Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:89
Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
89. The A.V. rightly follows the LXX, Targ. and Jer. in treating the verse as one clause, the accentual division of the Hebr. being regarded as rhythmical not logical. Jehovah’s word is eternal, immutable; it belongs to that sphere which is raised above the accidents of chance and change, and shares its attributes. Cp. Psa 89:2.
is settled ] Standeth fast.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
89 96. Lamed. The eternity, immutability, and comprehensiveness of God’s law, which has been the Psalmist’s support in affliction.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven – This commences a new division of the psalm, indicated by the Hebrew letter Lamed ( l), or l. On the meaning of the passage, see the notes at Psa 89:2. The word rendered settled means properly to set, to put, to place; and then, to stand, to cause to stand, to set up, as a column, Gen 35:20; an altar, Gen 33:20; a monument, 1Sa 15:12. The meaning here is, that the word – the law – the promise – of God was made firm, established, stable, in heaven; and would be so forever and ever. What God had ordained as law would always remain law; what he had affirmed would always remain true; what he had promised would be sure forever.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 119:89-96
For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven.
My solace in affliction
I. Here we have strong consolation in certain facts which he remembered. Fly ye to the mountains when the enemy invades the land. Hide in the strongholds of your God.
1. The eternal existence of God, which is implied in the continuance of His faithfulness and power. The Lord liveth is the plea of souls harassed and haunted by foes without and fears within. Nothing happens to the Lord at haphazard. What can threaten His existence, thwart His purpose, weaken His power, diminish the tenderness of His heart, or distract the wisdom of His judgment?
2. The immutability of His Word. Thy Word is settled in heaven. Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is My throne, etc. His Word is settled in heaven and issued from heaven, the seat of His government, and it cannot be altered on earth, this distant colony of His empire. We refer to Gods Word, therefore, in grievous difficulties with great confidence, because we know that every statement it contains is reliable.
3. The faithfulness of the fulfilment of that Word. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations. Those men who have trusted Gods Word in any generation have always found it true.
4. The perpetuity of the Word in nature. Thou hast established the earth, etc.
5. The perpetuity of the Word in experience (verse 92).
II. The delights which he experienced in the time of his trouble. It is in such seasons of acute distress, when this world has no palliative to offer, that Gods Word can minister infinite delights to soothe the distractions and heal the sorrows of the heart. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The eternal order
I. The source of the Divine order. Heaven. The heavens of creation declare the eternal order of the spiritual heavens. Be our views of the methods of creation what they may, it runs in the channels of the eternal order. Reflect upon it thus, as manifested in creation, moral government, redemption–in the infinitely great and the infinitely little.
II. Its stability. Thy Word is settled in heaven. It is not established upon the floods, by and by there shall be no sea; it is not founded upon the hills, by and by the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; it is not dependent upon the astronomical heavens, for by and by heaven and earth shall itself pass away; it is settled in Heaven, whose light, strength, and stability is God. Much should be said of the breadth and universality of the eternal order.
III. Its permanence (verses 90, 91). The eternal order implies infinite prevision, conscious purpose, consistency of aim, absoluteness of authority, harmony of design, beyond the possibility of chance or change to affect; it is inclusive of all operations, interests, duties, and possibilities; a grand plan, of which Jesus Christ is the Administrator, the Bible, for us men, the completed Revelation and Clue; the Blood the Seal; the Holy Spirit the Agent; and Glory the Consummation.
1. Sin is violation of, and opposition to, the eternal Order. It is the way to certain destruction.
2. Salvation is the voluntary falling in, by faith in Christ and a life of holiness, with the eternal Order. Thy statutes are my songs.
3. The practical effect of the contemplation of the eternal Order should be a faith which fears no foe. (Joseph Morris.)
Gods Word fixed in Heaven
The great problem in the construction of large lighthouses upon high and necessarily exposed points is, how best to prevent oscillation or swaying of the structure in times of prevailing wind or storm. It may be readily perceived that any variation, however slight, in the direction of the rays of light from the lamps when the lighthouse is in use, as at night, would make very material difference to the mariner far out at sea. Ships guiding their course in the path of the lighthouse beams would he very liable to be thrust from the line of safety altogether, and thus there would be created the danger of serious disaster, if indeed not actually causing loss to life and property. But no such danger confronts the Christian mariner out upon lifes sea, for Gods guiding light, the lighthouse of the Scriptures, is fixed in heaven. (G. V. Reichell.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
LETTER LAMED. – Twelfth Division
Verse 89. For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.] Thy purposes are all settled above, and they shall all be fulfilled below.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
LAMED
Although many things happen upon earth which seem contrary to thy word, and at which men take occasion to question the truth of thy word, yet in heaven it is sure and certainly true.
