Seeking Torah, Seeking God: Psalm 119
Modern scholarship dates Psalm 119 to the Second Temple Period. The best evidence for this conclusion is linguistic: Psalm 119 uses Late Biblical Hebrew as opposed to the Classical form of the language. Language, that is the very wording of the Psalms, is the only effective means of establishing any Psalm’s date, because the Psalms, in general, only rarely refer to easily identifiable historic events. Psalm 137 (“By the Rivers of Babylon”) which some traditional commentators recognized as late (or, in their terms, not composed by King David) because of its mention of the Babylonian exile, is more the exception than the rule. ...
The pairing of d-r-sh with piqqudim and other words that refer to God’s laws has theological significance beyond its value as an indicator of Psalm 119’s late date; in fact their use reflects a most unusual feature of the psalm as a whole, where language that in earlier literature refers to God here refer to God’s Torah. Remarkably, Psalm 119 substitutes God’s law for God. Like speakers in many other psalms, the speaker in Psalm 119 feels persecuted. These other speakers find salvation in God (for examples, see Psalms 3, 13, and 54); the speaker in Psalm 119 finds salvation in God’s commandments– “Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies” (v. 98; compare also verses 45, 51-54, 61, 150, 157).
Whereas books like Deuteronomy speak of loving God (6:5, 11:1, 13), Psalm 119 speaks of loving God’s Torah and commandments (for example, in verses 97, 113, and 119), and even “cleaving” (d-b-q) to them (31; compare “cleaving to God” in, for example, Deuteronomy 11:22, 30:20). ...
Two theologically significant conclusions emerge from Psalm 119’s replacement of God with God’s Torah as the object of the verb d-r-sh. The first conclusion pertains to the place of Torah within this Psalm’s religious world. In most of the Hebrew Bible, “turning to (d-r-sh) God” or “seeking God’s word” is the phrase that describes how humans relate to God. At times, this involves consulting a prophet, as the people do when they come to Moses “to inquire of (lidrosh) God” (Exodus 18:15). From the post-exilic perspective of Psalm 119, prophecy is not the main channel of communication between humans and God. Instead, Psalm 119 makes Torah the object of the divine-human encounter; individuals can achieve the same quasi-prophetic religious experience through God’s Torah.
Professor Shalom E. Holtz
https://www.thetorah.com/article/seeking-torah-seeking-god-psalm-119
The life of King David was devoted to the attainment of self perfection in the service of God. Every action and every step in David's life was calculated to bring him closer to this lofty goal. In this psalm of one hundred seventy-six verses, the lengthiest in the Book of Tehillim, David painstakingly charts the progressive stages of his determined ascent toward spiritual perfection. The psalm follows the sequence of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet — eight verses begin with aleph, the next eight with 3, beis, and so on — because this psalm embodies an orderly program for achieving personal perfection. The Talmud (Berachos 4b) refers to this psalm as, "the repetition of eight." Whereas the number seven symbolizes the power of This World, which was created in seven days, eight symbolizes release from the desires of the mundane world which distract a person from his spiritual aspirations [see prefatory remarks to psalm 60].
In these verses David describes the many obstacles and dangers that confronted him in his lifetime, Yet his spirit refused to be overwhelmed by sorrow, for he embraced the fount of joy — the Torah. As David followed the guiding light of God's Torah, his lips burst forth in these ecstatic verses of praise for God's salvation. The psalm opens with the statement: Praiseworthy are those whose way is wholesome, who walk with the Torah of HASHEM. It goes on to cite scores of examples of how David strived to walk with God. In conclusion David declares: 'I have attempted to follow You all my life, HASHEM. If I have failed, I beseech You not to abandon me! I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek out Your servant, I have not forgotten *our commandments' (v. 176). -Artscroll
cxix, This great "Psalm of the Law," the longest poem in the Psalter, is the literary composition of a psalmist whose earnest desire is to make God's law the governing principle of his conduct. He has arranged his meditations in an elaborate acrostic form (compare PSS ix—x, xxv, xxxiv, xxxvii, cxi, cxii, cxlv), adopted perhaps as an aid to memory. For each letter of the Hebrew alphabet there is a stanza of eight verses which all begin with that letter; thus there are twenty-two stanzas. One encounters a similar framework in an Akkadian "Dialogue about Human Misery," a poem sometimes called "The Babylonian Ecclesiastes"; see Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, ed. J. B. Pritchard, 2d ed. (Princeton, 1955), pp. 438—40.
