Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:171

My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

171, 172. Let my lips pour forth praise,

Because thou teachest me thy statutes.

Let my tongue sing of thy word,

For all thy commandments are righteousness.

The optative form of the verb in Psa 119:172 is in favour of a similar rendering in Psa 119:171. He prays for a spirit of joyous, exuberant thankfulness for God’s continuous teaching, and for the character of the law which is the substance of that teaching.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes – The sentiment here is the same as in Psa 119:7. The language is varied, but the meaning here, as in that verse, is, I will praise thee in proportion as I learn thy precepts or thy law. The more I learn of thy will, the more I will praise thee. I shall see more for which to offer praise and adoration, and I shall be more and more inclined to praise and adore time. Each new degree of knowledge will excite a corresponding desire to praise thee. This will be true of all who love God, while this life lasts, and forever. The ever-increasing knowledge of God will excite ever-increasing praise; and as God is infinite and eternal, it follows that the increase of knowledge and of happiness, in those who are saved, will be eternal. These things will go hand in hand forever and ever.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 171. My lips shall utter praise] tehillah, a song of praise.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

171, 172. shall utteror,”pour out praise” (compare Ps19:2); shall cause Thy praises to stream forth as from abubbling, overflowing fountain.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

My lips shall utter praise,…. Like water flowing from a fountain, as the word m signifies. The heart of a good man is like a fountain of water, abounding: with good things, and his mouth is a well of life; out of the abundance of grace and good things in his heart his mouth speaks, Joh 4:14; and particularly his heart is filled with praise and thankfulness for the many blessings of providence and grace enjoyed; his lips show it forth; it comes flowing from him freely and readily, without force and compulsion, largely and plentifully, constantly and continually, and with great vehemence and strength, as streams from a fountain;

when thou hast taught me thy statutes: which is what the psalmist often prays for in this psalm; and signifies he should be very thankful to God for, and should sincerely praise him, could he obtain this favour; see Ps 119:7.

m “profundent”, Vatablus, Musculus; “ebullient”, Piscator, Gejerus; “scaturiunt”, Cocceius; “scaturient”, Michaelis.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

      171 My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

      Here is, 1. A great favour which David expects from God, that he will teach him his statutes. This he had often prayed for in this psalm, and urged his petition for it with various arguments; and now that he is drawing towards the close of the psalm he speaks of it as taken for granted. Those that are humbly earnest with God for his grace, and resolve with Jacob that they will not let him go unless he bless them with spiritual blessings, may be humbly confident that they shall at length obtain what they are so importunate for. The God of Israel will grant them those things which they request of him. 2. The grateful sense he promises to have of that favour: My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me. (1.) Then he shall have cause to praise God. Those that are taught of God have a great deal of reason to be thankful, for this is the foundation of all these spiritual blessings, which are the best blessings, and the earnest of eternal blessings. (2.) Then he shall know how to praise God, and have a heart to do it. All that are taught of God are taught this lesson; when God opens the understanding, opens the heart, and so opens the lips, it is that the mouth may show forth his praise. We have learned nothing to purpose if we have not learned to praise God. (3.) Therefore he is thus importunate for divine instructions, that he might praise God. Those that pray for God’s grace must aim at God’s glory, Eph. i. 12.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

171. My lips shall speak praise. David now shows in another way than in the preceding verse, how high a privilege he accounted it to be admitted by God among the number of His disciples, and to profit aright in His school, by declaring that, if so privileged, he will hasten forward to render thanks to him with fluent tongue. The word נבע, naba, which he employs, is a metaphor taken from the bubbling up of fountains, and accordingly it signifies not simply to speak, but to pour forth speech copiously. As therefore he a little before showed the earnestness of his desire by praying, so now he affirms that his rejoicing will bear testimony that he desires nothing more than to be thoroughly imbued with heavenly truth. He again confirms the doctrine, That the way by which we become truly wise is, first by submitting ourselves to the Word of God, and not following our own imaginations; and, secondly, by God’s opening our understanding and subduing it to the obedience of his will. He here joins together both these truths — namely, that when God has set before us His law, from which we are to learn what, ever is profitable for our welfare, He, at the same time, teaches us inwardly. It were not enough to have our ears stricken with the outward sound, did not God illuminate our minds by the Spirit of understanding, and correct our obduracy by the Spirit of docility. As the labor of teachers is to no purpose until virtue and efficacy has been given to it, so it is also to be noticed that such as are truly taught of God, are not led away from the law and the Scriptures by secret revelations, like some fanatics, who think that they linger still at their A B C, unless disdainfully trampling under foot the Word of God, they fly away after their own foolish fancies.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

TAU.

(171) Shall utter.Better, preserving the metaphor of the Hebrew, pour forth a stream of praise.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Psa 119:171 My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

Ver. 171. My lips shall utter praise ] Eructabunt labia mea hymnum. A metaphor either from a fountain casting out waters; vel a ructu qui eibum copiosum sequitur. Semper, et hilariter.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)