Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:2
Blessed [are] they that keep his testimonies, [and that] seek him with the whole heart.
2. Dbr, ‘word,’ LXX (20 times), in plur. ‘words’ (3 times), is the most general term for God’s communication of His Will to man, especially through prophets. It will be remembered that the “Ten Commandments” are literally the “Ten Words” (Deu 4:13). Cp. Deu 4:2; Deu 4:10; &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
2. testimonies ] See above, p. 704.
and that seek him &c.] Omit and. Cp. Psa 119:10; Deu 4:29. The word includes not only approaching God in prayer and worship, but studying to understand His Will expressed in His law.
with the whole heart ] See above, p. 705.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies – His commandments or laws, considered as what he bears witness to concerning that which is just, wise, good. Every law of a parent is to his children a testimony on his part of what is wise and right and good; and so every law of God is his solemn testimony as to what is right and good for man. See Psa 19:7, note; Psa 25:10, note.
And that seek him with the whole heart – With a sincere desire to know his will and to do it; without hypocrisy or guile; with no selfish or sinister aims. As God knows the heart, all other modes of seeking him must be in vain. It is impossible for man to impose on him by appearances.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 119:2
Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart.
The best pursuit
I. The pursuit specified.
1. The object proposed. They seek God–His enlightening truth–His pardoning mercy–His sanctifying grace–His indwelling presence–His communicable fulness–and His eternal fruition beyond the grave (Psa 17:15; Rom 2:7).
2. The conduct described. With the whole heart–not hypocritically and lukewarmly; but with all the powers and energies of the soul, the understanding, the will, the conscience, and the affections; supremely, above every other object; diligently, in all the means of salvation; immediately, without delay, or procrastination; earnestly, with zealous and undivided hearts; continually, being faithful unto death, etc. (Psa 27:4; Isa 55:6-7; Jer 29:13, etc.).
II. The obedience required.
1. It must be regulated by His Word, the only perfect and infallible standard of Christian faith and practice.
2. It must be conformable to His will. The Divine testimonies must be kept in our memories–in our affections–and in our practices. We must keep them sincerely, not in name and profession only; believingly, in the exercise of a lively and vigorous faith; affectionately, from a principle of love filling and ruling the heart; universally, having impartial respect unto all His commandments; faithfully, through all opposition, and indefatigable perseverance in well-doing (1Co 15:58).
III. The happiness enjoyed.
1. They have blessed enjoyments. They are blessed with inconceivable peace–unspeakable joy–the testimony of a good conscience, and the witness of the Holy Spirit.
2. They have blessed anticipations. The present holiness is an earnest of their future blessedness. (Sketches of Four Hundred Sermons.)
Right use of the Bible
A workman has the plan of the house he is to build; but he must use plumb-line and spirit-level and foot-rule if he is to build securely. The engineer has his beautiful engine, his marvellously constructed piece of mechanism; but it is useless to him unless it is joined up with the lathe it is to turn or the loom it is to work. Your electric generating station is a place of wonder and mystery, a marvel of skill and knowledge; but it is useless if it is only kept to look at and wonder about; it only becomes effective as the electricity generated there is carried to your electric motors for power, to your filaments of carbon for light. And what we so often forget is that, in the same way, the Gospel of Jesus is of no practical use to us while we keep it isolated from our daily life; it is no use in a book, or in theological syllogisms; it only becomes of use as it becomes the power of God in our daffy lives. We must take it as the guide of our daily conduct, as the inspiration of thought and emotion, as the determining factor in our daily actions, as the light to lead us along lifes dark and difficult ways, As the food upon which the soul is nourished it must affect all our thought and feeling, speech and action; it must penetrate to the remotest corners of our life and give form and colour and character to every experience. (B. A. Millard.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
That keep, in mind and heart, that carefully and diligently observe,
his testimonies; his precepts. For the reason of this and the other titles of Gods word, see the argument or preface to this Psalm.
That seek him, to wit, the Lord, expressed Psa 119:1, that seek his presence, and favour, and acquaintance.