This artificiality of structure seems to have hindered many commentators from appreciating the variety of the contents of the psalm. Some have denied that any real connection or progress of thought is to be found in it. Thus Weiser (The Psalms, p. 739) writes that the formal external character of the psalm stifles its subject matter. For him this poem is a many-colored mosaic of thoughts which are often repeated in a wearisome manner. The present writer shared this evaluation until a careful analysis of the Hebrew text revealed, in verse after verse, a freshness of thought and a felicity of expression unnoticed and consequently unappreciated in earlier versions. Weiser (The Psalms, p. 740) appears mistaken in his conviction that "The simple form of the diction makes it unnecessary to expound the psalm in detail." The reader will recognize how frequently and how sharply the present translation differs from other editions.
The following NOTES register numerous new interpretations and stylistic features, but one prosodic pattern must be mentioned as especially characteristic of this acrostic. For want of a better term, it has been labeled "the double-duty modifier" and would probably be classified in classical prosody as a type of zeugma. Cf. Edouard des Places, "Constructions grecques de mots å fonction double (APO KONOU)," in Revue des Études Grecques, Tome 75, No. 354-55 (1962), 1-12. The desire to avoid homophony and the law of economy seem to be the principal factors behind the APO KOINOU construction that is witnessed in numerous Greek writers and poets beginning with Homer. This poetic arrangement has already been noticed at Ps Ivii 5, but no poet employs it more frequently or more effectively than this psalmist. He suspends between two longer cola a divine name or title addressed by both the preceding and the following cola. This pattern recurs in vss. 43, 55, 62, 111, 140, 142, 144, 149, 160, 166, 169, 174.
Of all the psalms, Ps cxix benefits most from the Qumran discoveries. Of its verses, 114 are preserved wholly or partially in the Psalms Scroll labeled 11QPsa. Many of its significant variants will be cited and commented upon in the following NOTES. Cf. also J. A. Sanders, The Dead Sea Psalms Scroll (Ithaca, 1967), pp. 17—18.
Current scholarship tends to assign a late date of composition to this psalm, but the" view that the psalm was composed for a ruler—even, perhaps, a Davidic king who stood in special relation to God's law (cf. Deut xvii 18 ff.; Ps xl 6—8)—does not seem improbable. Numerous poetic usages that were rarely employed in the post-Exilic period have been uncovered in the poem. nese strongly favor a pre-Exilic date of composition. The period of the Deuteronomic reform (late seventh century B.C.) provides a likely background for the spirit and legal language that pervades throughout. -The Anchor Bible
1. Happy whose way is blameless. The first Hebrew word, ʾashrey, with an initial aleph marks the beginning of what we may call the long acrostic—an alphabetic acrostic in which each of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet begins eight lines of poetry. The result is the longest psalm in the collection and the longest chapter in the Hebrew Bible, 176 verses or lines of poetry. Perhaps this extravagant mnemonic was deemed appropriate because of the manifestly didactic nature of the poem. The edifying truth of unflagging loyalty to God’s word was intended to be inculcated in those who recited the text, inscribed in their memory.
