81, 82<\/strong>. The soul grows faint, the eye dim, with the prolonged strain of watching for the fulfilment of God’s promise to deliver His servant. Cp. Psa 119:123<\/em><\/span>; Psa 69:3<\/span>; Psa 84:2<\/span>; Lam 4:17<\/span>.<\/p>\n 81 88<\/strong>. Kaph<\/em>. Faith persevering in the midst of persecution when God defers His help, and seems to be leaving him to be the prey of his enemies.<\/p>\n My soul fainteth for thy salvation – <\/B>The new division of the psalm, which begins here, is indicated by the Hebrew letter Kaph<\/I> (<\/span> k<\/I>), equivalent to k or c (hard). The word here rendered fainteth is the same that in Psa 73:26<\/span> is translated faileth: My flesh and my heart faileth. The idea is, that his strength gave way; he had such an intense desire for salvation that he became weak and powerless. Any strong emotion may thus prostrate us; and the love of God – the desire of his favor – the longing for heaven – may be so intense as to produce this result.<\/P> I hope in thy word – <\/B>I trust in thy promises, and am sustained. My powers, which would otherwise wholly fail, are upheld by thy word, and on that I rely. See Psa 119:74<\/span>.<\/P><\/p>\n Psa 119:81-88<\/span><\/p>\n My soul fainteth for Thy salvation: but I hope in Thy Word.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Painful soul moods and their antidotes<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>Painful yearning (Psa 119:81-83<\/span>).<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> The general objects of this yearning.<\/p>\n (a) <\/strong>A sense of security.<\/p>\n (b) <\/strong>A sense of comfort.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> The distress of this yearning.<\/p>\n (a) <\/strong>Weakening (Heb 12:3<\/span>)<\/p>\n (b) <\/strong>Anxious (verse 82). Hope deferred, etc.<\/p>\n (c) <\/strong>Consuming (verse 83).<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Anxious questioning (verse 84).<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> The shortness of life. How many are the days of Thy servant? This means how few, how brief. Why should this life be so short in a world where there are such wonderful results to achieve, and with a being who has immeasurable faculties to develop?<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> The advent of retribution.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>A sense of injustice (verse 85). His persecutors were <\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> Crafty.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> Wicked.<\/p>\n (3)<\/strong> Cruel.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>Firm confidence in the <\/strong>Divine Word (verses 81, 83, 87).<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>A spiritual quickening of soul (verse 88). (Homilist.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Word of God a support<\/strong><\/p>\n As <\/em>a man binds a tender sapling to a stake, that the wind may not wrench it; or throws out an anchor into the boiling sea, that the ship may be held by it; so must we bind our wavering hearts to the support of the Word of God, and stay the storm-tossed ship of our souls with the anchor of hope, that they may not sink.<\/p>\n LETTER <\/B> <\/B>CAPH. – <\/B>Eleventh Division<\/B><\/I><\/P> <\/P> Verse 81<\/span>. My soul fainteth for thy salvation<\/B><\/I>] I have longed so incessantly after thy salvation <\/I>– the complete purification and restoration of my soul, that my very spirits are exhausted. <\/P> “My heartstrings groan with deep complaint;<\/P> My soul lies panting, Lord, for thee;<\/P> And every limb and every joint<\/P> Stretches for perfect purity.” <\/P> <\/p>\n CAPH<\/B> <\/P> Fainteth, <\/B>with longing desire, and earnest expectation, and hope deferred, and hitherto disappointed. <\/P> <\/p>\n 81-83.<\/B> In sorrow the pious heartyearns for the comforts of God’s promises (Psa 73:26<\/span>;Psa 84:2<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n k, CAPH.