Psalm 119:1-88
New Catholic Bible
1 [a]Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in accord with the law[b] of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who observe his statutes
and seek him with their whole heart.[c]
3 They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.[d]
4 [e]You have ordained
that your commands be diligently observed.
5 May my ways be steadfast
in the observance of your decrees.
6 Then I will never be put to shame
when I take note of all your precepts.
7 I will praise you in sincerity of heart
as I ponder your righteous judgments.
8 I will observe your decrees;
do not forsake me completely.
Beth
9 [f]How can a young man lead a spotless life?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;[g]
do not let me stray from your precepts.
11 I treasure your word in my heart[h]
for fear that I may sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recite
all the judgments you have announced.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
more than I would rejoice in endless riches.
15 I will meditate on your commands
and respect your ways.
16 I find my delight in your decrees;
I will never forget your word.
Gimel
17 [i]Be good to your servant
so that I may live[j] and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes so that I may clearly see
the wonders to be found in your law.
19 I am only a wayfarer on earth,
but do not hide your precepts from me.[k]
20 My soul is ever consumed
with longing for your judgments.
21 You rebuke the arrogant,[l] the accursed,
who stray from your precepts.
22 Set me free from scorn and contempt,
for I have observed your statutes.
23 Even though princes assemble and slander me,
your servant meditates on your decrees.
24 Your statutes are my delight,
for they offer me counsel.
Daleth
25 [m]My soul lies prostrate in the dust;[n]
revive me in accordance with your word.
26 I proclaim my ways and you answer me;
teach me your decrees.
27 Help me to understand the way of your commandments,
and I will meditate on your wonders.
28 My soul is wasting away in sorrow;
renew my strength in accordance with your word.
29 Keep me from the way of falsehood,
and let me live according to your law.
30 [o]I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I have set your judgments before me.
31 I cling to your statutes, O Lord;
do not allow me to be put to shame.
32 I run in the way of your precepts,
for you have set my heart free.
He
33 [p]Teach me, O Lord, the way of your decrees,
and I will follow it to the end.[q]
34 Give me understanding, and I will observe your law
and obey it with all my heart.[r]
35 Guide me in the way of your precepts,
for in them is my delight.
36 Dispose my heart to follow your statutes
and to flee selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from what is unimportant,
and let me live in your way.
38 Fulfill your word to your servant,
so that you may be feared.[s]
39 Let me escape the disgrace that I dread,
for your judgments are good.
40 See, I long for your commandments;
in your righteousness preserve my life.
Waw
41 [t]Let your kindness[u] descend on me, O Lord,
your salvation in accord with your promise.
42 Then I will respond to those who insult me,
because I trust in your word.
43 Do not remove from my mouth the word of truth,[v]
for I place my hope in your judgment.
44 I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
45 I will walk in complete freedom
because I have sought your commands.[w]
46 I will speak of your statutes in the presence of kings
and will not be ashamed.
47 Your precepts fill me with delight
because I love them.
48 I lift up my hands[x] to your precepts, which I love,
and I meditate on your decrees.
Zayin
49 [y]Remember the word you gave to your servant
by which you have given me hope.
50 This is my consolation in my distress:
your word gives me life.
51 The arrogant[z] overwhelm me with scorn,
but I refuse to turn away from your law.
52 I recall your judgments of old, O Lord,
and I am greatly comforted.
53 I am filled with fury against the wicked,
those who forsake your law.
54 Your decrees have become my songs
wherever I make my dwelling.
55 Even during the night I remember your name[aa]
and observe your teaching, O Lord.
56 This is my practice:
I obey your commandments.
Heth
57 [ab]My portion, I have said, O Lord,
is to observe your words.[ac]
58 With all my heart[ad] I seek your favor;
fulfill your word and be gracious to me.
59 I have reflected on my ways
and resolved to follow your statutes.
60 I will make haste and not delay
to observe your precepts.
61 Though the nets of the wicked entrap me,
I do not forget your law.
62 At midnight I rise to offer praise to you
for the righteousness of your judgments.
63 I am a friend to all who fear you,
all who observe your commands.
64 The earth overflows with your kindness,[ae] O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
Teth
65 [af]You have dealt kindly with your servant
in accord with your word, O Lord.
66 Grant me good judgment and knowledge,
for I place my trust in your precepts.
67 Before I was afflicted[ag] I went astray,
but now I observe your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
69 The arrogant[ah] spread lies about me,
but with all my heart I observe your commands.
70 Their hearts are gross and insensitive,[ai]
but I find my delight in your law.
