Verse by Verse

¹⁵³ Consider my affliction and deliver me,
For I do not forget Your law.

¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word.

¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Your statutes.

¹⁵⁶ Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord;
Revive me according to Your judgments.

¹⁵⁷ Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.

¹⁵⁸ I see the treacherous, and am disgusted,
Because they do not keep Your word.

¹⁵⁹ Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.

¹⁶⁰ The entirety of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

The combined merit and benefit of God’s Word as the exclusive nexus, or means, for attaining all that is necessary for life, both presently and in the hereafter, is underscored by the three-fold repetition in the “Resh” stanza of the phrase “revive me” (lit., “give me life”; 154b “according to Thy Word”; 156b “according to Thy ordinances”; 159b “according to Thy lovingkindness” [i.e., His paternal-covenantal faithfulness, as described and exemplified in His Word]), signifying the superlative—i.e., the most of something—the point being that God’s Word, consistent with its record and affirmation of God’s lovingkindness, is able to supply each of us with the utmost degree of life. — Wechsler, page 288.

__________

Neither suffering (v.153) nor fear (v.157) could weaken Messiah’s affection for the Bible, nor cause Him to swerve from its teaching. On the contrary He prayed that it might continually be the source of refreshment and strength to Him …

Only a sinless heart could say “I do not forget” (v.153), “I do not swerve” (v.157), and “Consider how I love Thy precepts” (v.159). In David’s lips such words would have been untrue, self-righteous, proud, and pharisaic; but no so in Messiah’s lips. — Williams, page 398.

¹⁴⁵ I cry out with my whole heart;
Hear me, O Lord!
I will keep Your statutes.

¹⁴⁶ I cry out to You;
Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.

¹⁴⁷ I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.

¹⁴⁸ My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.

¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
O Lord, revive me according to Your justice.

¹⁵⁰ They draw near who follow after wickedness;
They are far from Your law.

¹⁵¹ You are near, O Lord,
And all Your commandments are truth.

¹⁵² Concerning Your testimonies,
I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

Much of this stanza is about the intensity of the psalmist’s desire for God and His Word.

founded (v.152) = established, fixed

The theme of [this] stanza is the relationship which the Messiah establishes between prayer and the Bible in circumstances of danger and opposition. … Messiah here (vs.147-148) states that ere darkness fell He read the Bible each evening and meditated therein, and that before morning dawned He was found upon His knees; and He states that His reason for so acting was because He believed and confided in and counted upon its Divine promises (v.147). …

“According to” occurs twice in verse 149). It first measures the boundlessness of God’s love, and then the boundaries of His judgment. … Those who pursued Messiah in order to injure Him were murderously near to Him and far from the Bible (v.150); but Jehovah was near also. His commandments were truth; the enemies’ falsehood (v.151). — Williams, pages 397-398.

¹³⁷ Righteous are You, O Lord,
And upright are Your judgments.

¹³⁸ Your testimonies, which You have commanded,
Are righteous and very faithful.

¹³⁹ My zeal has consumed me,
Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.

¹⁴⁰ Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.

¹⁴¹ I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.

¹⁴² Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.

¹⁴³ Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.

¹⁴⁴ The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.

In this stanza, the psalmist had a lot to say about God’s attributes as reflected in His Word.

zeal (v.139) = ardor, jealousy, anger

consumed (v.139) = lit. exterminated, put an end to (hyperbolic)

small (v.141) = insignificant

When the vicissitudes of life dull the shine of other sources of pleasure and delight, the value and appeal of God’s Word become greater, overtaking and sublimating the totality of our yearnings in this life. Hence, in the course of his trouble and anguish (v.143), it is for God’s word, above all else, that the psalmist has longed. — Wechsler, page 287.

__________

The Messiah in these verses sets out in order the excellencies of God’s Word as righteous (v.137), pure (v.140), true (v.142), and everlasting (v.144). …

The righteousness of the Divine Essence and the righteousness of His testimonies, commandments, precepts, and statues is one and the self-same righteousness (vs. 137 and 144); as a consequence the statements and doctrines of the Bible are dependable and free from error (v.138). — Williams, page 397

¹²⁹ Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.

¹³⁰ The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.

¹³¹ I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.

¹³² Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.

¹³³ Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.

¹³⁴ Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.

¹³⁵ Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.

¹³⁶ Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law.

In previous divisions we have seen [the psalmist’s] anger with the wickedness of those who make void the law of God, here we see his pity for them in the rivers of his tears. These two things are not contradictory. Both are the common experience of obedient souls, and both were supremely manifest in Jesus when He wept over the city whose doom He uttered. — Morgan, page 243.

entrance (v.130) = unfolding, opening

panted (v.131) = longed for, was eager for

For the believer facing the inevitable oppression of  men (v.134)—i.e., of living as one among an inherently depraved humanity, this section focuses on the unique value of God’s Word, both intrinsically (e.g., v.129 “Thy testimonies are wonderful”) and expressively/applicationally (e.g., v.130 “The unfolding of Thy words gives light”—which is parallel to the notion of God’s “presence giving light” in v.135, the implication therefore being that one encounters God’s presence in the unfolding of His Word). — Wechsler, page 287.