–The Eleventh Part<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Ver. 81. CAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation<\/strong>, Either for temporal salvation and deliverance from enemies; which, being promised, was expected by him from the Lord; but not coming so soon as looked for, his spirits began to sink and faint: or for spiritual and eternal salvation, for a view of interest in it, for the joys and comforts of it, and for the full possession of is in heaven; and, particularly, for the promised Messiah, the author of it, often called the Salvation of God, because prepared and appointed by him to be the author of it: of him there was a promise, which gave the Old Testament saints reason to expect him, and for him they waited; his coming they earnestly wished for, but being long deferred, were sometimes out of heart, and ready to faint, which was here David’s case;<\/p>\n [but] I hope in thy word<\/strong>; the word of promise concerning deliverance and salvation, especially by the Messiah, which supported him, and kept him from fainting; that being firm and sure, for ever settled in heaven, and has the oath of God annexed to it, for the confirmation of it; and God is faithful that has promised, and is also able to perform; so that his word lays a solid foundation for faith and hope.<\/p>\n The eightfold Kaph <\/em>. This strengthening according to God’s promise is his earnest desire ( ) now, when within a very little his enemies have compassed his ruin ( ). His soul and eyes languish ( as in Psa 69:4<\/span>; Psa 84:3<\/span>, cf. Job 19:27<\/span>) for God’s salvation, that it may be unto him according to God’s word or promise, that this word may be fulfilled. In Psa 119:83<\/span> is hypothetical, as in Psa 21:12<\/span> and frequently; here, as perhaps also in Psa 27:10<\/span>, in the sense of “although” (Ew. 362, b<\/em>). He does not suffer anything to drive God’s word out of his mind, although he is already become like a leathern bottle blackened and shrivelled up in the smoke. The custom of the ancients of placing jars with wine over the smoke in order to make the wine prematurely old, i.e., to mellow it (vid., Rosenmller), does not yield anything towards the understanding of this passage: the skin-bottle that is not intended for present use is hung up on high; and the fact that it had to withstand the upward ascending smoke is intelligible, notwithstanding the absence of any mention of the chimney. The point of comparison, in which we agree for the most part with Hitzig, is the removal of him who in his dungeon is continually exposed to the drudgery of his persecutors. in Psa 119:84<\/span> is equivalent to “how few.” Our life here below is short, so also is the period within which the divine righteousness can reveal itself. (instead of which the lxx erroneously reads ), pits, is an old word, Psa 57:7<\/span>. The relative clause, Psa 119:85<\/span><\/em>, describes the “proud” as being a contradiction to the revealed law; for there was no necessity for saying that to dig a pit for others is not in accordance with this law. All God’s commandments are an emanation of His faithfulness, and therefore too demand faithfulness; but it is just this faithfulness that makes the poet an object of deadly hatred. They have already almost destroyed him”in the land.” It is generally rendered “on earth;” but “in heaven” at the beginning of the following octonary is too far removed to be an antithesis to it, nor does it sound like one (cf. on the other hand ouranoi’s, Mat 5:12<\/span>). It is therefore: in the land (cf. Psa 58:3<\/span>; Psa 73:9<\/span>), where they think they are the only ones who have any right there, they have almost destroyed him, without shaking the constancy of his faith. But he stands in need of fresh grace in order that he may not, however, at last succumb.<\/p>\n 11. CAPH.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/span><\/P> <\/TD> 81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but<\/I> I hope in thy word. 82 Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?<\/P> Here we have the psalmist,<\/P> I. Longing for help from heaven: My soul faints; my eyes fail.<\/I> He longs for the salvation of the Lord<\/I> and for his word,<\/I> that is, salvation according to the word. He is not thus eager for the creatures of fancy, but for the objects of faith, salvation from the present calamities under which he was groaning and the doubts and fears which he was oppressed with. It may be understood of the coming of the Messiah, and so he speaks in the name of the Old-Testament church; the souls of the faithful even fainted to see<\/I> that salvation of which the prophets testified. (1 Pet. i. 10<\/span>); their eyes failed for it. Abraham saw it at a distance, and so did others, but at such a distance that it put their eyes to the stretch and they could not stedfastly see it. David was now under prevailing dejections, and, having been long so, his eyes cried our, “When wilt thou comfort me?