1. way . . . / teaching. Both these terms—the “way” as an image of the right ordering of life (and the psalm uses three synonyms for it) and “teaching,” torah—are characteristic of Wisdom literature. It is not entirely certain whether torah refers to an actual book or simply to God’s instruction to man, though there is some likelihood that the former sense may be used here. This stress on torah suggests that the psalm was composed after the promulgation of Deuteronomy in 621 B.C.E., and many scholars date this text to the post-exilic period. Given both the eightfold acrostic and the didactic purpose, it is understandable that the psalm should swarm with synonyms—torah, ʿedut (“precept”), piqudim(“decrees”), ʾimrah (“utterance”), davar (“word”), ḥoq (“statute”), mishpat (“law”). In this poetic context, the terms appear to overlap and not to express technical distinctions. One must concede that the poetic language is highly formulaic and rather routine, although occasionally a striking line appears (for example, verse 54, “Songs were Your statutes to me, / in the house of my sojourning,” or the unusual simile for suffering of a leather water skin cured over a smoking fire in verse 83, “I was like a skin-flask in smoke”). It also should be said that some of the acrostic composition is mechanical. The most egregious instance is the letter waw, which is also the Hebrew particle that means “and.” There are very few other Hebrew words that begin with this letter (in the biblical corpus, no more than three), so the poet simply begins each of the eight lines of the waw stanza with “and.” Because of the repetitiousness and the use of stereotypical language, the brief comments that follow do not engage in poetic analysis and mainly are limited to explaining difficulties in the text. The lines are rhythmically compact, usually having three accented syllables in the first verset and two in the second. The translation tries wherever possible to replicate this rhythm, but often there is one extra accent in the English. -Alter, Robert. The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary (p. 3045).
This psalm is the loftiest of all the Psalms (Ibn Yachya). David prays that God help him to know God's ways. David expresses his intense desire for Godly knowledge and affirms that his enemies will fail to distract him from his spiritual pursuit. At all times, his eyes and heart will be dedicated to serving God and cleaving to the ways of Torah and mitzvot. He asks for God to help him succeed in these efforts.
With the Godly spirit with which he was graced, David expresses his yearning with an abundance of praises for Torah and mitzvot (Meiri).
David declares that God's Torah is the path by which we can attain eternal life. He begs God's mercy for himself and all of Israel, that He guide us and help us to understand His greatness and therefore revere Him, that we perceive the goodness of His ways and thus love Him. Foreseeing the exile of his people, the ingathering of the exiles, the war of Gog, the birth pangs of Mashiach's arrival and subsequent redemption, David arose and prayed for God's deliverance (Sforno; see verse 105).
Almost every verse in the psalm contains at least one often terms that describe various elements of the Torah, explained in the chart below. Some verses contain two of the terms. When the Psalmist refers to a particular term, he does not intend to exclude the other terms. [E.g., when he says that those who guard God's testimonies are fortunate, the same applies to those who guard His statutes.]
Tie psalm includes a number of verses that David composed in times of distress or when he was fleeing his enemies. When he composed the present psalm, he included these verses, since they express his frustration over his difficulties, which hindered his involvement with the Torah and wisdom (Radak).92 -Book of Psalms with English Translation and Commentary: With Commentary from the Talmud, Midrash, Kabbalah, Classic Commentators, and the Chasidic Masters.
The chart below outlines the ten words which are continually used in the psalm.
Why Eight?
The commentaries offer various suggestions as to why David composed eight verses for each of the letters of the Aleph Bet.
- The number eight corresponds to eight means by which wisdom is acquired: the five senses, information acquired from teachers, extrapolation, and faith (Radak).
- The number eight corresponds to eight elements of the self: the five senses and three elements of the spirit—growth, desire, and intellect. By repeating eight verses per letter,
- David alludes to his desire to commit every element of his being to the service of God (Meiri).
- The number eight alludes to the Jewish people, who are circumcised on the eighth day (Chazeh Tzion).