In heaven; either,
1. With thee in thy heavenly habitation, or in thy breast; as thy nature is unchangeable, so thy word is infallible. Or rather,
2. In the heavenly bodies, which are not subject to those changes and decays which are in this lower world, but constantly continue the same in their substance, and order, and courses, and this by virtue of that word of God by which they were made and established in this manner; and therefore Gods word delivered to his people upon earth, which is of the same nature, must needs be of equal certainty and stability. This sense best suits with the following verses, and with other scriptures, wherein the certainty of Gods word is set forth by comparing it with the stability of the heaven and the earth, as Mat 5:18, and elsewhere.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
89-91. In all changes God’s Wordremains firm (1Pe 1:25). Likethe heavens, it continually attests God’s unfailing power andunchanging care (Ps 89:2).
is settled inthat is,stands as firmly as the heaven in which it dwells, and whence itemanated.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
l, LAMED.–The Twelfth Part.
Ver. 89. LAMED. For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. The Syriac version makes two propositions of these words, rendering them thus, “for ever thou art, O Lord; and thy word stands”, or “is firm in heaven”: and which agrees with the accents: the first of which is expressive of the eternity and immutability of God; and the other of the stability of his word: it is true of the essential Word of God, who was with God from all eternity; in time came down from heaven indeed to earth, and did his work, and then went to heaven again; where he is and will remain, until the times of the restitution of all things. The decrees and purposes of God, what he has said in his heart that he will do, these are firm and sure; these counsels of old are faithfulness and truth; they are mountains of brass settled for ever, and more unalterable than the decrees of the Medes and Persians. The revealed will of God, his word of command, made known to angels in heaven, is regarded, hearkened to, and done by them: the word of the Gospel, published in the church, which is sometimes called heaven, is the everlasting Gospel, the word of God, which lives and abides for ever; what remains and will remain, in spite of all the opposition of men and devils. The word of promise in the covenant made in heaven is sure to all the seed; everyone of the promises is yea and amen in Christ, and as stable as the heavens, and more so; “heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”, Mt 24:35; The firmness of God’s word is seen in the upholding and continuing the heavens by the word of his power, by which they were first made; and the certainty of the divine promises is illustrated by the perpetuity of the ordinances of heaven; see Jer 31:35.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The eightfold Lamed . Eternal and imperishable in the constant verifying of itself is the vigorous and consolatory word of God, to which the poet will ever cling. It has heaven as its standing-place, and therefore it also has the qualities of heaven, and before all others, heaven-like stability. Ps 89 (Psa 89:3) uses similar language in reference to God’s faithfulness, of which here Psa 119:90 says that it endureth into all generations. The earth hath He creatively set up, and it standeth, viz., as a practical proof and as a scene of His infinite, unchangeable faithfulness. Heaven and earth are not the subjects of Psa 119:91 (Hupfeld), for only the earth is previously mentioned; the reference to the heavens in Psa 119:89 is of a very different character. Hitzig and others see the subject in : with respect to Thy judgments, they stand fast unto this day; but the which follows requires another meaning to be assigned to : either of taking up one’s place ready for service, or, since is a current phrase in Num 35:12; Jos 20:6; Eze 44:24, of placing one’s self ready to obey (Bttcher). The subject of , as the following shows, is meant to be thought of in the most general sense (cf. Job 38:14): all beings are God’s servants (subjects), and have accordingly to be obedient and humble before His judicial decisions – , “even to this day,” the poet adds, for these judicial decisions are those which are formulated beforehand in the Tra. Joy in this ever sure, all-conditioning word has upheld the poet in his affliction, Psa 119:92. He who has been persecuted and cast down as it were to death, owes his reviving to it, Psa 119:93. From Him whose possession or property he is in faith and love he also further looks for his salvation, Psa 119:94. Let evil-doers lie in wait for him ( in a hostile sense, as in Psa 56:7, , cf. , going back to , Arab. qawiya , with the broad primary signification, to be tight, firm, strong) to destroy him, he meditates on God’s testimonies. He knows from experience that all (earthly) perfection ( ) has an end (inasmuch as, having reached its height, it changes into its opposite); God’s commandment (singular as in Deu 11:22), on the contrary, is exceeding broad (cf. Job 11:9), unlimited in its duration and verification.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| 12. LAMED. | |
89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 91 They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.