<\/I> Comfort me with thy salvation,<\/I> comfort me with thy word.<\/I>” Observe, 1. The salvation and consolation of God’s people are secured to them by the word, which will certainly be fulfilled in its season. 2. The promised salvation and comfort may be, and often are, long deferred, so that they are ready to faint and fall in the expectation of them. 3. Though we think the time long ere the promised salvation and comfort come, yet we must still keep our eye upon that salvation, and resolve to take up with nothing short of it. “Thy salvation, thy word, thy comfort, are what my heart is still upon.”<\/P> II. Waiting for that help, assured that it will come, and tarrying till it come: But I hope in thy word;<\/I> and but for hope the heart would break. When the eyes fail<\/I> yet the faith must not; for the vision is for an appointed time, and at the end it shall speak and shall not lie.<\/I><\/P><\/p>\n The Caph Section<\/strong><\/p>\n Scripture v. 81-88:<\/p>\n Verses 81, 82 relate <\/strong>the psalmist’s word that his soul-life continually fainted, longed for the salvation (freedom or liberty) of the Lord, but he held on to hope, in God’s word of promised deliverance, not giving up, v. 123, Psa 42:1<\/span>; Psa 73:26<\/span>; Psa 84:2<\/span>. He added his eyes failed for the fulfillment of his word of promised deliverance, saying “when wilt thou comfort me?” Job 31:16<\/span>; Deu 28:32<\/span>; Psa 69:3<\/span>; Isa 38:11<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verses 83, 84<\/strong> add that he had come to be “like a bottle in the smoke, His skin was like a shriveled wine bottle, dried in the smoke, yet he did not forget the statutes of the Lord, Psa 102:3-4<\/span>; Psa 31:4<\/span>; Pro 17:22<\/span>; Job 30:30<\/span>. Like Job, he asked God to send judgment speedily on his foes, because of the brevity of his own life as God’s servant, Psa 39:4<\/span>; Psa 89:47-48<\/span>; Psa 7:6<\/span>; Rev 6:10<\/span>. See also Job 7:6-21<\/span>; Job 9:25<\/span>; Job 16:22<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verses 85, 86<\/strong> assert that all God’s commandments are faithful (trustworthy), yet the proud had persecuted the psalmist wickedly, digging pits, laying snares against him, out of harmony with the law of the Lord, v.21, 78. From this entrapment state he cried, “help thou me,” come to my rescue; Treachery is against the law of God; The breakers shall be punished, Psa 35:7<\/span>; Psa 7:15<\/span>; Psa 35:19<\/span>; Psa 38:19<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 87<\/strong> acknowledges “they (the proud) had almost consumed me upon the earth, but 1 forsook not (deserted not) thy precepts;” Though a small remnant only was left in Israel, a seed did keep on trusting, hoping, Joh 1:11-12<\/span>; Luk 1:32<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 88<\/strong> intercedes “Quicken me (make me to live, be revived) after thy loving kindness, so shall I keep thy testimonies,” to will and to do His commandments, Joh 7:17<\/span>; Php_2:13; 2Co 8:12<\/span>; Rom 12:1-2<\/span>.<\/p>\n 81. My soul hath fainted for thy salvation. The Psalmist intimates that, although worn out with continual grief, and perceiving no issue to his calamities, yet trouble and weariness had not produced such a discouraging effect upon his mind, as to prevent him from always reposing with confidence in God. To bring out the meaning the more distinctly, we must begin at the second clause, which is obviously added by way of exposition. There he affirms that he trusts in God; and this is the foundation of all. But, intending to express the invincible constancy of his trust, he tells us that he patiently endured all the distresses, under which others succumb. We see some embracing with great eagerness the promises of God; but their ardor, within a short time, vanishes; or, at least, is quenched by adversity. It was far otherwise with David. The verb כלה, kalah, which signifies to faint, or to be consumed, seems, indeed, at first sight, to convey a different meaning. But the prophet, in this passage, as in other places, by fainting means that patience, which those who are deprived of all strength, and who seem to be already dead, continue to cherish, and which inspires their hearts with secret groanings, and such as cannot be uttered. This fainting, then, is opposed to the delicacy of those who cannot suffer a long delay. <\/p>\n CAPH.