Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:8
I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
8. ‘ Edh or ‘ dth (sing. once, plur. 22 times), ‘testimony,’ LXX . The idea of the word is “that of an attestation, or formal affirmation; hence, as referred to God, a solemn declaration of His Will on points (especially) of moral or religious duty, or a protest against human propensity to deviate from it.” The word came to be used “as a general designation of moral and religious ordinances, conceived as a Divinely instituted standard of conduct.” The term ‘testimony’ in the singular is applied to the Decalogue “as a concise and forcible statement of God’s will and human duty” (Driver on Deu 4:45). Cf. Deu 4:45; Deu 6:17; Deu 6:20: in the sing. dth is frequent in Ex., Lev., Num.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
8. I will keep ] R.V. I will observe, as in Psa 119:4-5.
thy statutes ] Ceremonies in P.B.V. is a curiously misleading rendering, taken from Mnster’s caerimonias tuas. Coverdale’s version of 1535 has statutes.
O forsake me not utterly ] As Israel in the Exile had been for a time forsaken by Jehovah as the punishment of its sin (Isa 49:14; Isa 54:7; cp. Deu 31:17).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I will keep thy statutes – Thy commands; thy laws. This expresses the firm purpose of the psalmist, He meant to keep the law of God; he could confidently say that he would do it – yet coupled with the prayer which follows, that God would not forsake him.
O forsake me not utterly – Hebrew, To very much; so as to leave me to myself. His confidence that he would keep the commandments of God was based on the prayer that God would not leave him. There is no other ground of persuasion that we shall be able to keep the commandments of God than that which rests on the belief and the hope that He will not leave us.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 119:8
They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways.
Negative and positive goodness
I. Negative goodness. They do no iniquity. In their external conduct, and to the eye of society, they appear faultless.
1. It is socially valuable. He who in society practically respects the social rights of others, who is free from falsehood, chicanery, and debauchery is certainly a more valuable man than he who is guilty of all these enormities.
2. It is morally worthless. There is no virtue in the not doing of wrong, but there is sin in not doing the right.
II. Positive goodness. They walk in His ways. To walk in His ways implies three things–
1. Spiritual life. A dead man cannot walk. There is no walking in the Divine way unless the soul is quickened into spiritual life–a life of supreme sympathy with God.
2. Spiritual vigour. A man may live and yet be too weak in the frame to raise himself from his couch or take one step. The man who walks in the right way has moral vigour–a vigour that grows with every effort.
3. Spiritual progress. A constant advance from one point to another. Every holy volition and aspiration are steps onward. (David Thomas, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Psa 119:8
I will keep Thy statutes.
Good resolutions
It is a great help to godliness to resolve that we will live godly; for that which is not, concluded, how shall it be performed? Or what hope is there we should attain to the end–that is, to the perfection of piety–when we are careless of the beginnings thereof, which are purposes, intentions, and resolutions that we will be godly? Where, when of weakness we fail in following forth our resolution, it shall be well done again to renew it; for, by often renewing of our resolution to do any good, we become the stronger to accomplish it. (Bp. Cowper.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 8. O forsake me not utterly.] ad meod, “to utter dereliction;” never leave me to my own strength, nor to my own heart!
ANALYSIS OF LETTER ALEPH. – First Division
I. In this first octonary the prophet commends to us the law of God, and persuades us to practise it by two arguments: 1. Happiness, Ps 119:1-2. 2. The excellence of the Lawgiver, Ps 119:4.
II. He shows his affection to this law, desiring grace to keep it, Ps 119:5.
On which he knew there would follow two effects:
1. Peace of conscience: “He should not be ashamed,” c.
2. Thankfulness to God for his teaching, Ps 119:7.
“Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way,” c.
“Blessed are they who keep his testimonies,” &c.
“They also do no iniquity,” &c.
I. The first argument used by the prophet to persuade men to obedience is blessedness. He that would be happy must be obedient and his obedience, if true, may be thus discerned: –
1. “He must be undefiled in the way.” Keep himself from sin.
2. “He must walk in the law of the Lord,” c. Which is the rule of our faith, life, and worship.
3. “He must keep his testimonies.” Search them out in God’s word.
4. “He must seek him with a whole heart.” With sincerity search his law to the utmost, both what it bids, and what it forbids, in order to know the mind of the Lawgiver.
5. “They also do no iniquity.” They work no iniquity with 1. Purpose of heart 2. Delight 3. With perseverance; 4. Nor at all, when the heart is fully sanctified unto God; Christ dwelling in it by faith.
6. They walk in his way, which the wicked do not: but the righteous have taken it for their path through life; and should they at any time swerve from it, they come back by repentance and confession to God.
The prophet’s second argument to persuade to obedience is the authority of the Lawgiver. All disobedience proceeds either from contempt of God’s laws, or rebellion against them: but David brings to our mind the authority of the Lawgiver, from a consideration of who he is who commands our obedience as his servants: “Thou hast commanded that we keep,’ c.