Here, 1. The psalmist acknowledges the unchangeableness of the word of God and of all his counsels: “For ever, O Lord! thy word is settled. Thou art for ever thyself (so some read it); thou art the same, and with thee there is no variableness, and this is a proof of it. Thy word, by which the heavens were made, is settled there in the abiding products of it;” or the settling of God’s word in heaven is opposed to the changes and revolutions that are here upon earth. All flesh is grass; but the word of the Lord endures for ever. It is settled in heaven, that is, in the secret counsel of God, which is hidden in himself and is far above out of our sight, and is immovable, as mountains of brass. And his revealed will is as firm as his secret will; as he will fulfil the thoughts of his heart, so no word of his shall fall to the ground; for it follows here, Thy faithfulness is unto all generations, that is, the promise is sure to every age of the church and it cannot be antiquated by lapse of time. The promises that look ever so far forward shall be performed in their season. 2. He produces, for proof of it, the constancy of the course of nature: Thou hast established the earth for ever and it abides; it is what it was at first made, and where it was at first placed, poised with its own weight, and notwithstanding the convulsions in its own bowels, the agitations of the sea that is interwoven with it, and the violent concussions of the atmosphere that surrounds it, it remains unmoved. “They” (the heavens and the earth and all the hosts of both) “continue to this day according to thy ordinances; they remain in the posts wherein thou hast set them; they fill up the place assigned them, and answer the purposes for which they were intended.” The stability of the ordinances of the day and night, of heaven and earth, is produced to prove the perpetuity of God’s covenant, Jer 31:35; Jer 31:36; Jer 33:20; Jer 33:21. It is by virtue of God’s promise to Noah (Gen. viii. 22) that day and night, summer and winter, observe a steady course. “They have continued to this day, and shall still continue to the end of time, acting according to the ordinances which were at first given them; for all are thy servants; they do thy will, and set forth thy glory, and in both are thy servants.” All the creatures are, in their places, and according to their capacities, serviceable to their Creator, and answer the ends of their creation; and shall man be the only rebel, the only revolter from his allegiance, and the only unprofitable burden of the earth?
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
The Lamed Section
Scripture v. 89-96:
Verse 89 asserts that the word of the Lord is settled in heaven, for ever. This means that it exists of heaven’s inspiration, is true, and unchangeable, forever, as certified repeatedly, Psa 119:160; 2Ti 3:16-17; 1Pe 3:13.
Verses 90, 91 declare that the faithfulness (fidelity, trustworthiness) of God is to all generations, so that He established the earth, and it abides continuously according to, in harmony with, His ordinances for all earth’s creatures, Isa 48:13; Jer 33:25. All created creatures above, upon, and beneath the earth are declared to be His servants; Psa 148:5-6.
Verses 92, 93 acknowledge that God’s law had been the delight or pleasure of the psalmist, without which he would have perished in his afflictions, v. 24; Rom 15:4. He pledged that he, therefore, would never forget His precepts, by which the Lord had quickened him or given him meaning and purpose in life, v. 50.
Verses 94, 95 assert “I am thine (belong to you), save me, for I have sought thy precepts,” as a way of life, Psa 86:2; Hos 2:7; Hos 2:16; Act 27:23. He added, “The wicked, (proud, deriders) have waited for me to destroy me,” (by entrapment), Psa 56:6; “But I will consider thy testimonies,” as true, trustworthy, as the 3 Hebrew children and Daniel did, Dan 1:8; Dan 1:20; Dan 3:16-18.
