Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:163
I hate and abhor lying: [but] thy law do I love.
163. I hate falsehood and will abhor it] Falsehood denotes heathenism and heathenish tendencies, in contrast to the truth of God’s law. Cp. Psa 119:29 ; Psa 119:104 ; Psa 119:128. The best attested text reads will abhor.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I hate and abhor lying – The mention of lying here particularly seems to have been suggested by the necessity, from the structure of the psalm, of finding some word at the beginning of the verse which commenced with the letter Schin. At the same time, it is an illustration of the nature of piety, and doubtless there had been numerous occasions in the life of the psalmist when he had seen and experienced the effects of falsehood. This sin, therefore, might occur to him as readily as any other. It is unnecessary to say that religion forbids this sin in all its forms.
But thy law do I love – Particularly here the law which forbids lying. The psalmist was conscious, as every good man must be, that he truly loved that pure law which forbids falsehood in all its forms.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 163. I – abhor lying] Perhaps they might have made the confessions which the Chaldeans required, and by mental reservation have kept an inward firm adherence to their creed; but this, in the sight of the God of truth, must have been lying; and at such a sacrifice they would not purchase their enlargement, even from their captivity.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Lying; or, falsehood; either,
1. In my speech and actions; all hypocrisy and deceit, which is the common practice of mine enemies, and of all godless politicians: or,
2. In doctrine and worship, as this word seems to be used, Psa 119:29, because both there and here it is opposed to Gods law.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
163. lyingthat is, as in Ps119:29, unfaithfulness to the covenant of God with His people;apostasy.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I hate and abhor lying,…. The sin of lying in common conversation, which owes its rise to Satan, the father of lies; is common to human nature, though very dishonourable to it; exceeding unbecoming a professor of religion; and was greatly hated by David, as it ought to be by all good men, Ps 101:7. Or “falsehood” k; false doctrine; everything contrary to the truth of the word of God, with all false worship, superstition, and idolatry; and this may the rather be thought to be designed, since the law or doctrine of God is opposed to it in the next clause;
[but] thy law do I love; because holy, just, and true; he being a regenerate man, and having it written on his heart, he loved both the precepts of the law and the doctrines of the Gospel: or, “thy doctrine”; the doctrine concerning God, his mind and will, his grace and love; see Ps 119:97.
k “falsitatem”, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.
Love and hatred are the leading affections of the soul; if those be fixed aright, the rest move accordingly. Here we have them fixed aright in David. 1. He had a rooted antipathy to sin; he could not endure to think of it: I hate and abhor lying, which may be taken for all sin, inasmuch as by it we deal treacherously and perfidiously with God and put a cheat upon ourselves. Hypocrisy is lying; false doctrine is lying; breach of faith is lying. Lying, in commerce or conversation, is a sin which every good man hates and abhors, hates and doubly hates, because of the seven things which the Lord hates one is a lying tongue and another is a false witness that speaks lies, Prov. vi. 16. Every man hates to have a lie told him; but we should more hate telling a lie because by the former we only receive an affront from men, by the latter we give an affront to God. 2. He had a rooted affection to the word of God: Thy law do I love. And therefore he abhorred lying, for lying is contrary to the whole law of God; and the reason why he loved the law of God was because of the truth of it. The more we see of the amiable beauty of truth the more we shall see of the detestable deformity of a lie.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
163. I have hated and abhorred deceit. In this verse he declares more distinctly what I have adverted to a little before, that he was cleansed from corrupt affections that he might bestow upon the law of God such honor and estimation as it deserved. Having elsewhere met with almost the same sentence, I shall but briefly touch upon the reason why the Prophet affirms that he hated deceit before he speaks of his love and devotedness to the law. As hypocrisy is in the hearts of all men by nature, and as we are naturally prone to vanity and deceitfulness, we ought diligently to labor to purge our hearts, that the love of the law may reign in them. Now if the beginning of a good life and the first point of righteousness is to hate and abhor deceit, it follows that nothing is more excellent than integrity; for unless that virtue hold the chief place, all the other virtues speedily disappear. Nor is abhorring superfluously added to hating, the design being to teach us that it is not enough to hate falsehood with a common hatred, but that God’s children must hate it with a deadly hatred. Now if the love of the law and the hatred of falsehood are inseparably conjoined, it is a plain inference that all who are not taught in the school of God are infected with deceit and hypocrisy.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Psa 119:163 I hate and abhor lying: [but] thy law do I love.
Ver. 163. I hate and abhor lying ] Utitur atroci verbo, abominatus sum, I hate it as I hate hell itself; and yet lying was David’s sin after a special manner. See Psa 119:29 . See Trapp on “ Psa 119:29 “
But thy law do I love
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
lying = falsehood = what is false; especially false religion and idolatry.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
hate: Psa 119:29, Psa 119:113, Psa 119:128, Psa 101:7, Pro 6:16-19, Pro 30:8, Amo 5:15, Rom 12:9, Eph 4:25, Rev 22:15
Reciprocal: 1Sa 27:10 – And David Psa 62:4 – delight Psa 97:10 – hate Pro 13:5 – righteous Rom 7:15 – what I hate