. Peace is the key word in vss. 6-8 and continues the stairstep parallelism of this psalm. 

“It was customary to offer greetings of peace on entering a home or community (cf. I Sam. 25:6; Matt. 10:12-13)” Allen, 159.

May they prosper who love you- “The ‘your’ is feminine singular in the Hebrew, clearly addressing Jerusalem” Alter, 440. Contrast 129:5. . 

122:7 May peace be within Your walls- 125:5; 128:6. The word within is used in both portions of this verse and is the Hebrew preposition ב.

Compare Pss. 48:13. 

122:8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends- He is motivated to pray this prayer because of his love for his fellow-man. 

122:9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God- This prayer is also motivated by his love for God. 

Psalm 121

There are some connections with Psalm 91. The idea of shade or shadow in 121:5; 91:1. The word keep in 121:3, 4, 5, 7, 7, 8 is also in 91:11. The word foot is used in 121:3 and 91:12 McCann, 1181. The name LORD appears in vs. 2, 5, 5, 7, 8.

121:1 From whence shall my help come?- The word help is m.s. and is used of God in Exodus 18:4; Deut. 33:7, 26, 29; Ps. 20:2; 33:20; 115:9, 10, 11; 121; 1, 2; 124:8; 146:5. The f.s. form is used in Ps. 40:13, 17; 44:26; 46:1; 108:12. “The question exposes his anxiety and sense of inadequacy” Laymen, 687. 

121:2 My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth- Ps. 115:15; 124:8; 134:3; Jer. 32:17 The verb made is used 12 times in Gen. 1-2 to speak of God’s creation of all things. “The thought of this verse leaps beyond the hills to the universe; beyond the universe to its Maker. Here is living help: primary, personal, wise, immeasurable” Kidner, 431. 

121:4 Behold, He who keeps Israel- “Protection is a burning issue for a pilgrim who is travelling arduously and through lonely country” Kidner, 431. 

will neither slumber not sleep- contrast I Kings 18:27. The word slumber is repeated from vs. 3. “God is ever vigilant” Longman, 414. “This sentry never dozes on duty!” Laymen, 687. “In all paths of life, he is promised the ever-vigilant protection of God” Allen, 154. 

121:6 The sun will not smite you by day- Gen. 1:16 The word smite is a word that often indicates to strike with violence- Gen. 4:15; Ex. 2:11, 12; 12:12. Sunstroke is “a real danger in the semi-desert climate of the Land of Israel” Alter, 438. “By day and by night are frequently used to mean ‘always’ or ‘constantly’ (cf. Pss. 22:2; 88:1)” Miller, 398. Ps. 91:5-6; II Kings 4:18-19; Isa. 49:10; Jonah 4:8; Rev. 7:16.

121:7 The LORD will protect you for all evil- Ps. 41:2; 91:10-12 “In light of other scriptures, to be kept from all evil does not imply a cushioned life, but a well-armed one. Cf. Psalm 23:4, which expects the dark valley but can face it” Kidner, 432.  

121:8 The LORD will guard your going out and coming in- Num. 27:17; Deut. 28:6; 31:2 This “is not only a way of saying ‘everything’: in closer detail it draws attention to one’s ventures and enterprises (cf. Ps. 126:6). 

Jesus and Psalm 121

121:2 Jesus is Creator of Heaven and earth- John 1:1-3, 10; Col 1:16

121:1, 2 This particular form of the word help is only used twice in the NT- Acts 27:17 for the supporting cables under the boat. Heb. 4:16 He gives grace to help in time of need.

121:3 The One who not let Israel’s feet slumber has His feet nailed to the cross- Luke 24:39-40.

121:3-4 Matt. 8:24; Mk. 4:38; Lk. 8:23 Jesus sleeping on the boat though not the same Greek word. 

121:3, 5, 7, 7, 8 The word for God guarding or keeping His people is the word from the LXX for Jesus guarding His disciples- John 17:12; Gal. 6:13; II Thess. 3:3; II Tim. 1:12; Jude 24.

120:1-2 Words of Trust and Petition

120:1 In my trouble I cried to the LORD- 102:2 The word order in Hebrew is “To the LORD in distress to me I cried/called and He answered me.” The point is the emphasis falls on the LORD to whom He called. Who are we calling on or looking to in times of distress? The author “expresses the sole dependence on God in the hour of distress” VanGemeren, 769. 

The Hebrew word for trouble or distress was used in Pss. 34:6, 7; 46:1; 50:15; 86:7; 91:15; 116:3.  