<\/strong><\/p>\n (81) Fainteth.<\/strong>The same Hebrew word as fail<\/em> in the next verse.<\/p>\n , Caph.<\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n 81-88<\/strong>. <\/strong> My soul fainteth <\/strong> Affliction and trial are again upon him. “The clouds return after the rain.” The exact point of the grief is expressed in Psa 119:83<\/span>. <\/p>\n A bottle in the smoke <\/strong> One hung up on the tent poles clear of the heads of the inmates, and, of course, where the smoke finds its way toward the hole in the peak of the tent. It means useless, unemployed, idle. <\/em> Possibly the writer was in prison, as Paul afterward languished at Rome.<\/p>\n Very bitter, worse than death, to a free, generous soul, is such enforced idleness. The crown of those who suffer should be brighter than that of those who are active. It is in these trying days that the psalmist wishes to rest his fainting soul on the testimony of God’s mouth.<\/p>\n Caph. <\/em> The Consolation of God’s Word in the Midst of Great Troubles. <\/p>\n v. 81. My soul fainteth for Thy salvation,<\/strong> in the extreme longing brought about by a further attack of sorrow; but I hope in Thy Word,<\/strong> he refuses to let go this trust. <\/p>\n v. 82. Mine eyes,<\/strong> strained with gazing for the coming of salvation, fail for Thy Word,<\/strong> on account of his waiting for the fulfilment of God’s promises, saying, When wilt Thou comfort me?<\/strong> The assistance which he longed for seemed so slow in coming that he was filled with impatience and begged for a speedy revelation of God’s mercy. <\/p>\n v. 83. For I am become like a bottle in the smoke,<\/strong> a wine-skin shriveled up and blackened from being suspended high over the fireplace, the point of comparison being in the discarding of a useless article; yet do I not forget Thy statutes,<\/strong> he clings to God’s Word, which alone has permanent value for a poor sinner. <\/p>\n v. 84. How many are the days of Thy servant?<\/strong> This question arises in his heart on account of the shortness of human life, this fact causing him to fear that he may not live long enough to see himself vindicated before his enemies. When wilt Thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?<\/strong> He begs that God would interfere in his behalf very soon, since the enemies are showing an increased activity. <\/p>\n v. 85. The proud have digged pits for me,<\/strong> plotting with the intention of destroying him, which are not after Thy Law,<\/strong> that is, although they pretend to be actuated only by the highest motives, in our days, for instance, by the welfare of the state, by the demands of a universal brotherhood, yet they have, in truth, no basis for their action in the Word of God. <\/p>\n v. 86. All Thy commandments are faithful,<\/strong> altogether trustworthy and dependable; they persecute me wrongfully,<\/strong> with the usual false accusations as to his being an enemy of existing order and obstinately wanting his own way; help Thou me. <\/p>\n v. 87. They had almost consumed me upon earth,<\/strong> their plans to destroy him had almost succeeded; but I forsook not Thy precepts,<\/strong> he would not give up his trust in the Word of God. <\/p>\n v. 88. Quicken me after Thy loving-kindness,<\/strong> giving him new spiritual life and strength, both for enduring persecutions and for overcoming his enemies; so shall I keep the testimony of Thy mouth,<\/strong> for every new evidence of God’s power in the life of the believers tends to strengthen their faith in the testimony of God for Himself, for the truth, against sin. <\/p>\n CAPH.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The opening of this portion is also very beautiful, in reference to the Lord Jesus, who waited with longing expectation for the time of his being manifested unto Israel. Hence we find him, in the days of his flesh, longing for the time of his baptism, as he graciously called it and as being straitened until it was accomplished, Luk 12:50<\/span> . He seemed to long for the hour; and hence, through the whole of the Old Testament dispensation, all the ordinances instituted were types and shadows of good things to come, as if to tell his people that he waited with anxiety for the period to arrive, when he should enter upon the work of redemption, which he had