71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; That I may learn thy statutes.
Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Jehovah, And teachest out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit be digged for the wicked.
For they indeed for a few days chastened `us' as seemed good to them; but he for `our' profit, that `we' may be partakers of his holiness. All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, `even the fruit' of righteousness.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 119
Commentary on Psalms 119 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 119
The great esteem and affection David had for the word of God is the more admirable considering how little he had of it, in comparison with what we have, no more perhaps in writing than the first books of Moses, which were but the dawning of this day, which may shame us who enjoy the full discoveries of divine revelation and yet are so cold towards it.
In singing this psalm there is work for all the devout affections of a sanctified soul, so copious, so various, is the matter of it. We here find that in which we must give glory to God both as our ruler and great benefactor, that in which we are to teach and admonish ourselves and one another (so many are the instructions which we here find about a religious life), and that in which we are to comfort and encourage ourselves and one another, so many are the sweet experiences of one that lived such a life. Here is something or other to suit the case of every Christian. Is any afflicted? Is any merry? Each will find that here which is proper for him. And it is so far from being a tedious repetition of the same thing, as may seem to those who look over it cursorily, that, if we duly meditate upon it, we shall find almost every verse has a new thought and something in it very lively. And this, as many other of David's psalms, teaches us to be sententious in our devotions, both alone and when others join with us; for, ordinarily, the affections, especially of weaker Christians, are more likely to be raised and kept by short expressions, the sense of which lies in a little compass, than by long and laboured periods.
1. ALEPH.
Psa 119:1-3
The psalmist here shows that godly people are happy people; they are, and shall be, blessed indeed. Felicity is the thing we all pretend to aim at and pursue. He does not say here wherein it consists; it is enough for us to know what we must do and be that we may attain to it, and that we are here told. All men would be happy, but few take the right way; God has here laid before us the right way, which we may be sure will end in happiness, though it be strait and narrow. Blessednesses are to the righteous; all manner of blessedness. Now observe the characters of the happy people. Those are happy,
Psa 119:4-6
We are here taught,
Psa 119:7-8
Here is,
2. BETH.
Psa 119:9
Here is,
Psa 119:10
Here is,
Psa 119:11
Here is,
Psa 119:12
Here,
Psa 119:13-16
Here,
3. GIMEL.
Psa 119:17
We are here taught,
Psa 119:18
Observe here,
Psa 119:19
Here we have,
Psa 119:20
David had prayed that God would open his eyes (v. 18) and open the law (v. 19); now here he pleads the earnestness of his desire for knowledge and grace, for it is the fervent prayer that avails much.
Psa 119:21
Here is,
Psa 119:22
Here,
Psa 119:23
See here,
Psa 119:24
Here David explains his meditating in God's statutes (v. 23), which was of such use to him when princes sat and spoke against him.
4. DALETH.
Psa 119:25
Here is,
Psa 119:26-27
We have here,
Psa 119:28-29
Here is,
Psa 119:30-32
Observe,
5. HE.
Psa 119:33-34
Here,
Psa 119:35-36
He had before prayed to God to enlighten his understanding, that he might know his duty, and not mistake concerning it; here he prays to God to bow his will, and quicken the active powers of his soul, that he might do his duty; for it is God that works in us both to will and to do, as well as to understand, what is good, Phil. 2:13. Both the good head and the good heart are from the good grace of God, and both are necessary to every good work. Observe here,
Psa 119:37
Here,
Psa 119:38
Here is
Psa 119:39
Here,
Psa 119:40
Here,
6. VAU.
Psa 119:41-42
Here is,
Psa 119:43-44
Here is,
Psa 119:45-48
We may observe in these verses,
7. ZAIN.
Psa 119:49
Two things David here pleads with God in prayer for that mercy and grace which he hoped for, according to the word, by which his requests were guided:-
Psa 119:50
Here is David's experience of benefit by the word.
Psa 119:51
David here tells us, and it will be of use to us to know it,
Psa 119:52
When David was derided for his godliness he not only held fast his integrity, but,
Psa 119:53
Here is,
Psa 119:54
Here is,
Psa 119:55-56
Here is,
8. CHETH.
Psa 119:57
We may hence gather the character of a godly man.
Psa 119:58
David, having in the foregoing verse reflected upon his covenants with God, here reflects upon his prayers to God, and renews his petition. Observe,
Psa 119:59-60
David had said he would keep God's word (v. 57), and it was well said; now here he tells us how and in what method he pursued that resolution.
Psa 119:61
Here is,
Psa 119:62
Though David is, in this psalm, much in prayer, yet he did not neglect the duty of thanksgiving; for those that pray much will have much to give thanks for. See,
Psa 119:63
David had often expressed the great love he had to God; here he expresses the great love he had to the people of God; and observe,
Psa 119:64
Here,
9. TETH.
Psa 119:65-66
Here,
Psa 119:67
David here tells us what he had experienced,
Psa 119:68
Here,
Psa 119:69-70
David here tells us how he was affected as to the proud and wicked people that were about him.
