Psalm 119:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.

NIV: Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.

NASB: Even though rulers sit and speak against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

CSB: Though princes sit together speaking against me, your servant will think about your statutes;

NLT: Even princes sit and speak against me, but I will meditate on your decrees.

KJV: Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

NKJV: Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

Psalm 119:17–24 begins each verse with the Hebrew letter gimel. The psalmist recognizes that his ultimate home is not earth (Hebrews 11:14–16). He prays for the ability to understand God's Word and to obey it. Those who reject the Lord's commands suffer many consequences. Even if powerful people try to persecute God's people, the psalmist plans to continue exploring the Word of God. These ideas harmonize with 2 Timothy 3:15–17.

This song is composed of twenty-two stanzas, each corresponding to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each line in the stanza is an individual verse and each begins with the corresponding letter. The psalmist emphasizes study of God's Word in a variety of circumstances, including persecution, sadness, and rescue. Benefits of taking in the Word include a moral life, joy, wisdom, hope, peace, strength, and freedom. Those who interact with the Word of the Lord should respond with delight, careful study, and obedience.

This is the largest psalm in the book of Psalms. At 176 verses, Psalm 119 is longer than many books of the Old Testament and most books of the New Testament. The psalmist focuses on a proper relationship with God's Word and how those who follow the Lord face persecution. Ideas parallel those found in Psalm 1, 2 Timothy 3:14–17, Proverbs 3:5–8, Hebrews 12:6–11, and more. The psalm is arranged in twenty-two stanzas of eight lines each. Every stanza is associated with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet; each line in that stanza begins with that letter.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 11/21/2024 10:20:53 AM