covenanted with the Father to perform, for the saving of his church and people. Reader! it is a blessed thing, when the souls of the redeemed faint for Jesus and his salvation, in their ardent desires after him, as Jesus fainted with holy longings for finishing the work the Father gave him to do. Psa 42:1-2<\/span> . It is no small beauty in this portion of the Psalm, that as the first verse opens with an account of the soul’s fainting with longing desires; so the last verse ends with earnest cries, for the quickening influence; of the Spirit. Reader! I do not know what correspondence your experience may have to these things; but I know that the souls of God’s people, who most desire to feel the faintings after Jesus; will complain most of standing in need of his quickening influences. Oh! for grace to improve the love of Jesus to the soul, by going in that love after farther discoveries of his love and grace, and panting after larger, fuller, and more frequent manifestations of it continually. Precious Jesus! grant me this mercy, and let me have continual actings of faith upon thy glorious person and righteousness, until my whole soul is filled with thee, and thy love! Son 2:5<\/span> .<\/p>\n Psa 119:81 CAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: [but] I hope in thy word.<\/p>\n Ver. 81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation<\/strong> ] Saying, as those good souls, Jer 8:20<\/span> , “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Physicians let their patients’ blood sometimes, etiam ad animae deliquium,<\/em> till they swoon again. Howbeit, they have a care still to maintain nature; so doth God the fainting spirits of his people by cordials, Isa 57:16<\/span> . <\/p>\n <\/p>\n But I hope in thy word<\/strong> ] Vivere spe vidi qui moriturus erat.<\/p>\n NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 119:81-88 (Kaph)<\/p>\n 81My soul languishes for Your salvation;<\/p>\n I wait for Your word.<\/p>\n 82My eyes fail with longing for Your word,<\/p>\n While I say, When will You comfort me?<\/p>\n 83Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,<\/p>\n I do not forget Your statutes.<\/p>\n 84How many are the days of Your servant?<\/p>\n When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?<\/p>\n 85The arrogant have dug pits for me,<\/p>\n Men who are not in accord with Your law.<\/p>\n 86All Your commandments are faithful;<\/p>\n They have persecuted me with a lie; help me!<\/p>\n 87They almost destroyed me on earth,<\/p>\n But as for me, I did not forsake Your precepts.<\/p>\n 88Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,<\/p>\n So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.<\/p>\n Psa 119:81-88 This stanza is dominated by perfect tense verbs. The psalmist felt attacked!<\/p>\n 1. those who persecute me, Psa 119:84<\/p>\n 2. the arrogant have dug pits for me, Psa 119:85<\/p>\n 3. men who are not in accord with Your law, Psa 119:85<\/p>\n 4. they have persecuted me with a lie, Psa 119:86<\/p>\n 5. they almost destroyed me on earth, Psa 119:87<\/p>\n He claims to be faithful to God’s word and pleads with God to act on his behalf.<\/p>\n 1. help me – BDB 740, KB 810, Qal imperative, Psa 119:86<\/p>\n 2. revive\/preserve me – BDB 1036, KB 1581, Piel imperative, Psa 119:88<\/p>\n Psa 119:81 soul This is the term nephesh (BDB 659). For a full discussion see note at Gen 35:18 online at www.freebiblecommentary.org .<\/p>\n languishes The psalmist uses several verbs to describe his physical and mental state.<\/p>\n 1. languishes – BDB 477, KB 476, Qal perfect, Psa 119:81<\/p>\n 2. waits – BDB 403, KB 407, Piel perfect, Psa 119:81<\/p>\n 3. eyes fail – BDB 477, KB 476, Qal perfect, Psa 119:82<\/p>\n 4. become like a wineskin in the smoke – BDB 224, KB 243, Qal perfect. This is an unusual and rare idiom. It seems to mean burnt and brittle. But because of the next line it could denote smoke blindness (cf. 1Co 13:12).<\/p>\n Psa 119:82 In the midst of the problems of life and personal attacks, even faithful followers call out to God with why? or when will it be over?<\/p>\n Psa 119:83 The idiom of Psa 119:83 a is unusual and ambiguous (see note at Psa 119:81; #Psa 119:4).<\/p>\n The second line is an attempt by the psalmist to assert his own faithfulness (cf. Psa 119:81 b, 87b; also note Psa 119:61; Psa 119:141; Psa 119:153; Psa 119:176). His persecutors deserve God’s judgment but he does not. He throws himself on the faithfulness of God (cf. Psa 119:88 a).