Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:164
Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.
164. Seven times a day ] Not merely morning noon and night (Psa 55:17), but constantly and repeatedly. Cp. Pro 24:16; &c.
righteous judgments ] Cp. Psa 119:7, &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Seven times a day – The word seven may be used here, as it is often in the Scriptures, indefinitely to denote many, or often. There is, however, nothing which makes it necessary to understand it in this sense. The number of times in which it is proper and profitable to engage in secret or public devotion is nowhere specified in the Scriptures, but it is left, under a general direction, to be determined by each one as he shall find it desirable and convenient; as his feelings or his circumstances shall suggest. On another occasion Psa 55:17 David mentions that he prayed evening, and morning, and at noon; at other times, perhaps, he might have found it in accordance with his feelings, or with his circumstances, to engage in devotion seven times in a day. There are circumstances in the lives of all good men when they are prompted to do this: times of trouble, of sickness, of bereavement, of danger, or of religious interest. There are states of mind which prompt to this, and when secret devotion becomes frequent, and almost constant; when nothing will satisfy the mind but prayer. No one would be injured by making it a rule, unless unavoidably prevented, to engage seven times each day in secret prayer, though, at the same time, no one could maintain that this is required as a rule by the Scriptures. The times, the circumstances, the manner, the place of secret devotion are wisely and properly left to each individual to be determined by himself. Religion is essentially voluntary, and the times of secret devotion must be voluntary, and therefore a man can easily determine, by his own secret devotions, whether he has any special interest at any particular time in religion, or whether he has any religion at all.
Do I praise thee – Do I engage in devotion.
Because of thy righteous judgments – Thy law, considered as righteous. I love that law, as such, and I praise thee for it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 119:164
Seven times a day do I praise Thee.
David, the model of praise
David was a model of praise–
I. For temporal blessings. We do not praise God, as much as we ought, for our temporal blessings.
II. For spiritual blessings. This is what he means in one place, when he says that Gods statutes are more to be desired than gold, etc. (Psa 19:10). This is what he means again, when he says, Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, etc.
III. Of growing praise. When he had learned to praise God for His mercies, he went on praising Him more and more. When he first began to praise God, he only speaks of doing it once a day (Psa 59:16). Then it seemed as if he thought that once a day was not often enough to praise God; and so (Psa 141:2). Then he speaks of (Psa 57:17). That was three times a day. And then, here, in the text, he says: Seven times a day will I praise Thee. This shows how the spirit of praise was growing in David.
IV. Of universal praise. He says in one place, All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth (Psa 25:10). He meant to say that whatever God does to His people He does in mercy and in love, and therefore we ought to praise Him for it. And so we see that David had learned to thank God for everything; and in this way he became the model of universal praise (Psa 119:39; Psa 119:62; Psa 119:71; Psa 34:19). He had learned to thank and praise God for everything that He did for him. And we should try to follow the model that David has set us in this respect. (R. Newton, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 164. Seven times a day do I praise thee] We have often seen that seven was a number expressing perfection, completion, c., among the Hebrews and that it is often used to signify many, or an indefinite number, see Pr 24:16; Le 26:28. And here it may mean no more than that his soul was filled with the spirit of gratitude and praise, and that he very frequently expressed his joyous and grateful feelings in this way. But Rabbi Solomon says this is to be understood literally, for they praised God twice in the morning before reading the decalogue, and once after; twice in the evening before the same reading, and twice after; making in the whole seven times. The Roman Church has prescribed a similar service.
In a manuscript Saxon Homily, Domin. 3, in Quadrag, A.D. 971, I find the following singular directions: –
[Anglo-Saxon]
1. [Anglo-Saxon]
2. [Anglo-Saxon]
3. [Anglo-Saxon]
4. [Anglo-Saxon]
5. [Anglo-Saxon]
6. [Anglo-Saxon]
7. [Anglo-Saxon]
Every Christian man is commanded that he always his body seven times bless with the sign of Christ’s cross.
1. First, at day-break.
2. Second time at undern tide, (nine o’clock in the morning.)
3. The third time at midday.
4. The fourth time at noon-tide. (3 o’clock P.M.)
5. The fifth time in the evening.
6. The sixth time at night ere he go to rest.
7. The seventh time at midnight. A good man would do so if he awoke.
It seems that the sign of the cross was thought sufficient, even without prayer.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Seven times; many times; that definite number being oft taken indefinitely, as Lev 26:28, and elsewhere.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
161-165. (Compare Psa 119:46;Psa 119:86).
awereverential, notslavish fear, which could not coexist with love (Psa 119:163;1Jn 4:8). Instead of fearing hispersecutors, he fears God’s Word alone (Luk 12:4;Luk 12:5). The Jews inscribe inthe first page of the great Bible (Ge28:17), “How dreadful is this place! This is none other butthe house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Seven times a day do I praise thee,…. That is, very often in a day; not a day passed over his head but he praised the Lord, and often in the day; so the phrase “seven times” is used, Ps 12:6. Praise is comely for the saints, delightful and well pleasing to God, being offered up in faith and through Christ; and should be frequent, since our mercies, temporal and spiritual, are daily renewed; and therefore we should always, in everything, for everything, and at all seasons, give thanks to God, Eph 5:20 1Th 5:18;
because of thy righteous judgments: either upon his enemies, the persecuting princes, as Aben Ezra; so saints may and should, and will praise the Lord, for his righteous judgments on the enemies of his church and people, because not only of their deliverance from them, but because of the honour of his justice, and the glory of his name; see
Re 18:20; or because of the word of God, the precepts, ordinances, and doctrines of it, which are all righteous; for his knowledge of them, and for the benefit and comfort received from them; see Ps 119:7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.
