EXPOSITION. whereby he has intimated his will to PSALM CXIX. man. 'l'ms is an "alphabetic psalm" or a more 2. 'EDvoTH, or 'EDOTH, "testimonies." stringent character than any other. It con• God's commands, considered as witnesses to sists of twenty-two stanzas, each of eight bis che.rncter, and e.s attesting his will. Yer~s, every verse in each stanza beginning 3. MIBHPATIM, "judgmcnts." Judicial with its own proper letter-those of stanza prononncements by act or word against pe.r- l with aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew ticule.r lines of conduct. 11 Jpile.bet; those of stanza 2 with beth, the i. KauQQm, "statutes "-once trnnslated second letter; and so on. The writer, "ordinances" (ver. 91). Enactment~ of God having tlius fettered himself, moves with as Legiiilator, but not confined to the written some difficulty, but still bas produced what Law. has been justly called "a sweetly mono- 5. DABAR or DEDARLM, "God's Word" or tonons meditation" (Cheyne). He takes "Words." His actual spoken or written the Law for bis one and only subject, a,1d, utterances. further, seems to have bound himself, almost 6. PIQQUDIM, " precepts." Instructions absolutely, to introduce the word "Law," or given to men to direct their conduct. eomething which he regards as a &ynonym 7. MITSROTH, "commandments." Only of" Law," into every verse. The synonyws slightly differing from piqqudim-rnther are nine in number- wider. 1. TOBAR, "the Law" itself; but not 8. lMnAH, properly "promise," but used merely the J ,aw given on Mount Sinai; rather o.s e. variunt, instead of dabar, o.nd rather, God's law in the widest eol!llc, all extending to all God's utteranuea. PB, OXIX, l-176,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 103
9. DAREK or DEDAKm," way" or "ways." ness of heart, when I shall have learned thy Prescribed lines of conduct (very seldom righteous judgments. But, before the JAW used). can be observed, it must be known e.nd understood: Thie, then, ie the first thing. 'fhe synonyms from I to 8 occnr, each Then obedience and acceptable praise will of them twenty times, or oftener, in the follow. pan.Im. Darek (derakim) occurs only four Ver. 8.-I will keep thy statutes. Thie times. Emunah, which has been called a ie my will and wish (see ver. 5); but, that synonym (Kay), scarcely deserves to be eo I may be able t.o carry it ont, 0 forae.ke me not utterly. Without thee I have no considered. It is only wanted as a synonym strength to do aright. once (ver. 90). The exoellence of "the Law" ie con- :lBETH. sidered in almost every possible aspect. Ver. 9.-Wherewitha.l shall a young me.n cleanse his way l It does not follow from tt ALEPH, this inquiry that the writer is e. "young mun "-rather the reverse. He is anxious Ver. !.-Blessed are the undefiled in the to give udvice t.o young men, which is we.y; rather, the perfect, or those that are naturally the part of one somewhat ad- pe1ject (Revised Version). The "we.y" vancecl in life. By taking heed thereto, intended ie, no doubt," the wo.y of righteous- according to thy Word. 'fhis is the answer ness" (Pee. i 7; xxiii. 3, etc.). Who walk to the question raised in clause I. By look- in the Law ot the Lord. Compare the in- ing to God's Word, o.nd guiding himself troductory paragraph for the meaning of thereby, the young man may "cleanse his "Law" in this psalm. This clanse ie we.y"-not otherwise. exegetical of the preceding. Ver. 10.-With my whole heart have I Ver. 2.-Blessed e.re they that keep his sought thee (comp. ver. 2). 0 let me not testimonies. A variant expression for keep- wander from thy commandments; i.e. " let ing the Law, rather than the epeci6ce.tion me not accidentally e.nd through ignorance of a particnlnr po.rt of it. And that seek stray from the right path." him with the whole heart. This is the Ver. 11.-Thy Word have I hid in mine emphatio portion of the verse. An obedi- heart, that I might not sin age.inst thee ; ence "from the heart" ie alone acceptable rather, thy promise (imrah). To have God's to God (see Pae. xxxvi. 10; !xiv. 10; cxix. word of promise la.id up in the hen.rt is the 3i, 58, 69, 145). only security ago.inst being surprised into Ver. 3.-They also do no iniquity: they sin. walk in hie we.ye. Positive righteousness Ver. 12.-Blessed art thou, 0 Lora: tee.eh inclmlos negative. Those who walk alwo.ys me thy statutes. God's statutes aro ree.lly iu God's Lt1w (ver. 1) will, a fortiori, keep known to those only whom Goel teaches. cleo.r of o.11 iniquity. By no.tore we have but a faint glimmer of Ver. 4.-Thou hast commanded us to keep their meaning. God must tee.eh ne by hi:! thy precepts diligently; rather, thou hast Spirit ere we ca.n apprehend them aright. ordained thy precepts for diligent observance, Ver. 13.-With my lips have I declared or for men to observe them diligently. Men e.ll the judgm.ents of thy mouth. "Out of sometimes give precepts which they do not the ubundance of the henrt the me.nth llll?B to ht1ve obeyed; but God's precepts epeaketh." The" word" hid in the psalmist's e.re intended for careful, diligent, and con- heurt (ver. II) could not but rise to hie lip3 tinue.I observance. The ••thou" e.t the on fit ocoo.eiou, o.nd be set forth before the beginning (attah) ie emphatic. people for their edi6cutioo-more espeoially Ver. 5.-0h that my we.ye were directed to as there wne no express command bindin_g keep thy statutes ! 'fhe first four verses of upon nil Iernelitcs to tea.eh tho Law _to their the sto.nzB ore concerned with the Le.w chilc..lren 11.nd dependt1ut~ (see partioulo.rly in itself; the last four treat of the writer's Deut. vi. 7). relution to it. He begins by expressing the Ver. 14.-I have rejoiced in the way of wish thut he, at uny rate, may e.lwo.ys thy testimonies, e.s much as in e.ll richea observe it. (comp. ver. '/2). God'~ Word ie e. treasure, Ver. 6.-Then shall I not be ashamed, beyond expression precious, cn.lculo.te~ to when I have respeot unto all thy command- rejoice the heart of o.11 such as pos~ess it. ments. In that case I shall not be e.ehamed, Ver. 15.-I will meditate in thy precepts. either before God or nmn. Shame follows The full force of the Divine preceph is no& tre.nsgreBBion : I shall escape she.me, if my to be grusped except by prolonged medita• obedience is perfect, tion ou them. God's commandments are Ver. 7.-I will pre.iee thee with upright- "exceeding broad" (ver. 96). And he.va THE BOOK OF PSALMS. (PS, OXIX, 1-176,