1. Thou, who knowest when we err, and wilt punish us.
2. Hast commanded – absolutely enjoined.
3. That we keep, c. – they cannot be dispensed with.
4. Diligently, &c. Not negligently or lazily, or Satan will take advantage of us.
II. The blessedness promised to the keepers of God’s law moved the prophet to send forth this ardent prayer, “O that my ways,” &c.
1. David was a great king, and yet desires to be obedient.
2. He answers God’s command by a prayer, to be enabled to perform it by his grace.
3. “O that my ways,” &c. My counsels, actions, &c., were conformable to the straitness and regularity of thy law.
4. He knew he could not be too closely united to God, and therefore he prays to be directed.
Which prayer he knew God would hear and that the effect would be quietness of soul, and boldness at a throne of grace.
1. “Then shall I not be confounded,” c. If his heart were right with God, he should not fly from him, as did Adam: that was the effect of disobedience.
2. If God directed his ways to the keeping of his commandments, he should find no amazement in his conscience, but holy boldness.
And this effect will produce another fruit, a thankful heart.
1. “I will praise thee.” Give thee thanks for they grace and assistance.
2. “With uprightness of heart.” Not with his tongue only, but with an honest and upright heart.
3. But this could not be done till God had taught him: “I will praise thee when I shall have learned,” &c. Not to know them only with my understanding, but to make them the rule of my life, which cannot be but by the influence of the Spirit of GOD.
And what follows upon this will be a firm purpose of heart to be obedient to God’s laws.
1. “I will keep thy statutes.” So am I fully resolved and decreed with myself. And it is a great help to godliness to resolve to live a godly life for how shall that be performed which is not purposed.
2. And yet this purpose or conclusion he makes in God’s strength and therefore constantly prays: “O forsake me not utterly.” Without thy aid I can do nothing: but if at any time in thy just judgment thou desert me, that I may know and feel my own weakness, and learn the better to fly to thee, let it not be an utter desertion. Forsake me not, neither too much nor too long.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I will keep thy statutes; it is my full purpose to do so, whatsoever it cost me.
Forsake me not utterly; not totally and finally; for then I shall fall into the foulest sins and greatest mischief. Not that he was contented to be forsaken in the least degree, but this he more especially deprecates, as he had great reason to do.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. Recognizes the need of divinegrace.
BETH.(Ps 119:9-16).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I will keep thy statutes,…. This is a resolution taken up in the strength of divine grace, to answer the end of learning the judgments of God; which he did, not merely to have a notional knowledge of them, but to put them in practice; and not that he thought he could perfectly keep them, but was desirous of observing them in the best manner he could, as assisted by the grace of God; from love to God, in the faith and name of Christ, and with a view to the glory of God; without dependence upon them for life and salvation;
O forsake me not utterly; totally and finally, or not at all; otherwise as if he should say, I shall never be able to keep thy statutes; so sensible was he of the necessity of the divine Presence and grace, to assist him in the observance of them: or, “for ever”, as Ben Balaam interprets it, and so the Ethiopic version; R. Moses reads the words, “O forsake me not”, in a parenthesis, and joins the rest thus, “I will keep thy statutes vehemently”; or with all my strength and might; and so Kimchi reads them: but such an interpretation is very forced, and contrary to the accents.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
8 I will observe thy statutes In these words he avers it to be his intention to observe the law of God, but, conscious of his own weakness, he utters a prayer that God would not deprive him of his grace. The term forsake is susceptible of two interpretations, either that God withdraws his Spirit, or that he permits his people to be brought low by adversity, as if he had forsaken them. The latter interpretation agrees best with the context, and is most in accordance with the phrase immediately subjoined, very far The prophet is not altogether averse to the trial of his faith, only he is apprehensive lest it might fail were the trial to be too long protracted, and therefore he desires to be treated with tenderness in his infirmity.,’ O God! thou sees my frame of mind, and, as I am but a man, do not conceal too long from me the tokens of thy favor, or defer helping me longer than is proper for me, lest, imagining myself to be forsaken of thee, I turn aside from the direct pursuit of godliness.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
The sum and substance of all this divine meditation, here folds up in this pious resolution, formed by grace; seeing that in Jesus, his people are undefiled, are enabled to keep his testimonies, to love his precepts, to delight in his statutes, and have respect unto all his commandments: Oh! the happy state of the redeemed in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit! Keep me then, Lord, in this way by thine almighty power, through faith unto salvation. Rom 8:1 ; 1Pe 1:5 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
Ver. 8. I will keep thy statutes ] Yea, and that very much, or with vehemence, as some read it, usque valde; this he had said before was God’s command, Psa 119:4 , and he would do it. Iussa sequi tam velle mihi quam posse necesse est (Lucan).
O forsake me not
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
not utterly = not in any wise. Compare Psa 119:43.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I will: Psa 119:16, Psa 119:106, Psa 119:115, Jos 24:15
O forsake: Psa 119:116, Psa 119:117, Psa 119:176, Psa 38:21, Psa 38:22, Psa 51:11, Phi 4:13
Reciprocal: Psa 119:33 – I shall keep Jer 39:7 – chains
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not {f} utterly.
(f) He does not refuse to be tried by temptations, but he fears to faint, if God does not help his infirmity in time.