<\/p>\n Psa 119:84 How many are the days of Your servant This asserts<\/p>\n 1. the foreknowledge of God (cf. Mat 10:29-31)<\/p>\n 2. the limited time of human life (cf. Psa 39:4)<\/p>\n 3. a call to act appropriately in the time each of us has (cf. Psa 90:12; Mat 6:25-34; Eph 5:15-16)<\/p>\n Psa 119:85 dug pits This is an idiom from hunting. A pit was dug to capture prey. It became a metaphor for human treachery (cf. Psa 7:15; Psa 57:6; Jer 18:22).<\/p>\n The NEB and REB see the Hebrew root tales (BDB 967) instead of pit (BDB 1001). This is only a change from to .<\/p>\n Psa 119:86 The commandments here may refer to the curses on those who violate God’s revealed will (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-30). These are the persecutors referred to in Psa 119:85 b who do not live in accordance with God’s law.<\/p>\n They are the exact opposite of the faithful followers (cf. Psa 119:81-83; Psa 119:87).<\/p>\n help me This imperative (see note at Psa 119:81-88) is similar to Psa 109:26. God’s covenant loyalty (i.e., hesed, cf. Psa 119:88 a; see Special Topic: Lovingkindness) is the basis of mankind’s hope. It is His unchanging character of mercy and grace that brings hope and peace in this fallen world. See SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL’S GOD .<\/p>\n Psa 119:88 a The UBS Handbook (p. 1022) mentions that the MT and LXX have the verb spare my life (BDB 310, KB 309, Piel imperative), while the DSS text has be kind to me (cf. TEV).<\/p>\n Psa 119:88 b This is the desire of God’s faithful followers (cf. Psa 19:14)!<\/p>\n The verb keep (BDB 1036, KB 1581) is a Qal cohortative. See Special Topic: Keep . Obedience to revelation is crucial and is evidence of one’s faith relationship with YHWH and His Messiah (cf. Luk 6:46).<\/p>\n Psa 119:81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.<\/p>\n The psalmist was so full of longings, hungerings, thirstings, for Gods salvation that he had come even to faintness through the strength of his desire. Yet, in his faintness, he was not too far gone to hope; and we also have good ground for hoping and believing that God, who gave us his Word, will stand to it, for he is both able and willing to fulfill all that he has promised.<\/p>\n Psa 119:82. Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?<\/p>\n He looked out for a message from God as the watchers of the night looked for the breaking of the morning. His eyes ached to behold the comforts of his God. Oh, blessed state of strong desire! I pray God that we may all experience it<\/p>\n Psa 119:83. For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.<\/p>\n When an empty skin bottle was hung up in one of the smoky dwellings of the East, it became withered, cracked, useless; and the psalmist says, I am become like a bottle in the smoke, I seem to be good for nothing, withered, dried up; yet do I not forget thy statutes. A good memory is one of the best of things for us to possess; but a good memory for that which is good is better still.<\/p>\n Psa 119:84. How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me? <\/p>\n I am not going to live here for ever, Lord; let me not have to wait to be vindicated until I am in my grave. O my God, hasten the day of my deliverance!<\/p>\n Psa 119:85-86. The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law. All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.<\/p>\n Gods Word is all true; the longer we test and try it, the more shall we find it to be worthy of our fullest confidence. Those who doubt its truth have never really proved its power. Those who mistrust it, in any degree, are as yet like inexperienced mariners who are constantly doubting and fearing what is going to happen; but those who have long done business on the great waters of the ocean of divine inspiration, and who have seen the wonders of the Lord there, will fell you that, though heaven and earth shall pass away, Gods Word shall endure for ever. We have seen a thousand things in the course of our earthly pilgrimage, but there is one thing that we have never seen, and that we never shall see, namely, God proving unfaithful to his promise, and deserting his people in their time of need. What a short yet comprehensive prayer the psalmist prayed when he uttered those three words, Help thou me! Help thou me, that I may never be frightened by those who wrongfully persecute me; that I may never do anything to deserve their persecution; that I may be able to behave myself wisely while they are plotting against me. If you are in business, write this prayer on your shops, your offices, and your ledgers; if you are sick, have this petition hanging before your eyes, that you may be constantly reminded to cry to the Lord, Help thou me.