Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:38
Establish thy word unto thy servant, who [is devoted] to thy fear.
38. who is devoted to thy fear ] This rendering is retained in R.V. marg., but the order of the words is in favour of rendering
Confirm unto thy servant thy promise
Which belongeth to the fear of thee,
or, Which maketh for the fear of thee. Perform for me the promises made to those who fear Thee: or, which aim at promoting and encouraging reverence for Thee. Cp. Psa 130:4.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Stablish thy word unto thy servant – Confirm it; make it seem firm and true; let not my mind be vacillating or skeptical in regard to thy truth. This seems to be a prayer against the influence of doubt and scepticism; a prayer that doubts might not be suffered to spring up in his mind, and that the objections and difficulties of scepticism might have no place there. There is a class of people whose minds are naturally skeptical and unbelieving, and for such people such a prayer is especially appropriate. For none can it be improper to pray that the word of God may always seem to them to be true; that their minds may never be left to the influence of doubt and unbelief.
Who is devoted to thy fear – literally, Who, or which, to thy fear. This may refer either to the author of the psalm, or to the word of God. It may mean that he was among those who feared – that is, worshipped God; or, that the word of God had reference to the fear, that is, to the worship of God, or was designed to secure that. The construction seems to demand the latter interpretation; and then the prayer is, that God would confirm his faith in that word – in that revealed truth – which was designed to secure the worship of God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 119:38
Stablish Thy Word unto Thy servant, who is devoted to Thy fear.
Confirmation
By the Word here, some understand simply the promise of God. But, in truth, the meaning is far larger, and comprehends the whole Word of Gods revelation–truth, precept, command, judgment, promise–he prays for the confirmation or stablishment of the whole.
I. In respect to its truth. Are there any serious intellectual doubts about the Word of God? About its Divine origin? its inspiration? its great doctrines? These doubts must be dealt with in their own nature, and for what they are. As they affect a mans mind he must meet them with his mind–he must examine the evidences which have been adduced for the disputed points, and take time to make the examination complete. If a man, for instance, reads a good deal of the sceptical criticism of the time, and a good deal of light literature, which is not unfrequently spiced by a little scepticism to make it more piquant, and–nothing, or something by the merest chance, in the department of the Christian apology and defence–that is not fair, either to the truth or to the mind. He is not taking the proper way to solve his doubts. He is feeding them. The Book itself should be read. It carries its own light, evidences, defences. To read it is, in many an instance, to find an answer to the objections made against it. Then, again, there are doubts and irresolute conditions of mind which can only be exchanged for faith and fixedness by the instrumentality of work–honest, earnest work for God. Exercise thyself unto godliness. But our text seems especially to remind us that there are some doubts–affecting the Word of God as truth–which will yield only to prayer. Not to thinking, not to reading, not to Christian working–only to prayer. The text is a prayer. It is the looking of the shadowed soul up to the very source of light. Stablish Thy Word unto Thy servant; and unless religion is all a dream, and our hopes in God the greatest vanities of our life, there must be answer.
II. In respect to its preciousness. The Gospel is exceedingly precious. When first consciously received, it is accepted with thankfulness and joy. The first love is fed by fresh discoveries, by wondering thought, by rapid acts of faith, by grateful memories, by new-born hopes,–these all make fuel for that holy flame. Alas! that it should change, and cool, and wane, and darken! Just where and when discovery is made of decline and failure, there and then begin renewal and repair.
