Mazmur 119:1

Psalm 119 ¹ 

א (Alef)

119:1 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, ² 

who obey ³  the law of the Lord.

Mazmur 119:12

119:12 You deserve praise, ⁴  O Lord!

Teach me your statutes!

Mazmur 119:31

119:31 I hold fast ⁵  to your rules.

O Lord, do not let me be ashamed!

Mazmur 119:33

ה (He)

119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes, ⁶ 

so that I might observe it continually. ⁷ 

Mazmur 119:41

ו (Vav)

119:41 May I experience your loyal love, ⁸  O Lord,

and your deliverance, ⁹  as you promised. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 119:52

119:52 I remember your ancient regulations, ¹¹ 

O Lord, and console myself. ¹² 

Mazmur 119:55

119:55 I remember your name during the night, O Lord,

and I will keep ¹³  your law.

Mazmur 119:57

ח (Khet)

119:57 The Lord is my source of security. ¹⁴ 

I have determined ¹⁵  to follow your instructions. ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 119:64-65

119:64 O Lord, your loyal love fills the earth.

Teach me your statutes!

ט (Tet)

119:65 You are good ¹⁷  to your servant,

O Lord, just as you promised. ¹⁸ 

Mazmur 119:89

ל (Lamed)

119:89 O Lord, your instructions endure;

they stand secure in heaven. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 119:107

119:107 I am suffering terribly.

O Lord, revive me with your word! ²⁰ 

Mazmur 119:126

119:126 It is time for the Lord to act –

they break your law!

Mazmur 119:137

צ (Tsade)

119:137 You are just, O Lord,

and your judgments are fair.

Mazmur 119:149

119:149 Listen to me ²¹  because of ²²  your loyal love!

O Lord, revive me, as you typically do! ²³ 

Mazmur 119:151

119:151 You are near, O Lord,

and all your commands are reliable. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 119:156

119:156 Your compassion is great, O Lord.

Revive me, as you typically do! ²⁵ 

Mazmur 119:166

119:166 I hope for your deliverance, O Lord,

and I obey ²⁶  your commands.

Mazmur 119:169

ת (Tav)

119:169 Listen to my cry for help, ²⁷  O Lord!

Give me insight by your word!

Mazmur 119:174

119:174 I long for your deliverance, O Lord;

I find delight in your law.

[119:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 119. The psalmist celebrates God’s law and the guidance it provides his people. He expresses his desire to know God’s law thoroughly so that he might experience the blessings that come to those who obey it. This lengthy psalm exhibits an elaborate acrostic pattern. The psalm is divided into twenty-two sections (corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet), each of which is comprised of eight verses. Each of the verses in the first section (vv. 1-8) begins with the letter alef (א), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This pattern continues throughout the psalm as each new section highlights a successive letter of the alphabet. Each verse in section two (vv. 9-16) begins with the second letter of the alphabet, each verse in section three (vv. 17-24) with the third letter, etc. This rigid pattern creates a sense of order and completeness and may have facilitated memorization.

[119:1]  ² tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness of those who are blameless of way.”

[119:1]  ³ tn Heb “walk in.”

[119:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “[are] blessed.”

[119:31]  ⁵ tn Or “cling to.”

[119:33]  ⁶ tn Heb “the way of your statutes.”

[119:33]  ⁷ tn Heb “and I will keep it to the end.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative. The Hebrew term עֵקֶב (’eqev) is understood to mean “end” here. Another option is to take עֵקֶב (’eqev) as meaning “reward” here (see Ps 19:11) and to translate, “so that I might observe it and be rewarded.”

[119:41]  ⁸ tn Heb “and may your loyal love come to me.”

[119:41]  ⁹ tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions).

[119:41]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “according to your word.”

[119:52]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I remember your regulations from of old.” The prepositional phrase “from of old” apparently modifies “your regulations,” alluding to the fact that God revealed them to Israel in the distant past. Another option is to understand the prepositional phrase as modifying the verb, in which case one might translate, “I have long remembered your regulations.”

[119:52]  ¹² tn Or “find comfort.”

[119:55]  ¹³ tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve to obey the law.

[119:57]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “my portion [is] the Lord.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel (see Ps 16:5).

[119:57]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I said.”

[119:57]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).

[119:65]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “do good.”

[119:65]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “according to your word.”

[119:89]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “Forever, O Lord, your word stands firm in heaven,” or “Forever, O Lord, [is] your word; it stands firm in heaven.” The translation assumes that “your word” refers here to the body of divine instructions contained in the law (note the frequent references to the law in vv. 92-96). See vv. 9, 16-17, 57, 101, 105, 130, 139 and 160-61. The reference in v. 86 to God’s law being faithful favors this interpretation. Another option is that “your word” refers to God’s assuring word of promise, mentioned in vv. 25, 28, 42, 65, 74, 81, 107, 114, 147 and 169. In this case one might translate, “O Lord, your promise is reliable, it stands firm in heaven.”

[119:107]  ²⁰ tn Heb “according to your word.”

[119:149]  ²¹ tn Heb “my voice.”

[119:149]  ²² tn Heb “according to.”

[119:149]  ²³ tn Heb “according to your custom.”

[119:151]  ²⁴ tn Or “truth.”

[119:156]  ²⁵ tn Heb “according to your customs.”

[119:166]  ²⁶ tn Heb “do.”

[119:169]  ²⁷ tn Heb “may my cry approach before you.”