Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:92
Unless thy law [had been] my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
92. then ] emphatically, in that case. But for the refreshment of God’s law, he would have utterly lost heart in affliction (Isa 40:29-31). This had revived him ( Psa 119:93), in this ( Psa 119:95) he had found consolation when his life was in peril.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Unless thy law had been my delights – See Psa 119:16, note; Psa 119:24, note. Unless I had had pleasure in thy law, thy word, thy truth; unless I had derived support and consolation in that.
I should then have perished in mine affliction – I should have sunk under my burden. I should not have been able to hold up under the weight of sorrow and trial. How often the people of God can say. this! How often may each one in the course of his life say this! I should have sunk a thousand times, said a most excellent, but much afflicted, man to me, if it had not been for one declaration in the word of God – The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 119:92-93
Unless Thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Gods Word
I. A delight in Gods Word yields support in afflictions (verse 92). It is impossible to delight in Gods Word, containing as it does rich promises, and the revelation of a glorious future, without having resignation, fortitude, hope, etc.
II. A quickening by Gods Word yields imperishable memories.
1. Gods Word effects a moral quickening. It is the sunbeam, the rain, the resurrection trumpet.
2. The greatest event in the history of souls is moral quickening. It is a birth, a resurrection, etc.
3. The greatest event is always the most memorable. (Homilist.)
Gods law the delight of His people, in distress
I. What there is in the Word of God which tends to the delight of His people in distress.
1. The most comfortable discoveries.
(1) That God stands in the most endearing relations to His people. He is their Shepherd, Father, Friend, God.
(2) That the way was made for the settling of these endeared relations in which God stands to His people by the sufferings and death of His own Son.
(3) That God is hereupon become the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, ready freely to give out all the blessings which Christ hath purchased at the dearest rate.
(4) That a way of access is now open, whereby the children of God may come to Him, their Father, upon all occasions, in hope of obtaining mercy, and finding grace to help them in time of need.
(5) That the Spirit of grace is come from heaven to take up His abode in the people of God, and to be their Guide thither.
(6) That the eternal state of rewards is laid open to their faith.
2. The most comfortable promises, fitted to yield delight from their nature, their number, and their extent.
(1) How sweet is the promise of the pardon of sin and acceptance with God when read with application.
(2) All happiness is summed up in the promise of heaven at last, and so cant hut be big with the truest delight now.
(3) The promise of Gods presence by the way, that all things shall work together for His peoples good.
3. The most comfortable are examples of Gods compassion and grace in appearing for His people; as in the case of David, Job, and the three Hebrew worthies that were cast into the fiery furnace, and brought out unhurt.
4. The most comfortable provisions, and these suitable to the various characters which His saints are to bear, and the states they are in while they are in this world.
(1) As they are pilgrims and strangers, its precepts and directions mark out their way; showing them the narrow path in which they are to walk; and its warnings and threatenings discover the snares they are to avoid, that they may be safe.
(2) As probationers for eternity we are acquainted with our work, and where our strength lies for the doing it.
II. The persons to whose delight it actually conduces. They are the children of God, and none else.
1. They only are spiritually enlightened to discern the great and comfortable things contained in the Word of God.
2. They have the highest value for it.
3. They have their hearts and ways suited to it.
III. How is it that it does this?
1. As believed, considered, and applied by the saints.
2. As impressed and set home by the Spirit.
IV. When may a child of God find comfort from Gods Word?
1. In the times of great and sore affliction which they fall into while they live. It acquaints them–
(1) That these have been the lot of some of Gods choicest favourites in their way to heaven.
(2) That afflictions are consistent with Gods special love to His people, and their covenant relation to Him.
(3) That afflictions are not only consistent with the love of God, but often the instances of it (Heb 12:6-7).
(4) That though afflictions are deserved by sin, they are laid upon the people of God with a design to cure it (Isa 27:9).
(5) That though for wise ends God brings them under the rod, He considers their frame, and remembers that they are but dust, and will not increase the trial, either as to degree, or continuance, beyond what He will enable them to bear.
(6) That under times of affliction God has chosen to let out His love more freely to His people than at other seasons. And who would not be reconciled to the rod to know and taste more of His promise to the Church (Hos 2:14)?
2. It is fitted to delight them when they are called to die; and to do this as teaching them–
(1) That as dying God will be with them.
(2) That immediately after death they shall be with Him.
V. The nature of the delight or consolation derived from the Word.
1. It is truly divine, and the consolation of God. It has the Word of God for its ground, and the Spirit of God for its author.
2. It is real and solid (Psa 119:14; Psa 119:54).
3. It is rational and justifiable.
4. It is holy.
5. It is sometimes vigorous and strong.
6. It is the foretaste of heaven, and is working upward to meet that fulness of joy which there is in Gods presence.
Application
1. Is there so much in the Word of God to delight the soul? O what a dark disconsolate place would this earth be without it.
2. Get into the number of the children of God, who are the only ones prepared to take the comfort of His Word.
3. Under all your troubles run to the Word of God for relief; and in conversing with it, pray for the Spirit to enlighten your minds, sanctify your hearts, fit you to take comfort in it, and so to work in you the comfort He hath fitted you for.
4. And as ever you would have solid consolation–
(1) Value and labour after grace and holiness as the ground of it. Be as earnest for grace as you are for comfort and peace.
(2) Expect the comfort you need in Gods way by humbling yourselves and turning to God in case of sin, and by attending His ordinances and the institutions of His house.