III. In respect to its practical power. If there be one point in human experience more dangerous than another, it is exactly the point between faith and practice, between inward love and outward work. That point, or region rather, is one where Satan has great advantage. He persuades us that it is enough to think truly, to feel tenderly, and that we really need not fritter away the fine bloom and strength of the inner man in constant rounds of dusty activity. Are there not many intelligent Christian people who do very little visibly and expressly for Christ? Our emotion should not be a turbulent and intermittent thing, like the pool of Bethesda, which took motion and gave healing only after it had been troubled by the angel; but rather like the waters of Siloah–that flow softly, but also steadily, and equably, all day long, and all through the year. Continuing in Christs Word, we become His disciples indeed. (A. Raleigh, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 38. Stablish thy word] Fulfil the promises thou hast made to me.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Confirm and perform thy promises, as concerning the kingdom, so also for the giving of gracious assistances, directions and comforts to those that fear thee, of which number I am one.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
38. who is devoted to thy fearorbetter, “which (that is, Thy word) is for Thy fear,” forproducing it. “Which is to those who fear Thee.” God’s wordof promise belongs peculiarly to such (compare Gen 18:19;1Ki 2:4; 1Ki 8:25)[HENGSTENBERG].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Stablish thy word unto thy servant,…. Either God’s word of promise, which never fails, is firm and stable in Christ; and the sense is, that God would assure him of the fulfilment of it, and give him a strong faith and firm belief of it; for otherwise the word of the Lord cannot be surer or more stable than it is: or else the word of his grace; and then the sense is, that he might be established in it, and the truths of it, and be established by it; for the word is a means of establishment, and a good thing it is to have the heart established with grace, with the doctrine of grace, Heb 13:9;
who [is devoted] to thy fear; who served the Lord with reverence and godly fear; who feared the Lord and his goodness; that grace being a reigning one in his heart, and ever before his eyes. Or, “which is unto thy fear” d; that is, which word is unto thy fear; which leads unto it, and has a tendency to promote and increase it; and so is a commendation of the word of God from this effect of it.
d “quod ad timorem tuum”, Pagninus, Montanus; “quod ad timorem tui facit”, Musculus; “et ducit”, Schmidt; “quod datum est ad timorem tui”, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
Here is 1. The character of a good man, which is the work of God’s grace in him; he is God’s servant, subject to his law and employed in his work, that is, devoted to his fear, given up to his direction and disposal, and taken up with high thoughts of him and all those acts of devotion which have a tendency to his glory. Those are truly God’s servants who, though they have their infirmities and defects, are sincerely devoted to the fear of God and have all their affections and motions governed by that fear; they are engaged and addicted to religion. 2. The confidence that a good man has towards God, in dependence upon the word of his grace to him. Those that are God’s servants may, in faith and with humble boldness, pray that God would establish his word to them, that is, that he would fulfil his promises to them in due time, and in the mean time give them an assurance that they shall be fulfilled. What God has promised we must pray for; we need not be so aspiring as to ask more; we need not be so modest as to ask less.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
38. Confirm thy word unto thy servant. Here we have briefly set forth the sole end and legitimate use of prayer, which is, that we may reap the fruits of God’s promises. Whence it comes to pass, that they commit sin who utter vague and incoherent desires. For we perceive the prophet allows not himself to petition or wish any thing but what God hath condescended to promise. And certainly their presumption is great, who rush into the presence of God without any call from his word; as if they would make him subservient to their humor and caprice. The argument by which the Psalmist enforces his plea deserves to be noticed; because I am devoted to thy fear. The relative אשר asher, in this place bears the signification of the causal conjunction, because or for. The prophet intimates that he does not content himself with mere temporal enjoyments, as worldly men do; and that he did not make a preposterous abuse of God’s promises, to secure the delights of the flesh, but that he made his fear and reverence his aim. And truly the best assurance which we can have of obtaining our requests is when these and God’s service harmonize, and our sole desire is that he may reign in and over us.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(38) Who is devoted to thy fear.This is an improbable explanation of this elliptical expression. There are two renderings, each in accordance with the general drift of the psalm: (1) Stablish to Thy servant Thy word, which leads to fear of Thee; or, more likely, (2) Stablish to Thy servant Thy promise which is to those who fear Thee, as apparently the LXX.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 119:38. Stablish thy word unto thy servant Make good thy word unto thy servant; which will issue in thy fear. Which will be thy fear; i.e. thy honour; it will turn to thy honour. There is mercy with thee, therefore shalt thou be feared; i.e. honoured; this would be a foundation of homage to God. So here God’s fidelity would make him feared, and gain him honour and homage. Mudge.
VAU.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 119:38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who [is devoted] to thy fear.
Ver. 38. Stablish thy word unto thy servant ] i.e. Make good thy promise; we must by our prayers put the promises of God in suit, and God will perform them.
Who is devoted to thy fear
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Who is devoted to Thy fear. Supply Ellipsis thus: “Which [leadeth to] reverence of Thee”; or, “Which [pertaineth to]”, &c.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
fear
(See Scofield “Psa 19:9”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Stablish: Psa 119:49, 2Sa 7:25-29, 2Co 1:20
who is devoted: Psa 103:11, Psa 103:13, Psa 103:17, Psa 145:19, Psa 147:11, Jer 32:39-41
Reciprocal: Luk 1:38 – be Rom 7:12 – the law