Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:26
I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
26. I have recounted my ways, laid before Thee in detail all the concerns of my life, and thou hast answered me. Answered prayer is a proof of God’s good will, and therefore he prays for yet further instruction, teach me thy statutes.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I have declared my ways – That is, I have declared or recounted them to thee. I have made mention of my cares, troubles, anxieties, purposes. I have laid them all before thee, reserving or keeping back nothing.
And thou heardest me – Thou didst answer me. It is only when we declare all our ways before God, that we can hope he will hear us. It is right and proper that we should go before God with all our cares and troubles. There is nothing that gives us anxiety, of which we may not speak to him, however trivial it may seem to be – even as a child speaks to a mother of the smallest matter that troubles him. When this is done, we may be assured that God will not turn away from us, or disregard our cry.
I told him all my secret grief;
My secret groaning reached his cars;
He gave my inward pains relief,
And calmed the tumult of my fears.
Teach me thy statutes – Make known to me thy will. Acquaint me with what thou wouldst have me to do. See Psa 119:12.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 119:26
I have declared my ways, and Thou heartiest me: teach me Thy statutes.
A man of God alone with God
The first lesson for man is, to know his God; the second is, to know himself; and as the unbeliever fails in the first, he fails in the second also, he does not know himself. He does not think much about himself–about his real self, the most important part of his being. For his body he caters freely, he can scarcely spend enough upon it; but he starves his soul. But a true believer knows himself. We are sure, from our text, that he does, for he would not declare his ways if he did not know them. But he has practised introspection, and looked within himself. He does not understand his own ways; he cannot always comprehend his own thoughts, or follow the devious wanderings of his own mind; but, still, he does know a good deal about himself; and when he goes before his God, he can truthfully say, I have declared my ways, and Thou heardest me. Among other things, he has discovered his own ignorance, and hence he presents the prayer with which the text concludes, Teach me. He is ignorant even of Gods revealed will, so he prays, Teach me Thy statutes, O Lord! I know the Book in which they are recorded, and I can learn them in the letter; but do Thou teach them to me, in my spirit, by Thy Spirit, that I may know them aright.
I. So, first:, we see here a man of God alone with God; and we notice three things about him, he is making his case known: I have declared my ways; he is rejoicing in an audience which he has obtained: Thou heartiest me; and he is seeking a further blessing: Teach me Thy statutes. I think the psalmist means this, My Lord, I have told Thee all; now, wilt Thou tell me all? I have declared to Thee my ways; now, wilt Thou teach me Thy ways? I have confessed to Thee how I have broken Thy statutes; wilt Thou not give me Thy statutes back again? I have owned my weakness; now, wilt Thou not strengthen me, that I may run in the way of Thy commandments?
II. Now let us turn to the man of God in public stating his testimony.
1. First, we have here a man of God who has borne his testimony. He has spoken to man experimentally. You remember that remarkable expression of our Lord, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through–what? through their word. Then, is it their word? No, it is the Lords, yet it is also theirs, for they have made it theirs by personal appropriation and experience of it. The truth of God never seems to have such vividness about it as when a man tells it out of his own soul. That is what this servant of God could say, I have declared my ways. And he had not declared them with any view to vainglory, but only that he might glorify God. Neither had he spoken of himself except with the object of persuading others to walk in the ways of the Lord in which he had himself been so graciously led.
2. The next sentence teaches us that God had heard this man. What solemn work it is to preach if we have God for a hearer! And yet what a cheering thing it is that the Lord hears our testimony, and can confirm its truthfulness!
3. This man needed more teaching, so he prayed, Lord, teach me Thy statutes. We must ourselves be continually making progress if we would lead others onward. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 26. I have declared my ways] sipparti, “I have numbered my ways,” I have searched them out; I have investigated them. And that he had earnestly prayed for pardon of what was wrong in them, is evident; for he adds, “Thou heardest me.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
My ways; my sins, in way of confession; and all my cares, and fears, and troubles, and concerns, in way of humble petition to thee, as appears from Gods answer.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
I have declared my ways,…. That is, to the Lord; either the ways he had chose and desired to walk in, and not wander from, and therefore entreated help and assistance, guidance and direction, in them; or his sinful ways and actions, which he acknowledged and confessed, lamented and bewailed, and entreated the forgiveness of; or all his counsels and cares, his affairs and business, in which he was concerned, and which he declared and committed to the Lord, to be directed and assisted in; or all his wants and necessities, which he spread before him at the throne of grace; which he did not as though the Lord was ignorant of these things, but partly as knowing it was the will of God that he should be inquired of by his people, to do the things for them they want; and partly to ease his own mind, and encourage his faith and hope in the Lord;
and thou heardest me: and directed him in the way he should go, and what he should do; forgave him his sins, and supplied his wants;
teach me thy statutes; which he desired to learn and obey, in gratitude for being heard and answered by him; [See comments on Ps 119:12];
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes. 27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