(3) Wait for comfort in Gods time, and presume not to prescribe to Him, but continue to pray and look up for it. (D. Wilcox.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 92. Unless thy law had been my delights] Had we not had the consolations of religion, we should long ago have died of a broken heart.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Then; at the very instant; I could not have outlived one stroke of thine afflicting hand.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
92-94. Hence the pious areencouraged and inclined to seek a knowledge of it, and persevereamidst the efforts of those planning and waiting to destroythem.
my delightsplural, notmerely delight, but equal to all other delights.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Unless thy law [had been] my delights,…. Not the law of works, the voice of words, which they that heard entreated they might hear no more; which is terrible, and works wrath in the conscience; is a cursing and damning law to the transgressors of it; and so not delightful, unless as considered in the hands of Christ, the fulfilling end of it: but the law of faith, the doctrine of faith, or of justification by the righteousness of Christ, received by faith, which yields peace, joy, and comfort, even in tribulation: or the whole doctrine of the Gospel, the law of the Messiah, the isles waited for; the doctrine of peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life by Christ, which is exceeding delightful to sensible sinners;
I should then have perished in mine affliction; referring to some particular time of affliction he was pressed with, either through the persecution of Saul, or the conspiracy of Absalom which was very great and heavy upon him, so that he almost despaired of deliverance from it; and must have perished, not eternally, but as to his comforts: his heart would have fainted in him, and he would have sunk under the weight of the affliction, had it not been for the relief he had from the word of God, the doctrines and promises of it; he was like one in a storm, tossed with tempests, one wave after another beat upon him, and rolled over him, when he thought himself just perishing; and must have given all over for lost, had it not been for the delight and pleasure he found in reading and meditating on the sacred writings.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Here is, 1. The great distress that David was in. He was in affliction, and ready to perish in his affliction, not likely to die, so much as likely to despair; he was ready to give up all for gone, and to look upon himself as cut off from God’s sight; he therefore admires the goodness of God to him, that he had not perished, that he kept the possession of his own soul, and was not driven out of his wits by his troubles, but especially that he was enabled to keep close to his God and was not driven off from his religion by them. Though we are not kept from affliction, yet, if we are kept from perishing in our affliction, we have no reason to say, We have cleansed our hands in vain; or, What profit is it that we have served God? 2. His support in this distress. God’s law was his delight, (1.) It had been so formerly, and the remembrance of that was a comfort to him, as it afforded him a good evidence of his integrity. (2.) It was so now in his affliction; it afforded him abundant matter of comfort, and from these fountains of life he drew living waters, when the cisterns of the creature were broken or dried up. His converse with God’s law, and his meditations on it, were his delightful entertainment in solitude and sorrow. A Bible is a pleasant companion at any time if we please.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
92. Had not thy law been my delight The prophet continues to prosecute almost the same theme; affirming, that he would have been undone, had he not in his calamities sought consolation from the law of God. The adverb, אז az, signifies then; but as it is sometimes used for a long time, it is equivalent here to long ago; unless some may prefer to consider it as a significant and emphatic pointing to the thing, as if he were still in the state which he describes. He confirms from his own experience what he had previously said, to make it manifest that he did not speak of things with which he was unacquainted, but that he asserts what he had really experienced, — namely, that there is no other solace, and no other remedy for adversity, but our reposing upon the word of God, and our embracing the grace and the assurance of our salvation which are offered in it. He here unquestionably commends the very same word, which he had but now said dwelt in heaven. Though it resound on earth, enter into our ears, and settle in our hearts, yet it still retains its celestial nature; for it descends to us in such a manner, as that it is not subject to the changes of the world. The prophet declares that he was grievously oppressed by a weight of afflictions enough to overwhelm him; but that the consolation which he derived from the Divine Law in such desperate circumstances, was as life to him.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Psa 119:92 Unless thy law [had been] my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Ver. 92. Unless thy law had been my delight ] Unless it had been settled in my heart (as well as it is in heaven) for my singular comfort, I had been crushed.
I should then (or long since) have perished] The Landgrave of Hesse told me at Dresden, saith Melancthon, that it had been impossible for him to have borne up under the manifold miseries of so long an imprisonment, nisi habuisset consolationem ex verbo divino in suo corde, but for the comforts of the Scriptures in his heart (Joh. Manl. loc. com. 139).
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thy law: Psa 119:24, Psa 119:77, Psa 119:143, Rom 15:4
I should: Psa 27:13, Psa 94:18, Psa 94:19, Pro 6:22, Pro 6:23
Reciprocal: Psa 1:2 – But his Psa 19:8 – rejoicing Psa 40:8 – I delight Psa 119:16 – delight Psa 119:111 – for they Pro 21:15 – joy Mic 2:7 – do not Rom 7:22 – I delight
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 119:92-95. Unless thy law had been my delight Unless I had known, believed, and delighted in it, as the subject of my meditation; I should then At the very instant; have perished in mine affliction My heart would have failed me, and I should have been undone; I could not have outlived one stroke of thine afflicting hand. I will never forget thy precepts I will always retain a remembrance of, and a regard to, thy word, as my rule; for with them thou hast quickened me Revived and cheered me when my heart was ready to sink and die within me. I am thine By creation, redemption, and manifold obligations; as also by my own choice and designation. I have devoted myself to thy service, and committed myself to thy care. Save me Both from sin and ruin. Those that in sincerity give up themselves to God, to be his subjects and servants, obeying his will and living to his glory, may be sure that he will protect them and preserve them to his heavenly kingdom, Mal 3:17. The wicked have waited to destroy me Watching for an opportunity so to do; but I will consider thy testimonies As my best counsellors and comforters, and also my defenders against the designs and assaults of mine enemies.