While he has suffered from “lying lips” (vs. 2), a “deceitful tongue” (vs. 2, 3), and people who “hate peace” (vs. 6), and “are for war” (vs. 7), “instead of answering back, this man has looked in a better direction” Kidner, 430. 

And He answered me- Pss. 3:4; 18:6; 22:21; 66:14; 118:21; Jonah 2:2 God answered. “The most natural translation of verse 1 points to a past event” Kidner, 430.  

120:2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips-“He was the victim of lying and misrepresentation” Allen, 149.  “He refers to these liars by a synecdoche, whereby body parts represent the person” Longman, 411. “He has proved by bitter experience the untruth of the adage, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me’” Laymen’s, 686. 

From a deceitful tongue- The word for deceitful is a relatively rare OT word used but is used both in 120:2, 3. It is used in Ps. 78:57 of a treacherous bow and in Prov. 10:4 of a negligent hand and in Prov. 19:15 of a lazy man. Contrast the tongue of 119:172 with this tongue. 

120:3-4 Words of vengeance 120:3 What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you- “These verses turn to address these liars” Broyles, 446. The question What is asked twice. “The form of the question involves a frequent Hebrew idiom, ‘God do so to you, and more also’ (cf. I Sam. 3:17; I Kings 2:23; Ruth 1:17). The thought is that God will do something worse to these insolent liars than they have done to the psalmist” Miller, 396.

You deceitful tongue?- “Ps. 64:3f, 7f, where God’s arrows turn the slanderers’ verbal arrows against them” Kidner, 430.

120:4 Sharp arrows of the warrior- “The reference to weapons presupposes their metaphorical usage for slander, as in 52:2; 57:4; Jer. 9:3, 8” Allen, 146. Sometimes the word arrow is used of the judgment God brings upon the wicked.

With the burning coals of the broom tree- Do the images of the sharp arrows and burning coals describe the words hurled against the psalmist (Alter, 436) or the weapons God turns against the deceitful tongue (Kidner, 430)?

“In short, the answer is that the liar, wounding though his weapons are, will be destroyed with far more potent shafts than lies. God’s arrows or truth and coals of judgment” Kidner, 430. “The broom tree has a low combustion point and thus blazes up immediately with intense heat” Miller, 396. “The roots of the broom tree apparently burn well and yield notable charcoal. On coals as a symbol of judgment cf.., Ps. 140:10” Kidner, 430. 

120:5-7 Words of Woe 120:5 Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech “This lament ends on a sad note, as the psalmist bemoans his present wretched condition. The section begins with a strong exclamation of sadness (woe), often heard in funeral processions (I Kings 13:30; Jer. 22:18; Amos 5:16)  

“Now the singer’s special situation as an alien comes to light, and with the motivation of these slander”" Kidner, 430. The word sojourn is the Hebrew גור which describes the wanderings of Abraham (Gen. 12:10; 20:1; 21:23, 34), Isaac (Gen. 26:3), Jacob (Gen. 32:4; 35:27), and hi

Jesus Fulfills Psalm 119 

Psalm 119 and Jesus 

General Pictures: Jesus as the Word- While there are 177 synonyms for God’s law, word found in Psalm 119. Jesus is the ultimate embodiment of Word. The Word has become flesh and dwelt among us- John 1:1-14

He does things Psalm 119 attributes to the Word. The Word gives light in 119:105, 130 and Jesus is the Light- John 8:12; 9:5.

Jesus fulfills the picture of the Psalmist trusting God, His word, and seeking to follow Him.

See the comments below about the Servant beginning with Psalm 119:17. 

Jesus fulfills the picture of the God in whom the Psalmist trusts. See the comments about God teaching in 119:12. Jesus is Creator and Sustainer of our world as God is said to be in 119:89-91 (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17).

The Ministry of Jesus and His fulfillment of Psalm 119

Most of these passages and their fulfillment in Jesus are described more completely in the passages below. 

In the temple at 12- Luke 2:47 and context when Jesus was in the temple at 12 and all were amazed at His understanding fulfills Psalm 119:99-100.

 In the temptation- Matt. 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 Jesus resisted temptation by appealing to the Word of God and fulfills Psalm 119:11, 101. 

 In prayer- Mark 1:35 Jesus rose a great while before day and prayed like we read in Psalm 119:147. Luke 6:12 Jesus prayed all night before choosing the apostles and that type of thing is mentioned in Psalm 119:62.

 In His miracles- In Psalm 119:29, 58, 132 the psalmist’s cry to God be gracious to Me. In Jesus’ miracles He is often met with the cry to have mercy on me in Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30-31.

