Psalm 119: Wisdom psalm

Instructions

The Psalter and the (re)definition of wisdom and its blessings.

This genre of psalms provides instructions about right living and right faith in the tradition of other wisdom writings.[1]

Ps119 is instructions given by God to the ancient Israelites at Sinai.[2]

How to respond in times of vulnerability:

V17-24: petition and complaint, then ending with words of trust.[3] Similar pattern V25-32.

V33-40: the key idea is to understand, observe and guard God’s instructions with all my heart.

V41-48: hopeful words of trust in God.[4] 

V49-56: there is a repetition of the word “remember”, where the psalmist asks God to remember God’s promise, and the psalmist remembers God’s ordinances and the name of God.[5]

V65-72: there is a repetition of the word “good”, emphasising that one is to remember the goodness of God and God’s instructions even in the midst of despair.[6]

V73-80: God’s hesed is comfort, God’s compassions allow the psalmist to live. In response the psalmist find delight in God’s instruction and meditates on God’s precept and is not ashamed.[7]

V81: long for God’s help, wait expectantly.

V97: psalmist love and meditate on God’s instruction all day.

V128: All your precepts I declare upright, every path of falsehood I hate.

V130: insights into words of God gives light and making even foolish ones perceptive.

V145-152: psalmist repeated cries out to Go for an answer, for help, and for life, then cites God’ promise, ordinances and hesed in V153-60.

V162: the psalmist leap with joy because of God’s promise

God’s response:

V76: Lord listens, comforts. V77: God has compassion.

V90: God is trustworthy.

V121: because of the psalmist’s justice and righteousness, psalmist pleas to God to V124: “Do to your servant according to your hesed”.

Overall, psalmist repeatedly implores God to “cause me to live because of the instruction, the decree, the recept, the ordinance, the words, the promise, the statute, the commandments.” The teachings of God are good for humanity.[8]

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[1] DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and LaNeel Tanner. The Book of Psalms, 870.

[2] DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and LaNeel Tanner. The Book of Psalms, 870.

[3] DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and LaNeel Tanner. The Book of Psalms, 882.

[4] DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and LaNeel Tanner. The Book of Psalms, 882.

[5] DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and LaNeel Tanner. The Book of Psalms, 882.

[6] DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and LaNeel Tanner. The Book of Psalms, 883.

[7] DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and LaNeel Tanner. The Book of Psalms, 883.

[8] DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and LaNeel Tanner. The Book of Psalms, 886.