Click here to read PSALM 119 in poetic form.
Background
Psalm 119 is in the Deuteronomy Book of the Psalms (Psalms 107-150). These 44 Psalms, like the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, show God’s Word as the source of salvation, deliverance, and healing. This would be fully carried out in the life of the coming Messiah, the living Word, Jesus Christ. Psalm 119 is a magnificent acrostic Psalm that declares the Messiah’s total trust in the Lord and his great love for God’s Word (that speaks of his authority and mission). The concept of “keeping alive or continuing in life” is found eleven times in this Psalm, and shows how God would raise the Messiah from the dead to eternal life.
Structure
This acrostic Psalm has 22 sections for each Hebrew letter in alphabetical order. Within each section are 8 verses that begin with the corresponding Hebrew letter. The first scripture verse in each section gives the “theme” or main point of the section. The other seven verses elaborate on that subject. The following structure indicates the overall themes and how they relate to one another.
(Verses 1-8) The undefiled who walk in the Lord’s law are blessed
(Verses 9-16) Young men are cleansed by taking heed to His Word
(Verses 17-24) Prayer for God’s help so he might live, serve, and keep His Word
(Verses 25-32) Prayer for God to enliven him, for his soul is near death
(Verses 33-40) Request for the Lord to teach him, and he will fully keep His statutes
(Verses 41-48) Request for the Lord’s mercy and salvation, according to His Word
(Verses 49-56) God will remember His servant, who hopes upon His Word
(Verses 57-64) The Lord is his portion, and he will keep His Word
(Verses 65-72) The Lord dealt well with His servant, according to His Word
(Verses 73-80) The Lord’s hands fashioned him, so give him understanding
(Verses 81-88) Your Word is my hope, I long for your salvation
(Verses 89-96) Your Word is settled in heaven forever
(Verses 97-104) Your law is meditation all day long
(Verses 105-112) Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
(Verses 113-120) I love your law, and hate thoughts of those who are vain
(Verses 121-128) I have done your judgments, save me from those who oppress
(Verses 129-136) Your testimonies are wonderful, so my soul keeps them
(Verses 137-144) Your judgments are upright, for You are righteous O Lord
(Verses 145-152) I cried for help with my whole heart, hear me O Lord
(Verses 153-160) I don’t forget your law, consider my affliction and deliver me
(Verses 161-168) I am unjustly persecuted, but my heart stands in awe of Your Word
(Verses 169-176) I cry to You O Lord, give me understanding according to Your Word
By looking at the opening verse of each section, we see that these themes fall into 11 couplets with a major emphasis as follows:
Aleph/Beth—Blessings on those made clean by obeying God’s Word. (The undefiled who walk in the Lord’s law are blessed; Young men are cleansed by taking heed to His Word).
Gimel/Daleth—We should pray for God’s help, so that we may be enlivened in order to serve and keep His Word. (Prayer for God’s help so he might live, serve, and keep His Word; Prayer for God to enliven him, for his soul is near death).
He/Vau—We should ask the Lord to teach us by His mercy and salvation, so that we can fully keep His Word. (Request for the Lord to teach him, and he will fully keep His statutes; Request for the Lord’s mercy and salvation, according to His Word).
Zain/Cheth—We should remember God, Who remembers us and gives us hope in His Word. (God will remember His servant, who hopes upon His Word; the Lord is his portion, and he will keep His Word).
Teth/Yod—The Lord has fashioned and blessed us, so we should seek to understand His Word. (The Lord dealt well with His servant, according to His Word; the Lord’s hands fashioned him, so give him understanding).
Kaph/Lamed—God’s Word is our hope and salvation, for it is settled in heaven forever. (Your Word is my hope, I long for your salvation; Your Word is settled in heaven forever).
Mem/Nun—We should meditate on God’s Word daily and allow it to light the path of our feet. (Your law is meditation all day long; Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path).
Samech/Ain—When we do God’s Word, He will save us from vain oppressors. (I love your law, and hate thoughts of those who are vain; I have done your judgments, save me from those who oppress).
Pe/Tsaddi—God’s Word is wonderful and upright, so we keep the judgments of our righteous Lord. (Your testimonies are wonderful, so my soul keeps them; Your judgments are upright, for You are righteous O Lord).
Qoph/Resh—With all our hearts, we should ask the Lord for help and deliverance, and not forget God’s Word. (I cried for help with my whole heart, hear me O Lord; I don’t forget your law, consider my affliction and deliver me).
Shin/Tau—Even though we are unjustly attacked, we should keep our hearts in awe of God’s Word and seek to understand it. (I am unjustly persecuted, but my heart stands in awe of Your Word; I cry to You O Lord, give me understanding according to Your Word).
