Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:135
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.
135. Make thy face to shine ] Illuminate the darkness that surrounds me with the light of Thy favour. Cp. Psa 31:16.
and teach &c.] Cp. Psa 119:12 &c. He desires the restoration of prosperity not merely for its own sake, but as an opportunity for gaining further knowledge.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant – Hebrew, Let thy face give light to thy servant. See the notes at Psa 4:6.
And teach me thy statutes – See the notes at Psa 119:12.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 119:135
Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; and teach me Thy statutes.
Christian obedience and support
I. The character of the petitioner. The true servant of God is distinguished by–
1. Renunciation of the service of sin.
2. A rational and deliberate choice of that service in which he is invited to engage.
3. An entire devotedness to the Lords service.
4. All the activities of Christian obedience.
(1) Sincere.
(2) Cheerful.
(3) Universal.
(4) Persevering.
II. The import of the petitions.
1. Cause Thy face to shine upon me. He here prays for–
(1)Increasing discoveries of the Divine glory. Unsearchable wisdom, almighty power, unchangeable love, invariable truth.
(2) The enjoyment of the Divine favour.
2. Teach me Thy statutes. This implies–
(1) A fervent desire for an increasing knowledge of the important truths.
(2) A supplication for growing experience of its sanctifying power and rich consolations. (T. Chalmers, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 135. Make thy face to shine] Give me a sense of thy approbation. Let me know, by the testimony of thy Spirit in my conscience, that thou art reconciled to me. The godly in all ages derived their happiness from a consciousness of the Divine favour. The witness of God’s spirit in the souls of believers was an essential principle in religion from the foundation of the world.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Look upon me with a pleased and favourable countenance. Compare Num 6:25; Pro 16:15.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant,…. That is, lift up the light of thy countenance on me; favour me with thy gracious presence, and communion with thyself; manifest thyself unto me, and shed abroad thy love in my heart; cause the sun of righteousness to arise upon me, and commune with me, from above thy mercy seat; restore to me the joys of thy salvation, and let me have the comforts of thy good Spirit: this prayer is a part of the blessing of the high priest, Nu 6:25;
and teach me thy statutes; the more communion a man has with God, the more desirous he is of learning and doing his will. This is a frequent petition; see Ps 119:124.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.
David here, as often as elsewhere, writes himself God’s servant, a title he gloried in, though he was a king; now here, as became a good servant, 1. He is very ambitious of his Master’s favour, accounting that his happiness and chief good. He asks not for corn and wine, for silver and gold, but, “Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; let me be accepted of thee, and let me know that I am so. Comfort me with the light of thy countenance in every cloudy and dark day. If the world frown upon me, yet do thou smile.” 2. He is very solicitous about his Master’s work, accounting that his business and chief concern. This he would be instructed in, that he might do it, and do it well, so as to be accepted in the doing of it: Teach me thy statutes. Note, We must pray as earnestly for grace as for comfort. If God hides his face from us, it is because we have been careless in keeping his statutes; and therefore, that we may be qualified for the returns of his favour, we must pray for wisdom to do our duty.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
135. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant. There is here the repetition of a prayer which we have several times met with before in this Psalm. The Prophet intimates, that he regarded nothing as of more importance than rightly to understand the divine law. When he beseeches God to make his face to shine upon his servant, he, in the first place, seeks to win the fatherly favor of God — for nothing is to be hoped for from Him unless we have an interest in his favor — but he at the same time, shows the greatness of the blessing. There is no testimony of the love of God, as if he had said, which I am more desirous to obtain than to be enabled to make progress in his law. Whence we gather, as I have lately observed, that he preferred divine truth to all the possessions of the world. Would to God that this affection were vigorous in our hearts! But that which the Prophet extols so highly, is neglected by the great proportion of mankind. If individuals are to be found stimulated by this desire, we see them presently falling back to the Measurements of the world, so that there are very few, indeed, who renouncing all other desires, seek earnestly with David to become acquainted with the doctrine of the law. Besides, as God vouchsafes this privilege only to those whom he has embraced with his fatherly love, it is proper for us to begin with this prayer, That he would make his face to shine upon us. This form of expression, however, conveys something more — it implies, that it is only when God illumines the minds of his believing people with the true knowledge of the law, that he delights them with the beams of his favor. It often happens that, even in regard to them, God’s countenance is overcast with clouds in this respect, namely, when he deprives them of tasting the sweetness of his word.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Psa 119:135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.
Ver. 135. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant ] David could not live out of God’s favour nor without his direction; he therefore here and elsewhere prayeth heartily for both.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Make: Psa 4:6, Psa 80:1, Psa 80:3, Psa 80:7, Psa 80:19, Num 6:25, Num 6:26, Job 33:26, Rev 22:4, Rev 22:5
and teach: Psa 119:12, Psa 119:26, Job 34:32, Job 35:11, Job 36:22, Luk 24:45
Reciprocal: Psa 67:1 – cause Dan 9:17 – cause