Psalms 119 - Introduction

A.M. 2987. B.C. 1017.

This Psalm is supposed to have been written by David, under the reign of Saul, in which he was frequently persecuted, but in which also he had some quiet intervals, (see Psalms 119:54,) when he had leisure to write so long a composition, and one laboured with so much art. For it is not only divided into as many parts as there are letters in the Hebrew alphabet, but likewise each of these parts is divided into eight verses, and every one of these verses begins with that letter of the alphabet which forms the title of the part. Thus each of the eight verses in the first, termed Aleph, begins with an aleph, as those do in the second part, named Beth, with a beth. For this reason, in the Masora, this Psalm is styled, “The great alphabet.” It is further remarkable, that the word of God is here 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 perfection of God's word. It is called his word, as 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 to give us laws; his precepts, as directing our duty; his ordinances, as ordained 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, being his judicial sentence, to which all men must submit; and his testimonies, as it contains the witnesses of God's will and of man's duty. And there is but one or two of these hundred and seventy-six verses in which one or other of these titles is not found. The Psalm contains a great many pious reflections and excellent rules, without any great connection, or dependance on each other: and this want of connection, probably, was the reason why the Psalm was written in this alphabetical method: that the initial letters might be a help to the memory of those who were to learn it in the original Hebrew. The general scope of the Psalm is to magnify the law and make it honourable; to show the excellence and usefulness of divine revelation, and recommend it to us by the psalmist's own example, who speaks by experience of the benefits of it, for which he praises God, and earnestly prays for the continuance of God's grace to direct and quicken him in his way.