Eight represents the miraculous, that which transcends the natural order, which is epitomized by the number seven, as in the seven days of the week. The number eight therefore appears in the context of that which is beyond the natural and rational. For example, the covenant of circumcision, expressing the bond between us and God that transcends reason, occurs on the eighth day. Similarly, we received the Torah, which transcends this world, on the fiftieth day, after seven weeks of counting. In choosing eight verses per letter, David similarly affirms the transcendent nature of Torah and mitzvot (see Maharal, Ner Mitzvah, p. 23).
The early commentators do not seem to address whether there is a particular theme to each set of eight verses. Alshich, however, does point out certain themes. For example, in the first set of eight verses, the Psalmist emphasizes his commitment to the mitzvot with simple faith. In the second set, he asks God to help him understand the reasons behind the mitzvot (see commentary by Rabbi Avraham Ben-Ramoch). -Book of Psalms with English Translation and Commentary: With Commentary from the Talmud, Midrash, Kabbalah, Classic Commentators, and the Chasidic Masters.
(א) אַשְׁרֵ֥י תְמִֽימֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ הַ֝הֹלְכִ֗ים בְּתוֹרַ֥ת יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ב) אַ֭שְׁרֵי נֹצְרֵ֥י עֵדֹתָ֗יו בְּכׇל־לֵ֥ב יִדְרְשֽׁוּהוּ׃ (ג) אַ֭ף לֹא־פָעֲל֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה בִּדְרָכָ֥יו הָלָֽכוּ׃ (ד) אַ֭תָּה צִוִּ֥יתָה פִקֻּדֶ֗יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹֽד׃ (ה) אַ֭חֲלַי יִכֹּ֥נוּ דְרָכָ֗י לִשְׁמֹ֥ר חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ (ו) אָ֥ז לֹא־אֵב֑וֹשׁ בְּ֝הַבִּיטִ֗י אֶל־כׇּל־מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ (ז) א֭וֹדְךָ בְּיֹ֣שֶׁר לֵבָ֑ב בְּ֝לׇמְדִ֗י מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃ (ח) אֶת־חֻקֶּ֥יךָ אֶשְׁמֹ֑ר אַֽל־תַּעַזְבֵ֥נִי עַד־מְאֹֽד׃ {פ}
(א)
(1) Happy are those whose way is blameless, who follow the teaching of the Eternal.
(2) Happy are those who observe God's decrees, who turn to God wholeheartedly.
(3) They have done no wrong, but have followed God's ways.
(4) You have commanded that Your precepts be kept diligently.
(5) Would that my ways were firm in keeping Your laws;
(6) then I would not be ashamed when I regard all Your commandments.
(7) I will praise You with a sincere heart as I learn Your just rules.
(8) I will keep Your laws; do not utterly forsake me.
Spiritual Applications
The “good life” as outlined here is unquestionably the following of God’s mitzvot, which connect the poet with the inner righteousness of God. That life opens us to some vulnerability, as verse 8 suggests: “Abandon me not, not ever, not ever”— having given up everything but obedience to God, the thought that God might abandon the poet is terrifying. But that, of course, is the essence of faith: to risk all on service to God, knowing that events in life may occasionally make us wonder whether God has abandoned us. Perhaps the best evidence for God’s faithfulness is the “happiness,” the peace, that comes with a life of trying to do God’s will, that serves as a shield when the outside world tries to kick in the door. The more our heart is upright, the more that door will hold. What better way to begin this affirmation than with alef, the first letter of the name of God as we pronounce it (Adonai), the first letter of the first of the Ten Commandments (anochi), which commands us to believe in God. -Levy, Rabbi Richard N.. Songs Ascending: The Book of Psalms (Vol. 2)
- How do you respond to the emphasis of the Psalmist on laws?