Verse 96 concludes “I have seen (recognized) an end (purpose) of all perfection: But thy commandment is exceeding broad.” No human thing is so complete, revealing the past, present, and future in a definitive degree of perfection, accuracy, or trustworthiness, as God’s Word, Psa 119:160; 2Ti 3:16-17.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
89 Thy word, O Jehovah I endure for ever. Many explain this verse as if David adduced the stability of the heavens as a proof of God’s truth. According to them the meaning is, that God is proved to be true because the heavens continually remain in the same state. (429) Others offer a still more forced interpretation, That God’s truth is more sure than the state of the heavens. But it appears to me that the prophet intended to convey a very different idea. As we see nothing constant or of long continuance upon earth, he elevates our minds to heaven, that they may fix their anchor there. David, no doubt, might have said, as he has done in many other places, that the whole order of the world bears testimony to the steadfastness of God’s word — that word which is most true. But as there is reason to fear that the minds of the godly would hang in uncertainty if they rested the proof of God’s truth upon the state of the world, in which such manifold disorders prevail; by placing God’s truth in the heavens, he allots to it a habitation subject to no changes. That no person then may estimate God’s word from the various vicissitudes which meet his eye in this world, heaven is tacitly set in opposition to the earth. Our salvation, as if it had been said, being shut up in God’s word, is not subject to change, as all earthly things are, but is anchored in a safe and peaceful haven. The same truth the Prophet Isaiah teaches in somewhat different words:
“
All flesh is grass, and all the godliness thereof is as the flower of the field,” (Isa 40:6.)
He means, according to the Apostle Peter’s exposition, (1Pe 1:24) that the certainty of salvation is to be sought in the word, and, therefor that they do wrong who settle their minds upon the world; for the steadfastness of God’s word far transcends the stability of the world.
(429) This is the explanation given by Walford. His translation is —
“
O Jehovah! for ever Is thy word established in the heavens.”
Upon which he observes: “The design of these words is by no means obvious, and the interpreters vary greatly in their explications. I have not met with any explanation that is altogether satisfactory, and shall therefore give what appears to me to be the true meaning. The design, in general, of the Psalmist is, to celebrate the immutability of the word of God: whatever He speaks is sure. To illustrate this position, he refers to the creation of the heavens and of the earth; they were alike formed by the word of God, — ‘He spake, and it was done.’ By virtue of that word these vast productions abide through all ages, so that the word of God is established and displayed in heaven and upon earth. As the same word uttered all the precepts and institutions of the law, and all the promises of the covenant of mercy, the unchangeableness of these precepts and promises is verified and manifested by the perpetual conservation of all these instances of physical power and energy.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
LAMED.
(89, 90) See Psa. 89:2.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
, Lamed.
89-96. Thy word is settled in heaven This lofty declaration of the character of the word, gives the reason why it may be trusted. “Its seat is the bosom of God; its voice is the harmony of the worlds.”
“The word that rolls the stars around, Speaks all the promises.”
What the “word” is in the frame of nature, upholding all things so far that mortal vision does not reach to its boundary, such the writer finds it in his heart; it has supported and has quickened him.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lamed. The Imperishable Nature of the Divine Word.
v. 89. Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven; v. 90. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations, v. 91. They continue this day according to Thine ordinances, v. 92. Unless Thy Law, v. 93. I will never forget Thy precepts, v. 94. I am Thine, save me, v. 95. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me, v. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection, that
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Psa 119:89-90. For ever, O Lord, thy word, &c. Or, Thou art for ever, O Lord; thy word, &c. Mudge renders it, Thy word, O Lord, is for ever; firmly fixed in heaven. God’s word, and his truth or faithfulness, upon which his laws are founded, are as fixed as the heaven and the earth; for they owe their durableness to the same word and truth.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
LAMED.