71 It was a blessing for me to be afflicted,
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Yodh
73 [aj]Your hands have created and formed me;[ak]
grant me understanding so that I may learn your precepts.
74 Those who fear you will rejoice when they see me
because I place my hope in your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that your judgments are righteous
and in your fidelity you have humbled me.
76 May your kindness[al] bring consolation to me
as you have promised your servant.
77 Grant me your compassion so that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant[am] who oppress me without cause be put to shame;
I will meditate on your commands.
79 May those turn to me who fear you,
those who understand your statutes.
80 May my heart[an] be without blame toward your decrees
so that I may not be put to shame.
Kaph
81 [ao]My soul[ap] pines for your salvation without ceasing;
I place my hope in your word.
82 My eyes fail,[aq] looking for your word,
and I cry out, “When will you comfort me?”
83 I am shriveled like a smoke-filled wineskin,[ar]
but I do not forget your decrees.
84 How long must your servant wait?[as]
When will you pass judgment on my persecutors?
85 The arrogant[at] dig pits to entrap me,
which is not in keeping with your law.
86 All of your precepts are true;
come to my aid, for I am persecuted unjustly.
87 My enemies almost took away my life,
but I have not forsaken your commands.
88 In your kindness[au] spare my life,
and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.
Lamedh
Footnotes
- Psalm 119:1 Introduction to the entire psalm that stresses the theme: instruction in godly wisdom.
- Psalm 119:1 A beginning analogous to those of Pss 1:1-2; 112:1 (see Ps 101:6; Mt 5:3ff). The word law and its synonyms are to be taken in the widest sense of revealed teaching, as transmitted by the Prophets. Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1.
- Psalm 119:2 This verse makes explicit what is implicit throughout the psalm: Scripture is revered because it consists in God’s statutes; it is God that his servants seek and not the book for its own sake.
- Psalm 119:3 Ways: although the Hebrew for this word occurs infrequently in this psalm, it is found often in Deuteronomy and elsewhere. There it refers to the requirements of God’s covenant (see note on Ps 25:4-7).
- Psalm 119:4 Those who obey God’s law have a right to hope that he will come to their assistance.
- Psalm 119:9 The love for God’s word is love for God, expressed in one’s attitude of heart, in actions, and in words. With his entire being the godly person seeks God and delights in his will. Such a sublime teaching can lead a young man to keep his way pure.
- Psalm 119:10 The psalmist seeks the God of the law and the promises; he meditates on the latter only because they constitute God’s word of life for him. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 119:11 Treasure your word in my heart: Proverbs 2:10-12; Col 3:16 show that those whose hearts are steeped in the word of God are educated by God.
- Psalm 119:17 In difficulty and distress, the Lord and his word are a comfort to the godly. God’s blessing comes to those who submit to his law, but his curse comes to those who stray deliberately from his revealed will.
- Psalm 119:17 I may live: here the psalmist is speaking of living in its fullest sense of happiness, security, prosperity—a frequent theme in Ezekiel (Ezek 3:21; 18; 33; see Ps 133:3)—and, of course, fellowship with God (see Pss 16:11; 36:10; Deut 8:3).
- Psalm 119:19 Though the psalmist is a stranger (or wayfarer) on earth, he is the guest of God to whom the whole universe belongs; he will learn from the Lord how to conduct himself (see notes on Ps 39:13, 13-14).
- Psalm 119:21 The arrogant: enemies of God and his faithful who act as though they are a law unto themselves (see notes on Pss 73:4-12 and 86:14; see also Isa 13:11; Mal 3:19). They are the accursed, i.e., ready for God’s judgment.
- Psalm 119:25 Whether in distress or in prosperity, the psalmist is determined to remain close to God’s law. In adversities, he becomes more teachable and his spirit is renewed in him, for the word of the Lord has the power to comfort. In prosperity, he enjoys a freedom from anxiety and care that enables him to focus on doing God’s will.
- Psalm 119:25 Lies prostrate in the dust: see note on Ps 44:26.
- Psalm 119:30 Godliness is nicely summed up by the three opening verbs: choosing (see Heb 11:25), clinging (see Acts 11:23), and running (see Phil 3:12-14). Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 119:33 Since God alone can interpret his revelation (teach [it], v. 33), the psalmist prays that God will instruct him in his law (see Ps 25:4). He asks the Lord to provide spiritual direction and motivation to direct his steps (see Prov 4:11-19) and incline his heart (see Ps 141:4) to do the divine will.