(ט) בַּמֶּ֣ה יְזַכֶּה־נַּ֭עַר אֶת־אׇרְח֑וֹ לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ (י) בְּכׇל־לִבִּ֥י דְרַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ אַל־תַּ֝שְׁגֵּ֗נִי מִמִּצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ (יא) בְּ֭לִבִּי צָפַ֣נְתִּי אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ לְ֝מַ֗עַן לֹ֣א אֶחֱטָא־לָֽךְ׃ (יב) בָּר֖וּךְ אַתָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֗ה לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ (יג) בִּשְׂפָתַ֥י סִפַּ֑רְתִּי כֹּ֝֗ל מִשְׁפְּטֵי־פִֽיךָ׃ (יד) בְּדֶ֖רֶךְ עֵדְוֺתֶ֥יךָ שַּׂ֗שְׂתִּי כְּעַ֣ל כׇּל־הֽוֹן׃ (טו) בְּפִקּוּדֶ֥יךָ אָשִׂ֑יחָה וְ֝אַבִּ֗יטָה אֹֽרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (טז) בְּחֻקֹּתֶ֥יךָ אֶֽשְׁתַּעֲשָׁ֑ע לֹ֖א אֶשְׁכַּ֣ח דְּבָרֶֽךָ׃ {פ}
(ב)
(9) How can a young man keep his way pure?— by holding to Your word.
(10) I have turned to You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commandments.
(11) In my heart I treasure Your promise; therefore I do not sin against You.
(12) Blessed are You, O Eternal; train me in Your laws.
(13) With my lips I rehearse all the rules You proclaimed.
(14) I rejoice over the way of Your decrees as over all riches.
(15) I study Your precepts; I regard Your ways;
(16) I take delight in Your laws; I will not neglect Your word.
Spiritual Applications
Several of the verses in this section emphasize the importance of the heart in the religious life: bringing the whole heart to bear, binding God’s word in the recesses of one’s heart. The way to purify the heart, the poet suggests, is by paying attention to the path we tread in life: it forms the question that introduces this section and reappears several times. It suggests that as spiritual seekers we must be conscious of where our feet take us, what our mouths open to say on the journey, what our hands find to do as we go work, study, pray, and interact with others.
The middle of this section is the verse “Blessed are You, Adonai!”— a good thing to say as we pursue our path! Words of blessing are a way to concentrate our heart on beauty, on God’s and human beings’ goodness, on becoming so conscious of Torah teachings that we will not forget them. And if you say, “But this section asks, ‘By what means shall a young person purify her path?’ and I am not young”— the verse suggests the opposite. To live as this section urges is to infuse one’s life with youth— another way of understanding the frequent plea in other sections that God “sustain my life.” Levy, Rabbi Richard N.. Songs Ascending: The Book of Psalms (Vol. 2)
(יז) גְּמֹ֖ל עַל־עַבְדְּךָ֥ אֶחְיֶ֗ה וְאֶשְׁמְרָ֥ה דְבָרֶֽךָ׃ (יח) גַּל־עֵינַ֥י וְאַבִּ֑יטָה נִ֝פְלָא֗וֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃ (יט) גֵּ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י בָאָ֑רֶץ אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֥ר מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ (כ) גָּרְסָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֣י לְתַאֲבָ֑ה אֶֽל־מִשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ בְכׇל־עֵֽת׃ (כא) גָּ֭עַרְתָּ זֵדִ֣ים אֲרוּרִ֑ים הַ֝שֹּׁגִ֗ים מִמִּצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃ (כב) גַּ֣ל מֵ֭עָלַי חֶרְפָּ֣ה וָב֑וּז כִּ֖י עֵדֹתֶ֣יךָ נָצָֽרְתִּי׃ (כג) גַּ֤ם יָשְׁב֣וּ שָׂ֭רִים בִּ֣י נִדְבָּ֑רוּ עַ֝בְדְּךָ֗ יָשִׂ֥יחַ בְּחֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ (כד) גַּֽם־עֵ֭דֹתֶיךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֗י אַנְשֵׁ֥י עֲצָתִֽי׃ {פ}
(ג)
(17) Deal kindly with Your servant, that I may live to keep Your word.