Here is a beautiful address to Jehovah, in contemplation of his own eternal nature, the everlasting purposes and unchangeableness of his councils, and all his ordinances, providences, and dispensations, as purposed in Jesus, the uncreated Word, before the world began! And in the contemplation of these, the great Surety of sinners may be supposed as here speaking, that unless the faithfulness of Jehovah had sustained him, he must have perished in the vast undertaking. Never can the people of God be too firmly, or too frequently, established in the assurance of these great things of God. When Christ undertook the redemption of his people, and engaged, as such, to take their name and their nature; he had an eye to the Father’s engagements and promises through the whole. Not only had Jehovah promised to fit him for the work, by causing the Spirit of the Lord to rest upon him, and giving him the Spirit without measure; but to assist him through every part, and to carry him safely through all: and in the end to make his throne as the days of heaven. Hence therefore, with reference to these gracious purposes, the Prophet may be supposed, in this portion, to be introducing Christ as looking forward to the period of his advent with firm dependence, and embarking in the vast design in full assurance, agreeably to what is said in the succeeding verses. Compare Isa 11:2 ; Joh 3:34 ; Psa 89:29 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Ver. 89. For ever, O Lord, thy word ] It is eternal and perpetual, neither can it be vacated or abolished by the injury of time or endeavours of tyrants. The Bible was imprinted at the New Jerusalem by the finger of Jehovah, and shall outlive the days of heaven, run parallel with the life of God, with the line of eternity. The saints also and angels in heaven live by the same law as we do here, and we pray to be conformed unto them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 119:89-96 (Lamedh)
89Forever, O Lord,
Your word is settled in heaven.
90Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
You established the earth, and it stands.
91They stand this day according to Your ordinances,
For all things are Your servants.
92If Your law had not been my delight,
Then I would have perished in my affliction.
93I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have revived me.
94I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.
95The wicked wait for me to destroy me;
I shall diligently consider Your testimonies.
96I have seen a limit to all perfection;
Your commandment is exceedingly broad.
Psa 119:89 Forever See Special Topic: Forever (‘olam).
O Lord See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY .
Your word is settled in heaven The verb’s (BDB 662, KB 714, Niphal participle) basic meaning is to stand. This is the only usage of this verb in this idiom.
The idea of God’s settled/established creation (cf. Isa. 54:18) is the thrust of Psa 119:90-91 (different verb, BDB 763, KB 840). Notice the things that stand.
1. YHWH’s word (Psa 119:89 b, 91a)
2. YHWH’s faithfulness
3. YHWH’s creation
They are all His servants (Psa 119:91 b). But note Psa 119:96 seems to imply a contrast. However, the thrust of the contrast is uncertain.
Psa 119:90 a This truth is paralleled in Psa 36:5; Psa 89:1-2. They speak of the eternality of God, His word, and creation. Faithfulness characterizes
1. God Himself
2. His revelation in word
3. His revelation in creation (cf. Psa 119:91; Psa 148:1-6; Jer 31:35-37)
Psa 119:91 all things are Your servants This idiom refers to all created things (i.e., Genesis 1, cf. Psa 103:19; Ecc 11:5; Jer 10:16; Jer 51:19). God’s word brought the physical into existence and sustains it. The physical has its limits (cf. Psa 119:96), but God’s word has no limits.
Psa 119:92 If Notice the conditional nature of the following statements about the psalmist who needs saving/reviving and God’s revelation, which is eternal. Notice the number of I’s in Psa 119:92-96 in the NASB (6) which describe the psalmist’s thoughts and actions.
Psa 119:93 I will never forget Your precepts See note at Psa 119:83 b.
For by them You have revived me This verb is a Piel perfect which denotes God’s completed action of salvation. This is contrasted with the imperative of Psa 119:88.
Psa 119:94 I am Yours The psalmist is asserting that, like creation, he belongs to YHWH, the creator of all things which serve His purposes.
save me This is a Hiphil imperative, the only imperative in this stanza. See SPECIAL TOPIC: SALVATION (OLD TESTAMENT TERM) (OT). The psalmist feels attacked (Psa 119:95 a). In Psa 119:92 the term affliction could refer to the agency of the wicked or God (Psa 119:67; Psa 119:71).
YHWH saves those who seek/trust Him (cf. Psa 13:5; Psa 25:2; Psa 31:14; Psa 52:8; Psa 56:4; Psa 86:2). There are two aspects to the covenant (the Divine and the human individual)!
I have sought Your precepts This idea of faithful followers actively seeking (BDB 205, KB 233, Qal perfect) God’s revelation also occurs in Psa 119:2; Psa 119:45; Psa 119:155. There is a Divine aspect to revelation and an individual aspect to revelation!
Psa 119:96 This verse is difficult to understand. However, whatever is limited (seems to refer to the created order) is in contrast to God’s eternal (lit. broad) revelation (i.e., has no limit).
The term perfection (BDB 479) is found only here.