With the whole heart; sincerely, industriously, and fervently, above all other things. This is opposed to hypocrisy, and sloth, and lukewarmness in religion.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. testimoniesThe word of Godis so called, because in it He testifies for truth and againstsin.
seek himthat is, aknowledge of Him, with desire for conformity to His will.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Blessed [are] they that keep his testimonies,…. The whole word of God, the Scriptures of truth, are his testimonies: they testify of the mind of God, and of his love and grace in the method of salvation by Christ; they testify of Christ, his person, offices, and grace; of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow; and of all the happiness that comes to the people of God thereby. The law is called a testimony, which being put into the ark, that had the name of the ark of the testimony. This is a testimony of the perfections of God, his holiness, justice, and goodness displayed in it; and of his good and perfect will, what should or should not be done. The Gospel is the testimony of Christ, of what he is, has done and suffered for his people, and of the blessings of grace by him; the ordinances of it, baptism and the Lord’s supper, testify of the love of God, and grace of Christ; and all these good men keep: they keep the Scriptures as a sacred “depositum”; they hold fast the faithful word of the Gospel, that no man take it from them; and are desirous of observing both the law of God, as in the hands of Christ; and the ordinances of the Gospel, as delivered by him, from a principle of love to him; and such are happy persons in life, at death, and to all eternity;
[and that] seek him with the whole heart; that is, that seek the Lord by prayer and supplication, with a true heart, and in sincerity; that seek to know more of him, and that in good earnest; that seek for communion and fellowship with him, with the Spirit within them, with all their heart and soul; that seek Christ, and God in Christ, his kingdom, and his righteousness, and that in the first place, early, earnestly, and diligently. The Targum is,
“they seek his doctrine with the whole heart.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I beg the Reader very particularly to remark the alteration here made in the manner of expression, from what it was before. Here it is said, Blessed are they that keep his testimonies: implying numbers, namely, the people of the Lord. In the former verse the word are is in Italics, and might more properly have been is. And the learned Reader will know that the word, ashrei, blessed, is only found a noun-plural, and is a proof of the beauty and fulness of the Hebrew language, because blessedness is not made up of anything single, but from an assemblage of many things in one. And the learned Reader will know also, that this word is so used in the first verse of the first psalm; for the word is the same: “Blessed is the man, ” etc. But to return to the psalm before us; if I am right in supposing the first verse speaks wholly of Jesus, and this second verse wholly of his people; what a lovely and most interesting scripture hath the Holy Ghost given us? For then the sense will be, “Blessed is the Lord Jesus, the undefiled, ” etc. And then follows, “Blessed are they, his people, his redeemed, who keep his testimonies, and who seek him (that is Jesus) with their whole heart.” And is not the whole analogy of scripture to this effect, men shall be blessed in him? There is not a blessing out of him; Psa 72:17 ; Eph 1:3 . For the right apprehension of the word testimonies, we may have recourse to various scriptures. The tables of stone were called the tables of testimony, Exo 31:18 ; no doubt they were intended to refer to Christ; and in like manner there was a tabernacle of testimony, Exo 38:21 . And when Jesus tabernacled in substance of our flesh, was not that scripture fulfilled? Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, Rev 21:3 . Moreover, the testimony of Jesus is said to be the spirit of prophecy, Rev 19:10 . And indeed the very word testimony is derived from a word, or root, intimating somewhat future. Therefore when it is said in this Psalm, “the people of God keep his testimonies, ” it carries with it an idea of believing in and resting upon God’s testimonies of grace here, and glory hereafter, in and from the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 119:2 Blessed [are] they that keep his testimonies, [and that] seek him with the whole heart.
Ver. 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies ] Angels do so, and are blessed, Rev 22:9 .
And that seek him
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Blessed. This Psalm, begins with a double Beatitude. See App-63.
keep = guard.
testimonies. The second in order of the ten words. See App-73.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
keep: Psa 119:22, Psa 119:146, Psa 25:10, Psa 105:45, Deu 6:17, 1Ki 2:3, Pro 23:26, Eze 36:27, Joh 14:23, 1Jo 3:20
seek: Psa 119:10, Deu 4:29, 2Ch 31:21, Jer 29:13
Reciprocal: Deu 4:45 – These 1Ki 8:48 – And so return Psa 1:1 – Blessed Psa 32:1 – Blessed Psa 119:88 – so shall I Psa 119:129 – doth Psa 145:18 – call upon Pro 8:32 – for Pro 29:18 – but Lam 3:25 – unto Mat 5:3 – Blessed Act 10:2 – and prayed Heb 10:22 – a true Jam 1:25 – this 1Jo 2:5 – whoso