(18) Open my eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of Your teaching.
(19) I am only a sojourner in the land; do not hide Your commandments from me.
(20) My soul is consumed with longing for Your rules at all times.
(21) You blast the accursed insolent ones who stray from Your commandments.
(22) Take away from me taunt and abuse, because I observe Your decrees.
(23) Though princes meet and speak against me, Your servant studies Your laws.
(24) For Your decrees are my delight, my intimate companions.
Spiritual Applications
Cause my eyes to open that I may see / Wonders out of Your Torah. Hagar sees the well (Genesis 21: 19), Abraham sees the ram in the thicket (Genesis 22: 13)— the Torah is replete with examples of how important opening our eyes is to seeing God’s presence in the world. This psalm also stresses how necessary it is to open our eyes in Torah study to see the wonders hiding behind each letter (the whole purpose of this psalm!) and word and concept. As Moses stopped to look at the Burning Bush, so we need to be aware when a verse is calling out to us, jumping out at us— reading slowly and carefully enough that we will be able to pause when that happens and consider (“ contemplate” or “meditate” in the poet’s words) what that might mean. We sometimes perceive ourselves as “sojourners”— just “passing through”— susceptible to missing the commands of God hidden in the stories and the verses. Have we reached the spiritual state of feeling “crushed with longing at every season for God’s judgments”? -Levy, Rabbi Richard N.. Songs Ascending: The Book of Psalms (Vol. 2)
(ד)
(25) My soul clings to the dust; revive me in accordance with Your word.
(26) I have declared my way, and You have answered me; train me in Your laws.
(27) Make me understand the way of Your precepts, that I may study Your wondrous acts.
(28) I am racked with grief; sustain me in accordance with Your word.
(29) Remove all false ways from me; favor me with Your teaching.
(30) I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set Your rules before me.
(31) I cling to Your decrees; O Eternal, do not put me to shame.
(32) I eagerly pursue Your commandments, for You broaden my understanding.
(33) Teach me, O Eternal, the way of Your laws; I will observe them to the utmost.-a
(34) Give me understanding, that I may observe Your teaching and keep it wholeheartedly.
(35) Lead me in the path of Your commandments, for that is my concern.
(36) Turn my heart to Your decrees and not to love of gain.
(37) Avert my eyes from seeing falsehood; by Your ways preserve me.
(38) Fulfill Your promise to Your servant, which is for those who worship You.
(39) Remove the taunt that I dread, for Your rules are good.
(40) See, I have longed for Your precepts; by Your righteousness preserve me.
(41) May Your steadfast love reach me, O Eternal, Your deliverance, as You have promised.
(42) I shall have an answer for those who taunt me, for I have put my trust in Your word.
(43) Do not utterly take the truth away from my mouth, for I have put my hope in Your rules.
(44) I will always obey Your teaching, forever and ever.
(45) I will walk about at ease, for I have turned to Your precepts.
(46) I will speak of Your decrees, and not be ashamed in the presence of kings.
(47) I will delight in Your commandments, which I love.
(48) I reach out for Your commandments, which I love; I study Your laws.
(49) Remember Your word to Your servant through which You have given me hope.
(50) This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise has preserved me.
(51) Though the arrogant have cruelly mocked me, I have not swerved from Your teaching.
(52) I remember Your rules of old, O Eternal, and find comfort in them.
(53) I am seized with rage because of the wicked who forsake Your teaching.
(54) Your laws are a source of strength to me wherever I may dwell.
(55) I remember Your name at night, O Eternal, and obey Your teaching.
(56) This has been my lot, for I have observed Your precepts.
(57) The Eternal is my portion; I have resolved to keep Your words.
(58) I have implored You with all my heart; have mercy on me, in accordance with Your promise.
(59) I have considered my ways, and have turned back to Your decrees.