 In His teaching- Compare Matt. 11:30 to Psalm 119:39 and how its ties with the teaching of Jesus.

 In His crucifixion- The cross of Jesus is foreshadowed in the psalmist’s persecution- see Psalm 119:23.

109:8 forsaken is the same word in Psalm 22:1; 16:10

119:39, 42 The reproach of the Cross- Rom. 15:3; Heb. 11:26; 13:13

119:108 Jesus the sacrifice- Heb. 10:5-10

119:141 despised- Isaiah 53:3

 In His resurrection- See 119:25 and the word revive or made alive.
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119:153-160 ר

God’s mercy- vs. 156, lovingkindness- vs. 159, truth- vs. 160, and righteousness- vs. 160 are all mentioned here. 

119:153 Look upon my affliction and rescue me- This word for look will begin vs. 153, 158, 159. This plea for rescue from affliction ties canonically to Exodus 3:7-8- Hermenia, 282. He begs “for deliverance from affliction (vs. 153) and from his persecutors and adversaries (vs. 157a), who are faithless with God (vs. 158)” Miller, 394. Only God can rescue (vs. 153) and redeem (vs. 154). 

For I do not forget Your law- “He obeys God’s law, but they don’t, and this again is the basis of his call to God to help him” Longman, 408. “The plea is based on the psalmist’s remembrance of God’s law (vs. 153b) and diligence in keeping it (vs. 157b, 159a). But he still recognizes his need of God’s mercy (vs. 156a)” Miller, 395. “The protestation of innocence is not to be understood as an expression of pride but rather as an appeal to God’s fatherly heart” VanGemeren, 761.

119:154 Plead my cause and redeem me- Ps. 35:1; 43:1; 74:22; Hos. 4:1 uses plead my cause and Ps. 69:18 the cry for redemption. “The language used is that of a lawsuit, for God will champion his cause. The effect of God’s pleading his case is that he will be redeemed from bondage. The word ‘redeem’ is well-known for it use in kinsman-redeemer passages” Ross, 581.

Revive me according to Your word- revive is used in vs. 25, 37, 50, 93, 107, 116, 144, 149. “There is a mounting urgency, if repetition is any sign of it, in the plea for life, heard three times in this stanza is an identical exclamation (a single word in Hebrew) to end verses 154, 156, 159” Kidner, 428. 

119:155 Salvation is far from the wicked- The wicked are far from God’s law in vs. 150 and salvation is far from them. Vs. 150 is a verb while the word far here in vs. 155 is an adjective. 

For they do not seek Your statues- The psalmist sought God with all His heart in vs. 2, 10, but the wicked did not seek God’s statutes.

119:156 Great are Your mercies, O LORD- Mercies is used elsewhere in this Psalm in vs. 77.

119:157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries- The word many in vs. 157 is the same word as great in vs. 156. “His love runs to meet us and is equal to every threat” Motyer, 571. 

119:158 I behold the treacherous and loathe them- This verb translated loathe is only used 6 times, the others are Psalms 95:10; 139:21; Ezekiel 6:9; 20:43; 36:31. 

Because they do not keep Your word- “The psalmist not only follows this way, but also he is grieved to see those who do not” Ross, 583.

119:159 Consider how I love Your precepts- In vs. 153 he begs God to see his affliction and in vs. 158 to see the treacherous, and in vs. 159 to see his love for God. 

Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness- Loving-kindness is found in Psalm 119:41, 64, 76, 88, 124, 149, 159. “YHWH’s righteous ordinances will give him not death, but life” Hermenia, 282. 

119:160 The sum of Your word is truth- “The sum is literally ‘the head’; hence AV, ‘from the beginning.’…Here it only means ‘the head of Thy word.’ In this kind of phrase it means, as in the RSV, the sum (cf., e.g. 139:17); and its use as an equivalent to ‘a census in Exodus 30:12; Numbers 1:2, etc., shows that ‘the sum of’ is not a way of saying ‘by and large,’ but rather, ‘every part of’” Kidner, 428-429.

119:129-136 פ

“His own appreciation of the supernatural quality of the Lord’s word (129) is bracketed with his grief over the flouted word (136)” Motyer, 570. “YHWH’s Torah will be presented in the פ strophe as a wonder-working power” Hermenia, 279.