David, in this psalm, is full of complaints, yet those did neither jostle out his praises nor put him out of tune for them; whatever condition a child of God is in he does not want matter for praise and therefore should not want a heart. See here, 1. How often David praised God–Seven times a day, that is, very frequently, not only every day, but often every day. Many think that once a week will serve, or once or twice a day, but David would praise God seven times a day at least. Praising God is a duty which we should very much abound in. We must praise God at every meal, praise him upon all occasions, in every thing give thanks. We should praise God seven times a day, for the subject can never be exhausted and our affections should never be tired. See v. 62. 2. What he praised God for–because of thy righteous judgments. We must praise God for his precepts, which are all just and good, for his promises and threatenings and the performance of both in his providence. We are to praise God even for our afflictions, if through grace we get good by them.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
164. Seven times a day have I praised thee. By the adverb seven times, the Prophet means that he was continually or very often engaged in celebrating the praises of God; just as it is said in Pro 24:16, “A just man falleth seven times,” when he often falls into divers temptations. (35) The phrase the judgments of God being in many places taken for the punishments which God inflicts upon sinners, and also sometimes applied in general to the providence by which he governs the world, some understand the Prophet as praising God because he affords such manifest proofs of his justice both in punishing the wicked and in the whole government of the world. But I rather agree with others who refer the phrase to the divine law; not that I dislike the former interpretation, but because in this psalm the great topic upon which the Psalmist chiefly insists is the commendation of God’s law. The amount then is, that when David was assiduously occupied in meditating upon the law of God, he found it distinguished by so great perfection of righteousness and wisdom, that from time to time he burst forth into the exercise of praise and thanksgiving. This diligence in praising God shows that David not only spoke reverently and honourably of the divine law, but that he accounted it an inestimable boon conferred upon the human race. It was not simply admiration which constrained him to this commendation, but a principle of gratitude; for he saw that nothing more excellent could be bestowed upon men than their being renewed to a blessed and an endless life by the incorruptible seed of heavenly truth. Yet scarcely one in a hundred of those to whom God offers this treasure puts himself to the trouble of giving God thanks for it even in an ordinary manner. On the contrary, there reigns such vile ingratitude everywhere in the world, that some scornfully reject divine truth, and others despise or slight it, while others rail and gnash their teeth against it if they find anything in it which does not please them.
(35) Among many other texts of Scripture which might be quoted to show that the number seven is often used for many, or an indefinite number, we may refer only to Gen 4:15 and Lev 24:18. Some of the Jewish Rabbies, however, affirm that David is here to be understood literally, observing, that the devout Hebrews were accustomed to praise God twice in the morning before reading the ten commandments, and once after; twice in the evening before reading the same portion of inspiration, and twice after; which makes up the number of seven times a day.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(164) Seven times.Some commentators think the number is used here only in a general way for often, repeatedly; but the number seven evidently had some sacred association for the Hebrews. (Comp. Lev. 26:18; Pro. 24:16; Mat. 18:21, &c) No doubt the seven canonical hours were partly derived from this verse. Elsewhere we find three times as the stated occasions of prayer (Psa. 55:17).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 119:164. Seven times a day do I praise thee That is, probably, several times: a determinate number for an indeterminate, as is common in scripture.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 119:164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.
Ver. 164. Seven times a day do I praise thee ] Septies, id est, saepissime, very oft in the day; whensoever God setteth me up an altar I am ready with my sacrifice. Mahometans pray constantly five times a day; those of Morocco six times. Papists foolishly and superstitiously allege this text for their seven Canonical hours, as they call them. The Jews pronounce a hundred benedictions every day (Leo Modena).
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Seven times. Not a “round” number, but the number of spiritual perfection. See App-10.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Seven times: That is, probably many times, or frequently, as the term seven frequently denotes; but Rabbi Solomon says that this is to be understood literally; for they praised God twice in the morning before reading the decalogue, and once after; twice in the evening before the same reading, and twice after; making in the whole seven times. Psa 119:62, Psa 55:17
because: Psa 48:11, Psa 97:8, Rev 19:2
Reciprocal: Lev 20:22 – judgments Lev 26:18 – seven times Psa 19:9 – judgments Psa 145:2 – Every day
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
119:164 {b} Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.
(b) That is, often and various times.