Shining a light on the weekly Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly®
Life
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. . . . O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. . . . What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? . . . The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. . . . The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Like several other psalms—9/10 (considered one poem), 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, 145—this one is an acrostic in which each section begins with a sequential letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Some sources believe that alphabetical poems helped listeners remember texts, and one points out that “the alphabet is a ready metaphor for totality and completeness . . . and thus serves as an excellent frame for praising the qualities of God.”
Desolate is translated from the Hebrew term ’āšam, indicating guilt and offense—and many versions render it condemned. Because verse 22 is both an addition to the acrostic format and the psalm’s final line, scholars view its message as emphatic: God’s faithful are never blameworthy or condemned.
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.
Resources cited in this issue
RR: Freedman, David Noel, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 6 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
Cit. 4: Keck, Leander E., et al., eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 5, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Nashville: Abingdon, 2015.
Cit. 6: Cohen, A. The Psalms: Hebrew Text & English Translation with an Introduction and Commentary. London, Jerusalem, New York, The Soncino Press, 1977.
Cit. 13: Barnes, Albert. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible. New York, 1834–85. Also available at biblehub.com/commentaries.
Cit. 16: Keck, Leander E., et al., eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 9, Acts, Introduction to Epistolary Literature, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians. Nashville: Abingdon, 2015.
COPYRIGHT
Scriptural quotations marked International Children’s Bible® are taken from the International Children’s Bible®. Copyright © 1986, 1988, 1999 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked GOD’S WORD® Translation are taken from GOD’S WORD®. © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. Used by permission.
Scriptural quotations marked Amplified® Bible (AMP) are taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. lockman.org
Scriptural quotations marked New Living Translation are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked New International Reader’s Version™ are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version™, NIrV™. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scriptural quotations marked Contemporary English Version are taken from the Contemporary English Version, copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
© 2025 The Christian Science Publishing Society. The design of the Cross and Crown is a trademark owned by the Christian Science Board of Directors and is used by permission. Bible Lens and Christian Science Quarterly are trademarks owned by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptural quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
