Article February 11, 1905 Issue

The One Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm

L. M. C.

The 119th Psalm is the longest of the scared songs. It has a hundred and seventy-six verses and is divided into sections of eight verses, each section being headed by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This Psalm was written by Ezra, the "greatest teacher of the Scriptures," to be sung by the captives on their homeward journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. It is an elaborate apotheosis of the law of God, and is intended to show the blessings which spring from piety and obedience. The word "law" occurs twentyfive times; "statutes," twenty-two times; "judgments," twenty-one; "commandments," "precepts," and "testimonies" are each used more than twenty times. This reiteration seems intended to show the need of constantly recalling the laws to mind.

"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." "I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end." "Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes." "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments." "thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently." "I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved." "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart."

Law, as here employed, is a generic term, and denotes whatever is commanded by one who has a right to require obedience. "Statute" refers to a particular law, and precept evidently indicates some direction or rule which was authoritative. The "commandments" referred to undoubtedly point to the Decalogue as given to Moses, while "testimonies" are in reference to the "Two tables of testimony," written with the "finger of God," which were brought down from the mountain and kept so sacredly in the ark.

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The One Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm

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