¹²¹ I have done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to my oppressors.

¹²² Be surety for Your servant for good;
Do not let the proud oppress me.

¹²³ My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation
And Your righteous word.

¹²⁴ Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes.

¹²⁵ I am Your servant;
Give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.

¹²⁶ It is time for You to act, O Lord,
For they have regarded Your law as void.

¹²⁷ Therefore I love Your commandments
More than gold, yes, than fine gold!

¹²⁸ Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things
I consider to be right;
I hate every false way.

My take is that the psalmist here is “reminding” God to keep His promises, especially in regards to protecting him from his enemies.

surety (v.122) = taken on pledge, a promise to make secure against loss

my eyes fail (v.123) — his eyes were exhausted from searching the Scriptures

He who was Himself the incarnate Word of God here reveals His affection for the written Word of God (v.127). He prays for deliverance from its detractors (v.122), and bases His claim to be delivered from them on His integrity (v.121), His relationship to God (v.122), and His loyalty to the Scriptures (vs.123, 127-128). He being perfect, affirms in this stanza the moral perfection of the Bible; and declares it to be His rule of life. Only the Sinless Son of David could say that He practiced judgment and righteousness (v.121). — Williams, page 396.

¹¹³ I hate the double-minded,
But I love Your law.

¹¹⁴ You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.

¹¹⁵ Depart from me, you evildoers,
For I will keep the commandments of my God!

¹¹⁶ Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

¹¹⁷ Hold me up, and I shall be safe,
And I shall observe Your statutes continually.

¹¹⁸ You reject all those who stray from Your statutes,
For their deceit is falsehood.

¹¹⁹ You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;
Therefore I love Your testimonies.

¹²⁰ My flesh trembles for fear of You,
And I am afraid of Your judgments.

The psalmist here tells how the Word of God protects him from false teachers.

It is precisely to this event [when Messiah takes the throne in Jerusalem] of the inevitable divine triumph over all evil and evildoers (v.115, referring not just to sinners—which we all are—but to those who live by sin in opposition to God and encourage others to do the same, as in Isaiah 9:17; Psalm 26:5; Proverbs 17:4; etc.) that the psalmist refers by his declaration in verse 119 “Thous hast removed all the wicked of the earth like dross”—in which the past tense verb is intended to underscore the absolute certainty of the event described. — Wechsler, pages 286-287.

__________

False teaching leads into sin; and, consequently, false teachers are evil-doers (v.115). Their efforts, however, only resulted in attaching the Messiah, if it were possible, more resolutely to the commandments of God (v.115). …

The appalling doom awaiting these teachers caused Messiah’s heart to love the Sacred Book which predicts their destruction (v.119); whilst, at the same time, His sinless flesh shuddered with horror at the nature of that judgment (v.120). — Williams, page 396.

dross (v.119) = the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal as a result of oxidation, hence, waste, worthless, refuse.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

¹⁰⁶ I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.

¹⁰⁷ I am afflicted very much;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.

¹⁰⁸ Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments.

¹⁰⁹ My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.

¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.

¹¹¹ Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever,
For they are the rejoicing of my heart.

¹¹² I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, to the very end.

Here, the psalmist vows to follow God’s Word no matter what happens.

The psalmist is thinking of himself as a pilgrim passing through a world of darkness in which it would be easy for him to miss he way. On such a pilgrimage the revealed will of his God is a lamp and a light. …

It ends with a declaration … of complete abandonment to the will of God, His testimonies being taken as a heritage; and the heart of the trusting soul being bent toward the statutes for ever, even unto the end. — Morgan, pages 239-240.

__________

“My life … in my hand”means to be in deadly danger. Messiah records that throughout this experience of suffering and danger the Word of God kept Him alive (v.107); set Him a-singing (v.108 with Hebrews 13:15); directed Him in difficulties (v.108); supported His faith (v.109); and delivered Him from the snares of His enemies (v.110). — Williams, page 395.

__________

Extending from the notion, emphasized in the previous section, that “all things are God’s servants” (v.91) and constrained by His sovereign purposes, the psalmist here focuses on the specific culmination of those purposes not only in the revivifying and preservation of God’s servants (s vs. 107: “Revive me …”; 116-117: “Sustain me … Uphold me …”), but also, ultimately, in the manifestation of God’s (and hence His people’s) triumph over all the wicked (v.110)—i.e., that time when God’s victory, which was already revealed on the heels of the enemies first salvo (see Genesis 3:15) and secured even prior to that by the priestly work of Christ (see Revelation 13:8), will finally be expressed within creation upon the physical advent of the divine Messiah to His throne in Jerusalem. — Wechsler, page 286.