119:129 Your testimonies are wonderful- The same root for wonders is in vs. 18, 27. The word wonderful is used in Exodus 15:11; Psalm 77:11, 14; 78:12; 88:10, 12; 89:5; 139:5; Isaiah 9:6: 25:1; 29:14. This word is especially used of “YHWH’s deeds in the exodus (cf. Exod. 15:11; Ps. 77:11, 14; 78:12)” Hermenia, 279. They “inspire awe and reverence” Miller, 393. “The word is used most often in Biblical Hebrew to describe ‘extraordinary phenomena, transcending the power of human knowledge and imagination” NICOT, 884. 

Therefore, my soul observes them- The word observes could be translated treasures. It is found 61 times in the OT and 10 times in Psalm 119. 

Psalm 119:137-144 צ

119:137 Righteous are You, O LORD- Ezra 9:15; Neh. 9:33; Ps. 116:5; 129:4; 145:17; Jer. 12:1; Lam. 1:18; Dan. 9:7, 14. “Since God is righteous, so His judgments are right (vss. 137-138)” Miller, 393. This word righteous in Greek versions is used for Jesus as Righteous in Matt. 27:19; Acts 3:14; 7:52. Righteous is used in vs. 137, 138, 142, 142, 144.

And upright are Your judgments- NASB Your laws are right- NIV

119:138 You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness- The law expresses the character of the lawgiver. “Because the Lord perfectly and eternally expresses and conveys Himself in His word” Motyer, 571. “Trust in the reliability of God’s word is directly proportionate to one’s trust in the Lord Himself” VanGemeren, 759. 

And exceeding faithfulness- The word for faithfulness is found in vs. 30, 75, 86, 90, 142. This is used to describe God in Deut. 32:4. “God’s commandments, then, are an expression of His absolute righteousness and His faithfulness to His covenant that is an inseparable element of His righteousness” Ross, 572. 

Psalm 119:145-152 ק

“After the pair of strophes in vv. 129-136 and 137-144, which emphasized the torments of the petitioner at the hands of attackers who have forgotten the Torah, the pair of strophes that follow (Vv. 145-152 and 153-160) is dominated by pleas for YHWH for rescue from these attacks” Hermenia, 281. 

119:89-96 ל

“From its nadir, Psalm 119 moves to its zenith. Complaint has given way to a profession of faith in God’s sovereignty for all time (vv. 89a, 90a), in all places (vv. 89b, 90a), and over ‘all things’ (v. 91). The profession is highlighted by the uniqueness of vs. 90, which does not contain one of the eight synonyms” McCann, 1171. 

119:97-104 מ

“The mem strophe is a quiet interlude without petition” Allen, 143. The eight verses begin either with the word מה in vs. 97, 103 and מן in vs. 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104. While this last word can indicate a preposition meaning “from, out of” like in vs. 101, 102, 104, it also can be used as a comparison in vs. 98, 99, 100.

119:105-112 נ

119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet- “The psalmist thinks of the person traveling by foot at night with a lamp attached to his ankles or feet to show him the way (Prov. 6:23)” Miller, 391.

The MT actually has foot instead of feet but a manuscript along with the LXX and Syriac have feet- Ross, 549. This language reminds us of “what Scripture elsewhere calls the believer’s walk” Ross, 551. In contrast the lamp of the wicked goes out- Prov. 13:9; 20:20; 24:20.

The LORD is a lamp in Ps. 22:28; II Sam. 22:29.

119:113-120 ס

“The psalmist stands in contrast to the undecided (113), the evildoers (115), the wanderers (118), and the wicked (119)” Motyer, 570.

119:113 I hate those who are double minded- vs. 104 “Double-minded is akin to the word in Elijah’s taunt at those who hobbled ‘first on one leg then on the other’ (I Kings 18:21)” Kidner, 427. These are people “who appear to be following God, but really they aren’t” Longman, 407. 

But I love Your law- vs. 97 His love for God’s law is a strong contrast to the hate earlier in the verse. These verbs are antithetical. 

119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield- The You is emphatic. Hiding place is found of God in Psalm 32:7; 61:4; 91:1. Shield appears of God in Psalm 3:3; 28:7; 33:20; 84:9, 11; 115:9, 10, 11.

I wait for Your word- vs. 74, 81

119:121-128 ע

“The flow of thought is more awkward than in most of the other stanzas of this psalm, being hindered by the sparsity of words beginning with the letter ‘ayin” Miller, 392. “The key term of the ‘ayin strophe is עבדך ‘your servant,’ vv. 122, 124, 125. It is used to claim Yahweh’s patronage (v. 125)” Allen, 144. “The petitioner presents himself as a good and faithful servant of YHWH and appeals to YHWH to care for his servant” Hermenia, 279.