We have here, 1. The great intimacy and freedom that had been between David and his God. David had opened his case, opened his very heart to God: “I have declared my ways, and acknowledged thee in them all, have taken thee along with me in all my designs and enterprises.” Thus Jephthah uttered all his words, and Hezekiah spread his letters, before the Lord. “I have declared my ways, my wants, and burdens, and troubles, that I meet with in my way, or my sins, my by-ways (I have made an ingenuous confession of them), and thou heardest me, heardest patiently all I had to say, and tookedst cognizance of my case.” It is an unspeakable comfort to a gracious soul to think with what tenderness all its complaints are received by a gracious God, 1Jn 5:14; 1Jn 5:15. 2. David’s earnest desire of the continuance of that intimacy, not by visions and voices from heaven, but by the word and Spirit in an ordinary way: Teach me thy statutes, that is, Make me to understand the way of thy precepts. When he knew God had heard his declaration of his ways he did not say, “Now, Lord, tell me my lot, and let me know what the event will be;” but, “Now, Lord, tell me my duty; let me know what thou wouldst have me to do as the case stands.” Note, Those who in all their ways acknowledge God may pray in faith that he will direct their steps in the right way. And the surest way of keeping up our communion with God is by learning his statutes and walking intelligently in the way of his precepts. See 1Jn 1:6; 1Jn 1:7. 3. The good use he would make of this for the honour of God and the edification of others: “Let me have a good understanding of the way of thy precepts; give me a clear, distinct, and methodical knowledge of divine things; so shall I talk with the more assurance, and the more to the purpose, of thy wondrous works.” We can talk with a better grace of God’s wondrous works, the wonders of providence, and especially the wonders of redeeming love, when we understand the way of God’s precepts and walk in that way.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
26. I have declared my ways. In the first part of this verse he affirms he had prayed sincerely, and had not imitated the proud, who, trusting to their own wisdom, fortitude, and opulence, make not God their refuge. That man is said to declare his ways to God, who presumes neither to attempt nor undertake any thing unless with His assistance, and, depending wholly on His providence, commits all his plans to His sovereign pleasure, and centers all his affections in Him; doing all this honestly, and not as the hypocrites, who profess one thing with their lips, and conceal another within their hearts. He adds, that he was heard, which was of great importance in making him cherish good hope for the future.
In the second part of the verse he solemnly declares, that he holds nothing more dear than the acquiring of a true understanding of the law. There are not a few who make known their desires unto God, but then they would that he would yield to their extravagant passions. And, therefore, the prophet affirms that he desires nothing more than to be well instructed in God’s statutes. This statement is strengthened by the next verse, in which he once more asks the knowledge of these to be communicated to him. In both passages it must be carefully observed, that with the law of God set before us, we will reap little benefit from merely perusing it, if we have not his Spirit as our internal teacher.
Some expositors will have the word which I have translated, I will meditate, to be, I will entreat or argue, and thus the Hebrew term שוח, shuach, is referred both to the words and thoughts. The latter meaning is most in accordance with the scope of the passage. I take the import of the prophet’s words to be this: — That I may meditate upon thy wondrous works, make me to understand thy commandments. We will have no relish for the law of God until he sanctify our minds, and render them susceptible of tasting heavenly wisdom. And from this disrelish springs indifference, so that it is a grievous thing for the world to give a respectful attention to the law of God, having no savor for the admirable wisdom contained in it. With great propriety, therefore, does the prophet pray that this way may be opened to him by the gift of knowledge. From these words we are instructed, that in proportion to the spirit of knowledge given to us, our regard for the law of God, and our delight in meditating on it, ought to increase.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) I have declared.Or, recounted.
My ways.Or, as we should say, my courses, my past life, including, as the context shows, confession of sins and prayer for pardon.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 119:26. I have declared my ways I recount over my ways when thou afflictest me. Mudge. Affliction made him reflect on his ways, and gave him sufficient reason to pray to God to teach him his ordinances.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 119:26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
Ver. 26. I have declared my ways ] My sins and troubles; those thou hast remitted, and these thou hast remedied.
Teach me thy statutes
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
declared: Psa 119:106, Psa 32:5, Psa 38:18, Psa 51:1-19, Pro 28:13
teach: Psa 119:12, Psa 25:4, Psa 25:8, Psa 25:9, Psa 27:11, Psa 86:11, Psa 143:8-10, 1Ki 8:36
Reciprocal: Psa 25:5 – teach Psa 119:33 – Teach Psa 119:64 – teach Psa 119:68 – teach Psa 119:108 – teach Psa 119:124 – teach Psa 119:135 – and teach
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 119:26-27. I have declared my ways My manner of life, my sins, my temptations, my sorrows, my wants, dangers, fears, cares, and concerns; my designs, undertakings, and pursuits: I have spread them all before thee, by way of sincere confession, humble supplication, or solemn appeal. And thou heardest me Heardest patiently all I had to say, tookest cognizance of my case, and didst grant my petitions and accept my praises. Make me to understand, &c. Namely, more thoroughly and practically, the meaning of thy precepts Which are exceeding broad; and how I may walk according to them. Or, how I may demean myself in all the varieties of my condition, and in all my affairs and actions, so as is most agreeable to thy precepts. So shall I talk of thy wondrous works Of the wonders of thy law, mentioned Psa 119:18.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
119:26 I have {b} declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
(b) I have confessed my offences and now depend wholly on you.