(60) I have hurried and not delayed to keep Your commandments.
(61) Though the bonds of the wicked are coiled round me, I have not neglected Your teaching.
(62) I arise at midnight to praise You for Your just rules.
(63) I am a companion to all who fear You, to those who keep Your precepts.
(64) Your steadfast love, O Eternal, fills the earth; teach me Your laws.
(65) You have treated Your servant well, according to Your word, O Eternal.
(66) Teach me good sense and knowledge, for I have put my trust in Your commandments.
(67) Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep Your word.
(68) You are good and beneficent; teach me Your laws.
(69) Though the arrogant have accused me falsely, I observe Your precepts wholeheartedly.
(70) Their minds are thick like fat; as for me, Your teaching is my delight.
71) It was good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn Your laws.
(72) I prefer the teaching You proclaimed to thousands of gold and silver pieces.
(73) Your hands made me and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn Your commandments.
(74) Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, for I have put my hope in Your word.
(75) I know, O Eternal, that Your rulings are just; rightly have You humbled me.
(76) May Your steadfast love comfort me in accordance with Your promise to Your servant.
(77) May Your mercy reach me, that I might live, for Your teaching is my delight.
(78) Let the insolent be dismayed, for they have wronged me without cause; I will study Your precepts.
(79) May those who fear You, those who know Your decrees, turn again to me.
(80) May I wholeheartedly follow Your laws so that I do not come to grief.
(81) I long for Your deliverance; I hope for Your word.
(82) My eyes pine away for Your promise; I say, “When will You comfort me?”
(83) Though I have become like a water-skin dried in smoke, I have not neglected Your laws.
(84) How long has Your servant to live? when will You bring my persecutors to judgment?
(85) The insolent have dug pits for me, flouting Your teaching.
(86) All Your commandments are enduring; I am persecuted without cause; help me!
(87) Though they almost wiped me off the earth, I did not abandon Your precepts.
(88) As befits Your steadfast love, preserve me, so that I may keep the decree You proclaimed.
(89) The Eternal exists forever; Your word stands firm in heaven.
(90) Your faithfulness is for all generations; You have established the earth, and it stands.
(91) They stand this day to [carry out] Your rulings, for all are Your servants.
(92) Were not Your teaching my delight I would have perished in my affliction.
(93) I will never neglect Your precepts, for You have preserved my life through them.
(94) I am Yours; save me! For I have turned to Your precepts.
(95) The wicked hope to destroy me, but I ponder Your decrees.
(96) I have seen that all things have their limit, but Your commandment is broad beyond measure.
(97) O how I love Your teaching! It is my study all day long.
(98) Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies; they always stand by me.
(99) I have gained more insight than all my teachers, for Your decrees are my study.
(100) I have gained more understanding than my elders, for I observe Your precepts.
(101) I have avoided every evil way so that I may keep Your word.
(102) I have not departed from Your rules, for You have instructed me.
(103) How pleasing is Your word to my palate, sweeter than honey.
(104) I ponder Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.
(105) Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light for my path.
(106) I have firmly sworn to keep Your just rules.
(107) I am very much afflicted; O Eternal, preserve me in accordance with Your word.
(108) Accept, O Eternal, my freewill offerings; teach me Your rules.
(109) Though my life is always in danger, I do not neglect Your teaching.
(110) Though the wicked have set a trap for me, I have not strayed from Your precepts.
(111) Your decrees are my eternal heritage; they are my heart’s delight.
(112) I am resolved to follow Your laws to the utmost-a forever.
(113) I hate men of divided heart, but I love Your teaching.
(114) You are my protection and my shield; I hope for Your word.
(115) Keep away from me, you evildoers, that I may observe the commandments of my God.
(116) Support me as You promised, so that I may live; do not thwart my expectation.
(117) Sustain me that I may be saved, and I will always muse upon Your laws.
(118) You reject all who stray from Your laws, for they are false and deceitful.
