Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:147
I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.
147. In the earliest twilight did I cry for help,
(While) I waited with hope for thy words.
Lit. In the twilight I was beforehand and cried for help. With Psa 50:2 cp. Psa 119:74 ; Psa 119:81 ; Psa 119:114.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried – I anticipated it; I rose up to pray before the morning dawned. On the word prevent, see the notes at 1Th 4:15; notes at Psa 21:3; notes at Psa 59:10; notes at Psa 79:8. The meaning here is, that he rose up before the dawn, to pray. Thus the Saviour did, Mar 1:35.
(a) It is proper thus to pray, for our earliest thoughts should be those of devotion; our earliest acts should be in acknowledgment of God.
(b) Such a time is eminently favorable to devotion. Calm, still, quiet; before the thoughts are engaged in the world, and before the cares of life press upon us when the thoughts are clear, and the mind tranquil, the soul is in the best state for devotion.
(c) All people, if they will, can secure this time, before the dawning of the morning, to pray. Compare Psa 5:3, note; Psa 88:13, note; see also Psa 130:6. The word rendered dawning of the morning, is from a verb which means to blow; to blow gently; and is usually applied to the evening, when the breezes blow gently. It may be applied, however, as it clearly is here, also to the morning.
I hoped in thy word – I prayed because I had hope in thy word; I exercised hope in thy word then. Alone with thee in the morning, I found consolation by trusting in thy gracious promises.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 147. I prevented the dawning] kiddamti, “I went before the dawn or twilight.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The dawning of the morning, Heb. the twilight, to wit, of the morning, by comparing Psa 88:13. And so this word is used 1Sa 30:17.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
147. preventedliterally,”came before,” anticipated not only the dawn, buteven the usual periods of the night; when the night watches,which might be expected to find me asleep, come, they find me awake(Psa 63:6; Psa 77:4;Lam 2:19). Such is theearnestness of the desire and love for God’s truth.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried,…. That is, he awoke and got up, and prayed, before the day broke, the morning looked forth, or the sun arose: he was early as well as earnest in his supplications to God; see Ps 5:3; as Christ, his antitype, rose early in the morning, a great while before day, and went out to a solitary place, and prayed, Mr 1:35;
I hoped in thy word; which is a great encouragement to prayer, the grace of hope itself is, though a man can only put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope; and especially when it is grounded on the word of promise, that God will hear and answer his people, when they call upon him in a time of trouble: and particularly hope in Christ, the essential Word, is a great encouragement; many encouraging arguments to prayer are taken from the person, office, advocacy, and mediation of Jesus Christ, Heb 4:14.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word. 148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
David goes on here to relate how he had abounded in the duty of prayer, much to his comfort and advantage: he cried unto God, that is, offered up to him his pious and devout affections with all seriousness. Observe,
I. The handmaids of his devotion. The two great exercises that attended his prayers, and were helpful to them, were, 1. Hope in God’s word, which encouraged him to continue instant in prayer, though the answer did not come immediately: “I cried, and hoped that at last I should speed, because the vision is for an appointed time, and at the end it will speak and not lie. I hoped in thy word, which I knew would not fail me.” 2. Meditation in God’s word. The more intimately we converse with the word of God, and the more we dwell upon it in our thoughts, the better able we shall be to speak to God in his own language and the better we shall know what to pray for as we ought. Reading the word will not serve, but we must meditate in it.
