Psalms 119:1

ALEPH. Blessed [are] the undefiled in the way,.... Who are in the right way to heaven and happiness, which is Jesus Christ; the strait gate, and narrow way to eternal life; the only true way of life

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. The connection of the sacred aphorisms of this psalm is their common reference to the Word of God, the grand theme of the whole.

Psalms 119 THE The author of this Psalm was David; which I know none that deny, and of which there is no just reason to doubt. The scope and design of it is manifest, to commend the serious and diligent study, and the stedfast belief and the constant practice of God’ s word, as incomparably the best counsellor and comforter in the world, and as the only way to true blessedness. And this he confirmeth by his own example, which he proposeth to them for their imitation; and he declareth the great and frequent experience which he had of its admirable sweetness and manifold benefits in all conditions, and especially in the times of his distresses. And because it was a hard thing rightly to understand this word in all its parts, and harder to put it in practice, he therefore intermixeth many prayers to God for his help therein, thereby directing and encouraging others to take the same course. And because this Psalm was very large, and the matter of it of greatest importance, the psalmist thought fit to divide it into two and twenty several parts, according to the number of the Hebrew letters, that so he might both prevent tediousness, and fix it in the memory. It is further observable that the word of God is here diversely called by the names of law, statutes, precepts or commandments, judgments, ordinances, righteousness, testimonies, way, and word; by which variety he designed to express the nature and the great perfection and manifold parts and uses of God’ s word: which is called his word, as proceeding from his mouth, and revealed by him to us; his way, as prescribed by him for us to walk in; his law, as binding us to obedience, his statutes, as declaring his authority and power of giving us laws, his precepts, as declaring and directing our duty; his ordinances, as ordained and appointed by him; his righteousness, as exactly agreeable to God’ s righteous nature and will; his judgments, as proceeding from the great Judge of the world, and being his judicial sentence to which all men must submit; and his testimonies, as it contains the witnesses of God’ s mind and will, and of man’ s duty. And there are very few of these 176 verses contained in this Psalm, in which one or other of these titles is not found. This Psalm contains the commendation of God’ s word; David’ s love to it; a prayer for grace to carry himself according to it; with an account of God’ s law, institutions, commandments, testimonies, precepts, word, promises, ways, judgments, name, righteousness, truth, &c.; with a prayer for help and assistance. ALEPH. The undefiled; or, the perfect or sincere, as this word properly and most frequently signifies; such whose hearts and course of life agree with their profession. In the way; either, 1. In their way or course of life, which in Scripture is oft called a man’ s way; or, 2.

Psalms 119:1 ALEPH. Blessed [are] the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.Ver. 1. Blessed are the undefiled] Pindar and other poets had their Ogdoades or Oetonaries. This alphabetical poem (as Sixtus Senensis calleth it) is David’ s, doubtless (though it hath no title to show so much), written in the days of his banishment under Saul; and far more worthy to be written in letters of gold than Pindar’ s seventh ode, which that profane fellow Politian preferred before any psalm of David, the sweet singer of Israel. How much better his countryman Jacobus Furnius, who translated this psalm into Greek and Latin verses, in so many Octounties; and beginning each verse thereof with the same letter, after the manner of the Hebrew composure; which is very artificial, both for the excellence of the matter and for the help of memory. The Jews are said to teach it to their little ones being the first thing they learn; wherein they take a very right course, both in regard to the heavenly matter, and plain style fitted for all capacities. David (in his troubles especially) was a man much in meditation of God’ s word, and here he giveth us in his thoughts of it. When a book is set forth, verses of commendation are oft prefixed. David seemeth to set this Divine psalm as a poem of commendation before the Book of God; mentioning it in every verse (unless it be one only, Psalms 119:122), under the name of testimonies, laws, statutes, word, judgments, precepts, &c. Who walk in the law of the Lord] Who walk towards heaven in heaven’ s way; avoiding the corruptions that are in the world through lust, 2 Peter 1:4.

ALEPH. (1) Undefiled.—Better, blameless or perfect.Way.—See the same use without a qualifying epithet in Psalms 2:12. There was only-one way of safety and peace for an Israelite, here by the parallelism defined as “the law of Jehovah.” But even heathen ethics bore witness to the same truth: “Declinandum de viâ sit modo ne summa turpitudo sequatur” (Cic, De Amicitia, 17).

PSALM CXIX The various excellencies and important uses of the law or revelation of God. NOTES ON PSALM CXIX This is another of the alphabetical or acrostic Psalms. It is divided into twenty-two parts, answering to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Every part is divided into eight verses; and each verse begins with that letter of the alphabet which forms the title of the part, e.g.: The eight first verses have א aleph prefixed, the second eight ב beth, each of the eight verses beginning with that letter; and so of the rest. All connexion, as might be naturally expected, is sacrificed to this artificial and methodical arrangement. It is not easy to give any general Analysis of this Psalm; it is enough to say that it treats in general on the privileges and happiness of those who observe the law of the Lord. That law is exhibited by various names and epithets tending to show its various excellences. Earnest prayers are offered to God for wisdom to understand it, and for grace to observe it faithfully. These particulars may be collected from the whole composition, and appear less or more in every part. The words which express that revelation which God had then given to men, or some particular characteristic of it, are generally reckoned to be the ten following: 1. Testimonies; 2. Commandments; 3. Precepts; 4. Word; 5. Law; 6. Ways; 7. Truth; 8. Judgments; 9. Righteousness; 10. Statutes. To these some add the following: 1. Faithfulness; 2. Judgment; 3. Name; but these are not used in the sense of the other ten words. I believe it is almost universally asserted that in every verse of this Psalm one or other of those ten words is used, except in ver. 122; but on a closer inspection we shall find that none of them is used in the above sense in the 84th, 90th, 121st, 122nd, and 132nd. See the notes on these verses. Psalms 119:84; Psalms 119:90; Psalms 119:121; Psalms 119:122; Psalms 119:132 To save myself unnecessary repetition, and the reader time and trouble, I shall here, once for all, explain the above words, which the reader will do well to keep in remembrance. 1. The Law, תורה TORAH, from ירה yarah, to direct, guide, teach, make straight, or even, point forward; because it guides, directs, and instructs in the way of righteousness; makes our path straight, shows what is even and right, and points us onward to peace, truth, and happiness. It is even our school-master to bring us to Christ, that we may be justified through faith; and by it is the knowledge of sin. II. STATUTES, חקים CHUKKIM, from חק chak, to mark, trace out, describe, and ordain; because they mark out our way describe the line of conduct we are to pursue and order or ordain what we are to observe. III.

1–8. Aleph. Loyal obedience to Jehovah’s law is the source of man’s truest happiness, and therefore the Psalmist prays that it may be the fixed rule of his life, and that he may learn to understand it better.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way - In the way or journey of life; in the path of religion; in the road which leads to heaven.

à, Aleph.1-8. Blessed are the undefiled—This, the first division, contains a general declaration of the blessing of faithfulness to the divine law.