The psalmist calls on the eternal One to save him. The wicked perish, creation will perish (i.e., 2Pe 3:10; 2Pe 3:12), but the eternal One remembers His faithful followers!
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
For ever, O LORD. Supply Ellipsis (App-6), “For ever [art Thou], O Jehovah [For ever] Thy Word”, &c.
settled = standeth fast, as the earth: i.e. endureth for ever (Psa 102:12, Psa 102:26. Isa 40:8. Luk 16:17. 1Pe 1:25). So Christ, the Living Word (Joh 12:34).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 119:89. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
It is not a changeable or vanishing thing: Thy word is settled, settled for ever, settled for ever in heaven. As God changes not, so the Word which he has spoken to his servants changes not. If the foundations of the faith could be removed, what would the righteous do? What would any of us do? But, with an eternally fixed Word of God, we have something solid to build upon, a foundation on which we may confidently rest our everlasting hopes.
Psa 119:90. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations:
God, who kept his promise to Abraham, keeps it also to us though we are far down the ages, and he will keep it to our children and our childrens children as long as the world endures, and then for ever and ever. We need not be afraid to leave the generations to come in his hands. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations:
Psa 119:90-91. Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.
This material world whose laws appear to be so fixed, abides only because God has established it; but a day will come in which he will roll these things up like an outworn vesture, and he that sitteth upon the throne shall make all things new. But, at present, we have, in the fixity of the laws of nature, a type of the fixity of the promises and purposes of God.
Psa 119:92. Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Notice the love of Gods servant to Gods Word: Unless thy law had been my delights. The word is in the plural, for the psalmist not only took a delight in it, but all his delights were there. It was the sea of happiness wherein he bathed his entire soul. Unless it had been so, says he, I should then have perished in mine affliction. One of the best preservatives for the heart in times of trouble is an intense delight in the Word of God. Oh, to get away from this noisy world, from the turmoil of life, and its endless discussions and controversies, and to sit down, and quietly listen to what that Word has to say to us! This is the best way to recuperate drooping and fainting spirits.
Psa 119:93. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.
Nothing makes a man remember the Word so well as the fact that it has quickened him. If you owe your spiritual life and the support of it to the Word of God, you will not forget that Word. If you feel that, every time you come into contact with it, it inspires you with fresh life, you will be anxious to be often diligently reading it.
Psa 119:94. I am thine,
That is a grand thing for anyone to be able to say, what a heaven of bliss lies slumbering in these three words, I am thine,
Psa 119:94. Save me;
That is a good argument: I am thine by redemption, so do not lose me. I am thine by a new creation, so let not the enemy steal me away from thee. I am thy servant, so exercise a masters rights over me, and protect me from all my foes. I am thine, save me;
Psa 119:94. For I have sought thy precepts.
Notice how the psalmist here twice singles out the precepts rather than the promises; even hypocrites may love the promises, but only sincere believers love the precepts. The true servant of God loves the burdens which his Lord and Master lays upon him, and he only wishes that he had more strength to bear still more of them.
Psa 119:95. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me:
They have lain in ambush, they have waited to catch me tripping, to ruin my character if possible, so what shall I do, Counterplot them? No. Watch them night and day? No. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me:
Psa 119:95. But I will consider thy testimonies.
There is something that seems to me calmly defiant about the psalmists resolve. He does not say, The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will fight them. No, but he says, I shall read my Bible, and I shall follow its directions. I shall act in obedience to my God, and in that way I shall baffle them. To be obedient to God is the surest way to be victorious over wicked men. Keep thou Gods Word, and God will guard thy head in the day of danger.
Psa 119:96. I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment
Ah, there I find perfection: Thy commandment
Psa 119:96. Is exceeding broad.
It is so broad that there is no limit to it. One of the early fathers used to say, I delight in the infinity of Scripture, and well he might, for there is no limit to it. Even one single text might suffice for a mans meditation for a whole year; if it did not, it would be because of the scantiness of the mans meditative power, and not because of the exhaustion of the meaning of the verse.
Psa 119:97. O how love I thy law!
The psalmist breaks out into a transport of delight. He does not say how much he loved Gods law, for the simple reason that he could not tell us that; but he says, O how love I thy law!
Psa 119:97. It is my meditation all the day.