II. The hours of his devotion. He anticipated the dawning of the morning, nay, and the night-watches. See here, 1. That David was an early riser, which perhaps contributed to his eminency. He was none of those that say, Yet a little sleep. 2. That he began the day with God. The first thing he did in the morning, before he admitted any business, was to pray, when his mind was most fresh and in the best frame. If our first thoughts in the morning be of God they will help to keep us in his fear all the day long. 3. That his mind was so full of God, and the cares and delights of his religion, that a little sleep served his turn. Even in the night-watches, when he awaked from his first sleep, he would rather meditate and pray than turn himself and go to sleep again. He esteemed the words of God’s mouth more than his necessary repose, which we can as ill spare as our food, Job xxiii. 12. 4. That he would redeem time for religious exercises. He was full of business all day, but that will excuse no man from secret devotion; it is better to take time from sleep, as David did, than not to find time for prayer. And this is our comfort, when we pray in the night, that we can never come unseasonably to the throne of grace; for we may have access to it at all hours. Baal may be asleep, but Israel’s God never slumbers, nor are there any hours in which he may not be spoken with.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
147. I have prevented the twilight. The Hebrew noun נשף , nesheph, is in this place improperly translated by crepusculum, twilight; for it rather signifies the dawn of morning. But as the Latin’s derive the word crepusculum, from creperus, which signifies doubtful or uncertain, so that it may signify the doubtful and intermediate time between light and darkness, I have not been particularly nice in the selection of the term only let my readers understand that the evening twilight commencing with sunset is not here denoted, but the imperfect light which precedes the rising of the sun. David then expresses the most eager haste when he says, that he prevented the dawn of the morning by his prayers. The verb cry always conveys the idea of earnestness; referring, as it does, not so much to the loudness of the voice as to the vehemency and ardor of the mind. In mentioning his haste, his object is the better to set forth his perseverance; for he tells us, that although he betook himself to prayer with such promptitude, yet he did not immediately become weary of that exercise, like the unbelieving, who, if God does not suddenly grant them their requests, murmur and complain against him. Thus, in conjoining patience of hope with earnestness of desire, he shows what is the true manner of praying; even as Paul, in Phi 4:6, when he exhorts us to
“
let our requests be made known unto God with thanksgiving,” (Phi 4:6)
admonishes us, while engaged in the exercise of prayer, to bridle our turbulent affections, because one of the ends of prayer is to nourish our hope. Nor is the mention made of the word in the close of the verse superfluous; for it is only by having the Word of God continually before our eyes, that we can bridle the wanton impetuosity of our corrupt nature.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
KOPH.
(147) Prevented.See Psa. 18:5; Psa. 79:8. The Authorised Version gives the sense, I was up before the morning.
Dawning of the morning.The Hebrew word means literally breath, and is used of the fresh breeze that blows both at sunset (Job. 24:15; Pro. 7:9) and sunrise (Job. 7:4). Generally in our version rendered twilight.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 119:147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.
Ver. 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning ] I was up and at it before daybreak. This is check to our sluggishness.
I hoped in thy word
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
prevented = anticipated, or forestalled.
dawning. A Homonym. Hebrew. nephesh. See note on 1Sa 30:17. Authorized Version and Revised Version correctly render it here, and in Job 7:4; though not in 1Sa 30:17. Job 24:15.
word. Same as in Psa 119:11; but some codices, with Septuagint and Vulgate, read “words” (plural)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I prevented: That is, I anticipated, or rose before, the morning dawn; and was before hand with the light itself. Psa 5:3, Psa 21:3, Psa 42:8, Psa 88:13, Psa 130:6, Isa 26:9, Mar 1:35
hoped: Psa 119:74, Psa 119:81, Psa 56:4, Psa 130:5, Heb 6:17-19
Reciprocal: Jos 6:15 – about the dawning 1Sa 1:19 – they rose Psa 55:17 – Evening Psa 63:6 – General Psa 119:49 – upon which Psa 119:62 – midnight Pro 31:15 – riseth Lam 2:19 – cry out 1Th 4:15 – prevent
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
KOPH.
Psa 119:147-148. I prevented the dawning of the morning Hebrew, , the twilight, namely, of the morning. In this sense this word is used 1Sa 30:17. Mine eyes prevent the night-watches In the Hebrew it is only the watches, there being nothing for night. The Jews, the reader will observe, anciently divided the night into three watches, which began at what we now call six oclock in the evening, and consisted each of four hours. The Romans afterward introduced among them the custom of dividing it into four watches, consisting of three hours each, as well as of dividing the day and the night into twelve hours each. David intimates that he meditated on God, not only in the day-time, but also in the several divisions of the night, wherein different soldiers, or different parties of soldiers, were appointed to watch, or keep guard. In all these, or at least during a considerable part of each of them, he was thus wakeful, and employed in meditation and prayer.