Psalm 119:59 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;

NIV: I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.

NASB: I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

CSB: I thought about my ways and turned my steps back to your decrees.

NLT: I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws.

KJV: I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

NKJV: I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

Psalm 119:57–64 begins each verse with the Hebrew letter heth. This stanza expresses a desire to know God's Word and commandments more deeply. The psalmist is committed to studying the Lord's will, even when under attack by enemies. The writer identifies with those who reverently honor the Lord (Proverbs 12:7).

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 10:14:01 AM