<\/p>\n Psa 119:87. They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.<\/p>\n Therefore his enemies could not consume him. As long as the believer holds fast to Gods precepts, he is indigestible even to the old dragon himself; and no adversary shall ever be able to devour him as long as the Word of God is in his heart.<\/p>\n Psa 119:88. Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.<\/p>\n Give me more true spiritual life, inspirit me, revive me, quicken me. At this very moment, good Lord, if I am cold, and half frozen, and almost dead, yet since I am like the trees, whose life is in them even when they have lost their leaves, give me a new spring-time: Quicken me after thy lovingkindness. We all need this quickening if we are to hold on and hold out to the end; and, blessed be the name of the Lord, New supplies each hour we meet while pressing on to God.<\/p>\n Psa 119:81-88<\/p>\n Psa 119:81-88<\/p>\n STROPHE 11<\/p>\n THE PROUD HAVE ALMOST TRIUMPHED OVER HIM; BUT HE TRUSTS IN THE LAW AND LONGS FOR SALVATION<\/p>\n Kaph<\/p>\n “My soul fainteth for thy salvation;<\/p>\n But I hope in thy word.<\/p>\n Mine eyes fail for thy word,<\/p>\n While I say, When wilt thou comfort me?<\/p>\n For I am become like a wine-skin in the smoke;<\/p>\n Yet do I not forget thy statutes.<\/p>\n How many are the days of thy servant?<\/p>\n When wilt thou execute judgment upon them that persecute me?<\/p>\n The proud have digged pits for me,<\/p>\n Who are not according to thy law.<\/p>\n All thy commandments are faithful:<\/p>\n They persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.<\/p>\n They had almost consumed me upon earth;<\/p>\n But I forsook not thy precepts.<\/p>\n Quicken me after thy lovingkindness;<\/p>\n So shall I observe the testimonies of thy mouth.”<\/p>\n “Mine eyes fail for thy word” (Psa 119:82). His studies of God’s word have been so prolonged and intense that his eyesight has been impaired.<\/p>\n “Like a wine-skin in the smoke” (Psa 119:83). The simile here is a comparison with, “A skin bottle dried and shriveled up in smoke, so is he withered by sorrow.<\/p>\n The whole thought of this strophe was apparently captured by Delitzsch. “The psalmist stands in need of fresh grace in order that he may not, however, at last succumb.<\/p>\n E.M. Zerr:<\/p>\n Psa 119:81. David’s whole being was hungering and thirsting for the salvation that comes from God. To that end he relied on the word for instruction. <\/p>\n Psa 119:82. This is some more figurative language, denoting the earnestness of the Psalmist in his desire for the word of the Lord. His particular desire was for comfort in his afflictions and persecutions at the hands of his enemies. <\/p>\n Psa 119:83. Bottles were made of skins of animals, and when new were moist and pliable and strong. (Mat 9:17.) But when old or if subjected to smoke or fumes they would become shriveled and weak. David compared himself in the midst of afflictions to a bottle in the midst of smoke or fumes Nevertheless, lie remembered the statutes of the Lord and took courage. <\/p>\n Psa 119:84. The Psalmist means in his questioning, how many more days of persecution must he suffer? He believed that relief would come whenever God saw fit to apply his law or execute his judgment against the enemies. <\/p>\n Psa 119:85. Pride is often manifested by a rebellious spirit against those who are righteous. Digged a pit means they plotted to bring about the downfall of David, and the reason they had such wicked desires was because they were not keeping the law. <\/p>\n Psa 119:86. Faithful is rendered “faithfulness” in the margin which expresses the thought correctly. The meaning is that obedience to the commandments will cause a man to be a true servant of God. The pronoun they stands for the personal enemies of David, so he prayed for the Lord to help him. <\/p>\n Psa 119:87. They again refers to David’s enemies who had almost brought him to the brink of ruin. But he clung to the precepts of the Lord and thus won the victory. <\/p>\n Psa 119:88. To quicken means to enliven or cheer up another, and the lovingkindness of the Lord will have that effect on a man. With such an incentive, David felt assured that he would keep and observe the testimony that had been spoken by the Lord. <\/p>\n the Word That Stands Fast <\/p>\n Psa 119:81-96<\/p>\n They persecute wrongfully; they dig pits; they have almost consumed; they have waited to destroy; but thy Word abides steadfast. The driven soul flees to the cleft of the Rock and hides there.