That is the best proof of the psalmists love of Gods law, for love shows itself by its constant familiarity with its chosen object. It is my meditation all the day. Every day, wherever I may be, I turn my daily experience into instructive meditation upon thy Word. One of the best commentaries on Gods written Book is Gods Book of Providence when it is explained to us by his Holy Spirit.
Psa 119:98. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
David knew how well Gods Word had instructed him, and first he declared that he was wiser than his enemies; and, next, that he was wiser than his former instructors:
Psa 119:99. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
The man who rightly meditates upon this wondrous Book is, after all, the truly wise man. His wisdom is that of the heart, received by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and it has a power of understanding in it that will make him wiser than those who are merely book-learned or man-taught.
Psa 119:100. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
First his enemies, then his teachers, and now his elders, the ancients, he could excel them all; and he gave the reason for it: Because I keep thy precepts. Take this Book away, and give the man all the human learning that he could ever acquire, and how little he would know, after all! But let him study the Book, and even in the absence of other books, (though that need not be the case with him, such a man will still be wise, wise for eternity.
Psa 119:101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
The Bible is a very sanctifying Book. If we keep its precepts, it holds us back from many things into which we might otherwise have run. I have refrained my feet from every evil way. Notice the universality of the obedience of a true saint. He does not say, I will avoid all sin except a certain one for which I have a great liking. Oh, no: I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
Psa 119:102. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
Those who are taught of God are always well taught; they never unlearn what they have learned at the feet of Jesus. Those who backslide and apostatize were never truly taught of the Spirit of God.
Psa 119:103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste!
Have you a spiritual taste, dear hearer? It is one thing to hear the Word it is another thing to taste it. Hearing the Word is often blessed, but tasting it is a more inward and spiritual thing; it is the enjoyment of the truth in the innermost parts of our being. Oh, that we were all as fond of the Word as were the old mystics who chewed the cud of meditation till they were fattened upon the Word of the Lord, and their souls grew strong in the divine love! I am sure of this, the more you know of Gods Word, the more you will love it. It is ignorance that misses the sweetness of it.
Psa 119:103. Yea, sweeter than honey to my month!
There is an indescribable sweetness in it. It is sweet to my heart, and when I utter it, how sweet it is to my mouth! I heard one observe, the other day, that he noted a great difference between the preachers of his youth and many of those of the present day. He said, Tthe old men used to enjoy the Word so much while they were preaching it; they preached it with their eyes beaming with delight in it. You could see that, if there was no savour in it for other people, there was a divine savour about it for the preachers themselves. This is the mark of the man who is taught of God, that the Word is sweet to his mouth when he preaches it to others as well as sweet to his taste when he meditates upon it himself.
Psa 119:104. Through thy precepts I get understanding:
The practical parts of Gods Word not only appeal to our understanding but they give us understanding. That is a marvellous thing, but it is true. Sometimes, when you are arguing with a man who is dull of comprehension, you are apt to say, Well, I can give you arguments, but I cannot give you an understanding with which to appreciate them; but this Word can give us understanding: Through thy precepts I get understanding:
Psa 119:104. Therefore I hate every false way.
The best test of a true spiritual understanding is an intense and vigorous hatred of every thing that is false. The lover of truth is a follower of the truth, he is not a man of craft and guile. He keeps to the straight line and in the long run it shall be proved that he is the man who is indeed taught of God.
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible
Psa 119:89-96
Psa 119:89-96
STROPHE 12
THE ETERNITY OF GOD’S EXCEEDINGLY BROAD LAW IS FIXED FOR EVER IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH
Lamed
“Forever, O Jehovah,
Thy word is settled in heaven.
Thy faithfulness is unto all generations:
Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
They abide this day according to thine ordinances;
For all things are thy servants.
Unless thy law had been my delight,
I should then have perished in mine affliction.
I will never forget thy precepts;
For with them thou hast quickened me.
I am thine, save me;
For I have sought thy precepts.
The wicked have waited for me to destroy me;
But I will consider thy testimonies.
I have seen an end of all perfection;
But thy commandment is exceeding broad.”
“They abide this day” (Psa 119:91). “The `they’ of this verse must include the heavens and the earth, mentioned in the two preceding verses. However, we prefer the marginal reading in the ASV, “As for thy ordinances, they abide this day.”