(119) You do away with the wicked as if they were dross; rightly do I love Your decrees.
(120) My flesh creeps from fear of You; I am in awe of Your rulings.
(121) I have done what is just and right; do not abandon me to those who would wrong me.
(122) Guarantee Your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant wrong me.
(123) My eyes pine away for Your deliverance, for Your promise of victory.
(124) Deal with Your servant as befits Your steadfast love; teach me Your laws.
(125) I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I might know Your decrees.
(126) It is a time to act for the LORD, for they have violated Your teaching.
(127) Rightly do I love Your commandments more than gold, even fine gold.
(128) Truly by all [Your] precepts I walk straight; I hate every false way.
(129) Your decrees are wondrous; rightly do I observe them.
(130) The words You inscribed give-d light, and grant understanding to the simple.
(131) I open my mouth wide, I pant, longing for Your commandments.
(132) Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is Your rule with those who love Your name.
(133) Make my feet firm through Your promise; do not let iniquity dominate me.
(134) Redeem me from being wronged by man, that I may keep Your precepts.
(135) Show favor to Your servant, and teach me Your laws.
(136) My eyes shed streams of water because men do not obey Your teaching.
(137) You are righteous, O Eternal; Your rulings are just.
(138) You have ordained righteous decrees; they are firmly enduring.
(139) I am consumed with rage over my foes’ neglect of Your words.
(140) Your word is exceedingly pure, and Your servant loves it.
(141) Though I am belittled and despised, I have not neglected Your precepts.
(142) Your righteousness is eternal; Your teaching is true.
(143) Though anguish and distress come upon me, Your commandments are my delight.
(144) Your righteous decrees are eternal; give me understanding, that I might live.
(145) I call with all my heart; answer me, O Eternal, that I may observe Your laws.
(146) I call upon You; save me, that I may keep Your decrees.
(147) I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope for Your word.
(148) My eyes greet each watch of the night, as I meditate on Your promise.
(149) Hear my voice as befits Your steadfast love; O Eternal, preserve me, as is Your rule.
(150) Those who pursue intrigue draw near; they are far from Your teaching.
(151) You, O Eternal, are near, and all Your commandments are true.
(152) I know from Your decrees of old that You have established them forever.
(153) See my affliction and rescue me, for I have not neglected Your teaching.
(154) Champion my cause and redeem me; preserve me according to Your promise.
(155) Deliverance is far from the wicked, for they have not turned to Your laws.
(156) Your mercies are great, O Eternal; as is Your rule, preserve me.
(157) Many are my persecutors and foes; I have not swerved from Your decrees.
(158) I have seen traitors and loathed them, because they did not keep Your word in mind.
(159) See that I have loved Your precepts; O Eternal, preserve me, as befits Your steadfast love.
(160) Truth is the essence of Your word; Your just rules are eternal.
(161) Princes have persecuted me without reason; my heart thrills at Your word.
(162) I rejoice over Your promise as one who obtains great spoil.
(163) I hate and abhor falsehood; I love Your teaching.
(164) I praise You seven times each day for Your just rules.
(165) Those who love Your teaching enjoy well-being; they encounter no adversity.
(166) I hope for Your deliverance, O Eternal; I observe Your commandments.
(167) I obey Your decrees and love them greatly.
(168) I obey Your precepts and decrees; all my ways are before You.
(169) May my plea reach You, O Eternal; grant me understanding according to Your word.
(170) May my petition come before You; save me in accordance with Your promise.
(171) My lips shall pour forth praise, for You teach me Your laws.
(172) My tongue shall declare Your promise, for all Your commandments are just.
(173) Lend Your hand to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.
(174) I have longed for Your deliverance, O LORD; Your teaching is my delight.
(175) Let me live, that I may praise You; may Your rules be my help;
176) I have strayed like a lost sheep; search for Your servant, for I have not neglected Your commandments.