<\/p>\n At the beginning of our religious life we rest on the assurances of others. Our parents, teachers, ministers, all insist on the truth of Scripture and the certainty of the facts which it reveals; but as life goes on we change our foundations and advance to the personal and experimental conviction which has been wrought in us by years of testing the Word of God for ourselves.<\/p>\n The famous Scotch clergyman, Thomas Erskine, said that no demolition of outward authority, even if such demolition were possible, could deprive him of the conviction of the divine origin and authority of the Bible, because it so exactly coincided with the experiences of his life, and had been verified in so many remarkable instances. We have experienced Gods faithfulness to His promises too often to be afraid of any attack upon the truth of Scripture. It is settled in heaven, Psa 119:89.<\/p>\n fainteth: Psa 119:20, Psa 119:40, Psa 42:1, Psa 42:2, Psa 73:26, Psa 84:2, Son 5:8, Rev 3:15, Rev 3:16 <\/p>\n but I: Psa 119:42, Psa 119:74, Psa 119:77, Psa 119:114 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: 2Sa 23:5 – all my salvation 2Sa 23:15 – longed 2Ch 9:4 – there was Job 6:8 – the thing that I long for Job 19:27 – another Psa 13:5 – my heart Psa 38:10 – heart Psa 39:7 – hope Psa 40:16 – love Psa 51:8 – Make Psa 63:1 – soul Psa 71:5 – For thou Psa 119:49 – upon which Psa 119:123 – General Psa 119:147 – hoped Psa 119:166 – Lord Psa 119:174 – longed Psa 130:5 – and in his Psa 143:4 – my heart Pro 13:12 – Hope Lam 3:21 – therefore Jon 2:7 – my soul Rom 7:24 – wretched Rom 8:26 – with Rom 15:4 – that 2Co 4:16 – we<\/p>\n CAPH.<\/p>\n Psa 119:81-84. My soul fainteth for thy salvation With longing desire, earnest expectation, and hope deferred. Mine eyes fail With looking hither and thither, and to thee for help. I am become like a bottle in the smoke A bottle of skin or leather, (the only ones then in use,) which, being hung up in the smoke, and by that means parched and dry, aptly represents a person worn out and dried up with long suspense and expectation, The sense is, My natural moisture is dried up; I am withered, deformed, and despised, and my case grows worse and worse every day. How many are the days of thy servant? Either, 1st, The days of my life; I have but a little while to live in the world; give me some respite before I die; or the days of my misery. How long, Lord, shall my misery last? For ever?<\/p>\n 119:81 CAPH. My soul {a} fainteth for thy salvation: [but] I hope in thy word.<\/p>\n (a) Though my strength fails me, yet my soul groans and sighs, resting still in your word.<\/p>\n 11. The reliability of God’s Word 119:81-88<\/span><\/p>\n The poet had almost given up as he waited for God to save him from his enemies, but he found God’s revelation to be a reliable source of strength (Psa 119:81-82). Feeling similar to a wineskin shriveled up by the smoke of a fire, he asked God how much longer he would have to wait for salvation (Psa 119:83-86). In spite of severe attacks by his enemies, he had remained true to God’s ways and requested safe keeping (Psa 119:87-88; cf. Psa 119:159).<\/p>\n "When the Father allows His children to go into the furnace of affliction, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat." [Note: Ibid., p. 322.] <\/span><\/p>\n My soul fainteth for thy salvation: [but] I hope in thy word. 81, 82. The soul grows faint, the eye dim, with the prolonged strain of watching for the fulfilment of God’s promise to deliver His servant. Cp. Psa 119:123; Psa 69:3; Psa 84:2; Lam 4:17. Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 81 … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 119:81”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15990\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I. <\/strong>Painful moods of soul.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>Antidotes.<\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
<\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE> Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"