“I have seen an end of all perfection” (Psa 119:96). “This could well be a summary of Ecclesiastes, where every earthly enterprise has its day and comes to nothing, and where only in God and his commandments do we get beyond these frustrating limits.
“Thy commandment is exceeding broad” (Psa 119:96). This means, according to Dummelow, that, “The most perfect earthly things are finite and limited; but God’s law is for all needs and for all time.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 119:89. Settled is from NATSAB, and the following is the definition: “A primitive root; to station, in various applications (literal or figurative).” –Strong. The verse means that God’s Word is stationed or established in heaven for ever. If it were possible for infidels to destroy every copy of the Bible that is on the earth, that would not get rid of it. The Sacred Text is reposited in the eternal vault to which no enemy will ever have access. However, I am not in the least uneasy that the copies of the Word will all be destroyed. Many attempts have been made to do so but all have failed. At the present time the Bible is placed at the top of the list of “best sellers” by those who are unbiased, and whose chief motive is one of statistical accuracy and not one prompted by any partisan religious interests.
Psa 119:90. Faithfulness is used in the sense of keeping one’s word. God made the earth for man’s temporal abode and has promised to preserve it as long as it is needed. At the time David wrote the earth was at least 3000 years old and had been keeping up its daily and annual revolutions with the accuracy of a perfect timepiece.
Psa 119:91. This verse introduces the one additional term referred to earlier in the chapter, which is ordinances. It is from MISPHAT and Strong defines it, “properly a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit. the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a particular right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style.” This is the only place this Hebrew word is used for ordinance in this chapter, but it is a word with such a comprehensive meaning that I have copied the definition in full. They is a plural pronoun and refers to the items of God’s control over the universe.
Psa 119:92. There was no physical connection between the law and the afflictions of David. But he would have given up in despair and thus perished (figuratively speaking) had he not been encouraged by the moral support of the law.
Psa 119:93. This verse is similar in thought to the preceding one. The precepts of the Lord had quickened or enlivened the morale of the Psalmist.
Psa 119:94. Save me did not have reference to spiritual things especially, but to relief from the afflictions of the enemy. The basis on which David expected the Lord to help him was the relation between them, and the fact he had sought His precepts.
Psa 119:95. Have waited means the wicked had been spying and watching to detect something in the life of David for which they could ruin him. He had defeated their expectation by observing the Lord’s testimonies in his daily life.
Psa 119:96. This verse is a contrast between the best there is in the world and the commandments of God. The first is limited while the second is broad.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
For ever: Psa 119:152, Psa 119:160, Psa 89:2, Mat 5:18, Mat 24:34, Mat 24:35, 1Pe 1:25, 2Pe 3:13
Reciprocal: Exo 34:1 – the words Psa 56:4 – In God I will Isa 40:8 – the word Isa 48:13 – when Jer 31:35 – which giveth Jer 31:36 – those
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
LAMED.
Psa 119:89-91. For ever, O Lord, thy word, &c. The Hebrew may be rendered, thou art for ever, O Lord, thy word, &c. Or, thy word, O Lord, is for ever; firmly fixed in heaven. Gods truth or faithfulness, upon which his laws are founded, is as fixed as the heaven and the earth; for they owe their durableness to the same truth. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations Every age affords fresh proofs of the truth of thy word. Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth In that place and state in which thou didst establish it, Ecc 1:4. They The heaven and the earth last mentioned; continue according to thine ordinance As thou didst appoint, and by virtue of thine appointment. For all are thy servants All things are subject to thy power and pleasure.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in {a} heaven.
(a) Because no one should esteem God’s word according to the changes of things in this world, he shows that it abides in heaven, and therefore is immutable.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
12. The permanence of God’s Word 119:89-96
The permanence of God’s Word is evident in that God has preserved it in heaven and faithfully keeps it secure there (Psa 119:89-91). Because the writer delighted in this firm Word, he could gain the victory over his affliction (Psa 119:92-95). Everything else that is good has limitations, but the Word of God is boundless in its value (Psa 119:96).
In 1542, Martin Luther wrote the words of Psa 119:92 on his Bible with his own hand. [Note: Ker, p. 148.] At this time much of his reforming work was behind him, and he lived only four more years.