- Psalm 119:33 And I will follow it to the end: another possible translation is: “I will keep it as a reward” (see Ps 19:12; Prov 22:4). In both translations the godly person finds his joy in doing the will of God.
- Psalm 119:34 The desire for understanding often voiced in this psalm conforms to the ideal of the sages of Israel. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 119:38 That you may be feared: as a result of the saving acts that the Lord does in accord with his promises, he is acknowledged as the one true God and feared (see Ps 130:5; 2 Sam 7:25f; 1 Ki 8:39f; Jer 33:8f). Another possible translation is: “Fulfill the word you have spoken / to the servant who fears you.”
- Psalm 119:41 Here the psalmist, as it were, gives Christians what is needed for them to fulfill their desire to “proclaim [the Lord’s] word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29). In order to be spoken, the word must first be appropriated (v. 41), trusted (v. 42f), obeyed (v. 44), sought (v. 45), and loved (v. 47f).
- Psalm 119:41 Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5.
- Psalm 119:43 Do not remove from my mouth the word of truth: for it will enable the psalmist to respond to the insults and calumnies to which he is subjected (see vv. 61, 85, 95, etc.).
- Psalm 119:45 Sought your commands: the psalmist strives to understand the meaning of the Scriptures and make them his rule of life (see vv. 94, 155; see also Ps 111:2; Ezr 7:10; Sir 51:23; Isa 34:16). Such a study is at the origin of the Midrashic literature.
- Psalm 119:48 I lift up my hands: as a sign of veneration and praise (see Pss 44:20; 63:4; 134:2; Neh 8:6).
- Psalm 119:49 The word of God provides hope and consolation even in suffering. The psalmist observes the commandments of the Lord because in them he finds life, restoration, and consolation.
- Psalm 119:51 The arrogant: see note on v. 21.
- Psalm 119:55 Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
- Psalm 119:57 The Lord is the portion of the psalmist, and it is God’s law that fills the earth with joy and security. Hence, far from regarding obedience as a crushing, disagreeable burden, the psalmist considers it a happy lot, a privileged destiny, and a signal favor.
- Psalm 119:57 My portion . . . your words: another possible translation is: “You are my portion, O Lord; / I promise to keep your words.” A familiar formula of trust (see Pss 16:5; 73:26 and note; 142:5).
- Psalm 119:58 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 119:64 The earth overflows with your kindness: an exclamation of God’s cosmic love; the world of creation witnesses to his love (see Pss 104:10-30; 136:1-9). For other glimpses of the world as God’s handiwork and kingdom, see Pss 24:1; 33:5; Isa 6:3; Hab 2:14; 3:3.
- Psalm 119:65 The psalmist ascribes goodness to God in his past and present dealings, to the positive values of the trials God sent him, and to the ultimate value of God’s law and divine teaching.
- Psalm 119:67 Afflicted: through God’s doing (see note on vv. 25-32).
- Psalm 119:69 The arrogant: see note on v. 21. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 119:70 Gross and insensitive: literally, “fat as grease,” i.e., incapable of understanding divine things (see Pss 17:10; 73:7; Isa 6:10; Jer 5:28).
- Psalm 119:73 The psalmist declares his experiential knowledge of God, of his kindness and compassion. He asks God to give the arrogant their just deserts and so enable the godly to be encouraged and rejoice at God’s vindication.
- Psalm 119:73 Your hands have created and formed me: see Deut 32:6; Job 10:8; Zec 12:1. Grant me understanding: so that the psalmist can carry out what God willed in forming him.
- Psalm 119:76 Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5.
- Psalm 119:78 The arrogant: see note on v. 21.
- Psalm 119:80 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 119:81 This last strophe of the first part of the psalm brings to a climax the psalmist’s need for God. In extreme distress, he looks to the Lord for his salvation as promised in his word, urgently calling upon him to come to his aid and effect justice upon the arrogant who wrong him.
- Psalm 119:81 Soul: see note on Ps 6:4.
- Psalm 119:82 My eyes fail: see note on Ps 6:8.
- Psalm 119:83 Like a smoke-filled wineskin: the psalmist feels as brittle and useless as tanned hides holding wine that are placed near the fireplace.
- Psalm 119:84 How long . . . wait?: literally, “How many are the days of your servant?” i.e., the psalmist does not have too much time for God to delay in punishing his persecutors. Pass judgment on my persecutors: see note on Ps 5:11.
- Psalm 119:85 The arrogant: see note on v. 21.
- Psalm 119:88 Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5.