Psa 119:71
See here,
Psa 119:72
This is a reason why David reckoned that when by his afflictions he learned God's statutes, an the profit did so much counterbalance the loss, he was really a gainer by them; for God's law, which he got acquaintance with by his affliction, was better to him than all the gold and silver which he lost by his affliction.
10. JOD.
Psa 119:73
Here,
Psa 119:74
Here is,
Psa 119:75
Still David is in affliction, and being so he owns,
Psa 119:76-77
Here is,
Psa 119:78-79
Here David shows,
Psa 119:80
Here is,
11. CAPH.
Psa 119:81-82
Here we have the psalmist,
Psa 119:83
David begs God would make haste to comfort him,
Psa 119:84
Here,
Psa 119:85-87
David's state was herein a type and figure of the state both of Christ and Christians that he was grievously persecuted; as there are many of his psalms, so there are many of the verses of this psalm, which complain of this, as those here. Here observe,
Psa 119:88
Here is,
12. LAMED.
Psa 119:89-91
Here,
Psa 119:92
Here is,
Psa 119:93
Here is,
Psa 119:94
Here,
Psa 119:95
Here,
Psa 119:96
Here we have David's testimony from his own experience,
13. MEM.
Psa 119:97
Here is,
Psa 119:98-100
We have here an account of David's learning, not that of the Egyptians, but of the Israelites indeed.
Psa 119:101
Here is,
Psa 119:102
Here is,
Psa 119:103-104
Here is,
14. NUN.
Psa 119:105
Observe here,
Psa 119:106
Here is,
Psa 119:107
Here is,
Psa 119:108
Two things we are here taught to pray for, in reference to our religious performances:-
Psa 119:109-110
Here is,
Psa 119:111-112
The psalmist here in a most affectionate manner, like an Israelite indeed, resolves to stick to the word of God and to live and die by it.
15. SAMECH.
Psa 119:113
Here we have,
Psa 119:114
Here is,
Psa 119:115
Here is,
Psa 119:116-117
Here,
Psa 119:118-120
Here is,
16. AIN.
Psa 119:121-122
David here appeals to God,
Psa 119:123
David, being oppressed, is here waiting and wishing for the salvation of the Lord, which would make him easy.
Psa 119:124-125
Here is,
Psa 119:126
Here is,
Psa 119:127-128
David here, as often in this psalm, professes the great love he had to the word and law of God; and, to evidence the sincerity of it, observe,
17. PE.
Psa 119:129
See here how David was affected towards the word of God.
Psa 119:130
Here is,
Psa 119:131
Here is,
Psa 119:132
Here is,
Psa 119:133
Here David prays for two great spiritual blessings, and is, in this verse, as earnest for the good work of God in him as, in the verse before, for the good-will of God towards him. He prays,
Psa 119:134
Here,
Psa 119:135
David here, as often as elsewhere, writes himself God's servant, a title he gloried in, though he was a king; now here, as became a good servant,
Psa 119:136
Here we have David in sorrow.
18. TZADDI.
Psa 119:137-138
Here is,
Psa 119:139
Here is,
Psa 119:140
Here is,
Psa 119:141
Here is,
Psa 119:142
Observe,
Psa 119:143-144
These two verses are almost a repetition of the two foregoing verses, but with improvement.
19. KOPH.
Psa 119:145-146
Here we have,
Psa 119:147-148
David goes on here to relate how he had abounded in the duty of prayer, much to his comfort and advantage: he cried unto God, that is, offered up to him his pious and devout affections with all seriousness. Observe,
Psa 119:149
Here,
Psa 119:150-151
Here is,
Psa 119:152
This confirms what he had said in the close of the foregoing verses, All thy commandments are truth; he means the covenant, the word which God has commanded to a thousand generations. This is firm, as true as truth itself. For,
20. RESH.
Psa 119:153-154
Here,
Psa 119:155
Here is,
Psa 119:156
Here,
Psa 119:157
Here is,
Psa 119:158
Here is,
Psa 119:159
Here is,
Psa 119:160
David here comforts himself with the faithfulness of God's word, for the encouragement of himself and others to rely upon it.
21. SCHIN.
Psa 119:161
David here lets us know,
Psa 119:162
Here is,
Psa 119:163
Love and hatred are the leading affections of the soul; if those be fixed aright, the rest move accordingly. Here we have them fixed aright in David.
Psa 119:164
David, in this psalm, is full of complaints, yet those did neither jostle out his praises nor put him out of tune for them; whatever condition a child of God is in he does not want matter for praise and therefore should not want a heart. See here,
Psa 119:165
Here is an account of the happiness of good men, who are governed by a principle of love to the word of God, who make it their rule and are ruled by it.
Psa 119:166
Here is the whole duty of man; for we are taught,
Psa 119:167-168
David's conscience here witnesses for him,
22. TAU.
Psa 119:169-170
Here we have,
Psa 119:171
Here is,
Psa 119:172
Observe here,
Psa 119:173-174
Here,
Psa 119:175
David's heart is still upon praising God; and therefore,
Psa 119:176
Here is,