These couplets give us the overall structure of Psalm 119—a song of thankfulness for God’s Word, as seen in the great love that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, had for His Father’s truth (John 17:17).
- God’s Word makes us clean and blesses us
- When we go to God’s Word, He will make us alive and save us from evil
- By God’s mercy and salvation, we can fully keep His Word
- We should remember God, Who gives us hope in His Word
- We should seek to understand His Word
God’s Word is our hope and salvation, for it is settled in heaven forever
- God’s Word lights the path of our feet
- When we do God’s Word, He will save us from vain oppressors
- By God’s righteousness, we can keep His judgments
- We should not forget God’s Word, for He gives help and deliverance
- We should seek to understand His Word
Key Scriptures
Psalm 119, like the rest of the Old Testament scriptures, was guarded and protected by ancient scribes called the Massorites. Their name comes from the Massorah, small writing added to the margins of the Hebrew texts. The Old Testament scriptures were fixed over a period of about 110 years (410-300 B.C.), a work begun by Ezra and Nehemiah after the return from Babylon and finished by Simon the first. Once set in order, the scriptures needed to be transcribed and handed down in their correct form.
The Massorah is called “a fence to the Scriptures” because it contains notes that “lock” each word and letter into its proper location and position. It records such intricate details as the number of letters and words in a book of the Bible, the number of verses, the middle word and middle verse in a book—so that not a single word or letter is out of place. This fence is not found in any one Hebrew manuscript, but these texts have been collated by Biblical scholars to give a complete sense of the Massorah.
Every verse of Psalm 119 refers to God’s Word in some way. The Massorites kept track of these words and gave their pattern when commenting on verse 122: with ten Hebrew words listed (that they say correspond to the ten commandments). These ten words are:
Derek, often translated as a “way,” is from the root word meaning to walk or tread upon. It is found in verses 1, 3, 5, 14, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 37, 59, and 168.
Eduth, often translated as “testimonies,” is from the root word meaning to go over again, reiterate, or testify. Two forms of it are found: eduth in verses 14, 31, 36, 88, 99, 111, 129, 144, and 157; and edah in verses 2, 22, 24, 46, 59, 79, 95, 119, 125, 138, 146, 152, 167, and 168.
Pikuddim, often translated as “precepts,” is from the root word meaning to take charge of or give mandates to others. It is found in verses 4, 15, 27, 40, 45, 56, 63, 69, 78, 87, 93, 94, 100, 104, 110, 128, 134, 141, 159, 168, and 173.
Mizvah, often translated as “commandments,” is from the root word meaning to set up like a constitutional command. It is found in verses 6, 10, 19, 21, 32, 35, 47, 48, 60, 66, 73, 86, 96, 98, 115, 127, 131, 143, 151, 166, 172, and 176.
Imrah, often translated as “word,” is from the root word meaning to bring to light, or to tell. It is found in verses 11, 38, 41, 50, 58, 67, 76, 82, 103, 116, 123, 133,140, 148, 154, 158, 162, 170, and 172.
Torah, often translated as “law,” is from the root word meaning to point out, show, or teach (instruct). It is found in verses 1, 18, 29, 34, 44, 51, 53, 55, 61, 70, 72, 77, 85, 92, 97, 109, 113, 126, 136, 142, 150, 153, 163, 165, and 174.
Mishpat, often translated as “judgment,” is from the root word meaning to set upright, erect, or judge. It is found in verses 7, 13, 20, 30, 39, 43, 52, 62, 75, 84, 91, 102, 106, 108, 120, 121, 132, 137, 149, 156, 160, 164, and 175.
Zedek, often translated as “righteousness, right,” is from the root word meaning to be upright, righteous, or just. It is found in verses 7, 62, 75, 106, 121, 123, 138, 142, 144, 160, 164, and 172.
Hok or hukka, often translated as a “statute,” is from the root word meaning to engrave, inscribe, decree, or ordain. It is found in verses 5, 8, 12, 16 (hukka), 23, 26, 33, 48, 54, 64, 68, 71, 80, 83, 112, 117, 118, 124, 135, 145, 155, and 171.
Dabar, often translated as a “word,” is from the root word meaning to arrange in a row, or set forth in speech. It is found in verses 9, 16, 17, 25, 28, 42 (twice), 43, 49, 57, 65, 74, 81, 89, 101, 105, 107, 114, 130, 139, 147, 160, 161, and 169.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
All 150 of The Psalms in Poetic Form are available from Amazon in a book, either Large Print or a smaller Bedside Reader. Also available for free with a Kindle Unlimited membership. Enjoy!
The entire blog series is now available in the publication The Psalms: Background & Structure with Key Scriptures Explained.
One reply on “Psalms in Poetic Form: PSALM 119”
WOW!