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.

⁹⁸ You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.

⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.

¹⁰¹ I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.

¹⁰² I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.

¹⁰³ How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴ Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

The theme of this stanza seems to be the wisdom gained from a knowledge of Scripture—and not just wisdom as such, but with it the ability to make wise decisions.

Messiah here joyfully exclaims how sweet to His palate (v.103), and how precious to His heart (v.97), was the Law of God; and that through its study He was wiser than His enemies (v.98), wiser than His teachers (v.99), and wiser than His elders (v.100). Compare Luke 2:46-47.

He also declares that the Word instructed Him as to the moral character of every course of conduct (v.101), and taught Him so effectively that He did not swerve from any path approved by the Divine judgment (v.102); and the stanza closes with the statement that the wisdom which flows from the Scriptures destroys all desire to for false teaching (v.104). — Williams, page 395.

⁸⁹ Forever, O Lord,
Your word is settled in heaven.

⁹⁰ Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.

⁹¹ They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.

⁹² Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.

⁹³ I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life.

⁹⁴ I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.

⁹⁵ The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
But I will consider Your testimonies.

⁹⁶ I have seen the consummation of all perfection,
But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

The focus of this stanza seems to be on the eternal nature of God’s Word, which makes it relevant for all times and circumstances.

settled (v.89) = took a stand, stood firm

they (v.91) — the earth and all it contains

The psalmist is revived (v.93) and encouraged by God’s word, which reminds him that all things are God’s servants (v.91; cf. Ecclesiastes 9:1)—just as Paul, reiterating the same principle, encourages suffering believers in Romans 8:26-28. The psalmist thus looks forward with confidence to the day when his affliction will cease (v.96), for he has seen (i.e., perceived in God’s Word) and end (“limit”) to everything (rather then “perfection”). — Wechsler, pages 285-286.

The Hebrew word translated “perfection” in v.96 only occurs here in Scripture. Wechsler translates it “everything.” Other commentaries  state that the psalmist was saying that all claims to perfection made by man have and end or limit. Williams has a different take (below). I’m inclined towards Wechsler’s view.

As usual, Williams sees a connection to the Messiah that other commentaries don’t see. I find this perspective compelling.

The Messiah here sings of the unshakeable rock, the Word of God, to which He clung, and from which all the tests of the previous stanza failed to detach Him. …

Messiah Himself said that heaven and earth should pass away but His Word never, for it is settled in heaven where nothing can reach or shake it. …

The verb to perish (v.92) has many meanings in Hebrew. Here it suggests that the Messiah’s sinless body would have sunk under the pressure of severe suffering—as for example in the garden of Gethsemane—but that He was kept alive by resting on the words of the Scripture (v.93). …

As in the previous stanza so here (v.95) man’s hatred failed to awaken in his heart any doubt as to the faithfulness of God’s Word and the value of its promises (v.90). — Williams, pages 394-395.

William’s also has a different take on the meaning of v.96:

The last verse states that there is an end, i.e., a limit or boundary, to the extent of God’s work in creation, but no boundary to His Word in revelation—it is infinite and eternal. — Williams, page 395.

⁸¹ My soul faints for Your salvation,
But I hope in Your word.

⁸² My eyes fail from searching Your word,
Saying, “When will You comfort me?”

⁸³ For I have become like a wineskin in smoke,
Yet I do not forget Your statutes.

⁸⁴ How many are the days of Your servant?
When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?

⁸⁵ The proud have dug pits for me,
Which is not according to Your law.

⁸⁶ All Your commandments are faithful;
They persecute me wrongfully;
Help me!

⁸⁷ They almost made an end of me on earth,
But I did not forsake Your precepts.

⁸⁸ Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

In this stanza, the psalmist despaired of his life but kept his eyes on God’s Word.

like a wineskin in smoke (v.83) — black, shriveled, no longer of use. Apparently describing what happens to a wineskin when dried out in smoke.

As a reflection of his humanity (rather than sinfulness), the psalmist here gives unbridled vent to the emotional distress occasioned by him by those who persecute him for seeking to live in accordance with God’s law (vs.84-86; cf. 2 Timothy 3:12). The depth of his distress—indeed, his despair—is vividly portrayed by his self-comparison to a windskin which is blackened in the smoke (v.83), and by his reference to being persecuted to the point of feeling as if he is almost destroyed (vs.86-87). — Wechsler, page 285.

__________

Every test, and all tests, however sharp, to weaken the Messiah’s affection for, and confidence in, the Scriptures not only failed but helped to make more manifest His faith in them and His trust in their Author. … He Himself said that man lives by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.— Williams, page 394.