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(See: pronunciation guide
for the Hebrew vowels)
PSALM 119:97-104
The mām
file. This letter refers to WATER and speaks of spiritual refreshment through
the word of God. THE WORD FILE
Verse 97, The Dedication
Entry
1. Oh how I love your law:
The concept of love places maximum value on its object and therefore produces
dedication. Law, is torAh and refers to God’s instruction for life.
2. It is my meditation all the day: The verb involves review, correlation and
application.
The intensity of love qualifies the intensity of dedication. The term, “all
the day” is hyperbole to communicate that intensity. It means that in every
situation of life, the believer focuses FIRST on divine viewpoint as it is
contained in God’s word.
Verse 98, The Wisdom Content Entry
1. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies:
MitswAh are God’s guidelines for spiritual and moral living.
The verb, make wise, is chAkam as a piel imperfect. The comparison with my
enemies is made with the use of the preposition, min in front of the noun for
enemy (’Ayabh).
2. For they are mine perpetually: The preposition, kiy, indicates the basis
for establishing the believer’s superiority over the spiritual rebels. It is
because the believer learns God’s word on a daily basis – perpetually (le `olAm),
and this gives him a superior knowledge CONTENT to the unbelievers who don’t
have the capacity to process Divine wisdom.
Verse 99, The Wisdom Insight Entry
From CONTENT comes the ability to properly perceive and evaluate life
situations.
1. I have more insight than all my teachers: The verb is
sAkal as a hiphil perfect to indicate past and present condition based on
successful processing of doctrinal instruction.
The comparison is made again with the preposition, min. Teachers is a piel
participle of lAmadh. It COULD refer to his progress beyond his instructors,
but the context seems to focus on those who are presently negative to God.
Thus, it seems more likely that these are instructors who have fallen from
their dedication to God’s truth.
2. because your testimonies are my meditation: Testimony is `āduth again and
refers to the principles and facts which center around God’s character
and actions. The word, meditation, is the noun, siychAh, and as at verse 97,
indicates daily review, correlation and application.
So, in the same way that daily meditation on God’s word gives the believer
superior wisdom CONTENT, likewise, daily meditation allows the believer to
“translate” that knowledge into keen insight about all the issues of human
life.
Verse 100, The Orientation Entry
1. I understand more than the aged: The verb is biyn and
refers to ORIENTATION to the character and plan of God. It involves
orientation to evil and the angelic conflict, which is the key to success as
God’s servant in a world “ruled” by Satan (2Cor. 4:4; John 12:31).
The comparison to “the aged (zAqān),” and the connection to
the previous verses, makes this believer the most spiritually oriented
believer of his day.
The principle behind this comparison as well as the comparison with one’s
teachers can be seen at Job 32:1-10.
“The abundant in years may not be wise
nor may elders (zAqān) understand justice.”
As already noted in my introduction, this believer is the
most spiritually oriented believer of his generation and has come under the
most severe persecution that has ALMOST shut him down from functioning as an
efficient evangelistic servant of God. However, even in such severe
circumstances, God was able to use him. And although we have no record of his
direct influence on others, God has given us through him, this fantastic psalm
that magnifies the most important thing in the believer’s life – the word of
God.
2. Because (kiy) I have observed your precepts: The verb is nAtsar again, and
refers mainly to diligent study and then to consistent application.
Application is not the basis for orientation to God’s plan; study and
COMPREHENSION is. The verb is in the perfect tense to indicate past and
present action. This believer has studied diligently in the past and continues
to study and mediate on God’s word.
Precepts is piqqudh; God’s truth that has been appointed
and gathered for spiritual living.
Verse 101, The Fellowship Entry
1. I have restrained my feet from every evil way: The verb
is kAl’A as a qal perfect to indicate both past and present action. It
indicates volitional dedication to reject the overt pull of evil, which
maintains the believer’s fellowship with God. ACTION is the issue in this
case, but of course, it requires the ATTITUDE first.
The word for “evil way” is ’orach (overt way) + r`a. The use of “feet” and
“’orach” clearly focuses on overt behavior. The word, r`a, refers to that which
is contrary to God’s standards and is therefore HARMFUL. The issue with EVIL
is not so much any POWER of evil, but it refers to that which is harmful to
God’s creatures. The contrast of good vs. evil is beneficial vs. harmful.
Satan is evil because he thinks and does that which is HARMFUL to God’s
creatures and to God’s plan.
The sin nature is evil because it is harmful to the proper function of man as
was originally designed by God.
The attitude and consistent action of keeping away from the
overt expression of evil constitutes keeping God’s word. And the keeping of
God’s word VINDICATES it as pertinent, adequate and reliable. God’s word gives
the standards that are opposite to and of course far superior to the viewpoint
and lifestyle of evil.
2. So that I may keep your word: The verb is shAmar as a qal
imperfect to indicate personal intent. It means to GUARD or PRESERVE the
integrity of something. In this case, it is done through DOING what the word
states to be contrary to divine viewpoint and therefore HARMFUL (evil) to
God’s people.
Word is dAbhAr and refers to God’s revealed standards in
general, and embraces all the other nuances that the various words for God’s
truth communicate. In short, all aspects of the divine value system.
Verse 102, The Obedience Entry
1. I have not turned aside from your ordinances: The verb
is sur as a qal perfect + the negative, to once again indicate PAST and
present action.
The other side of avoiding evil is obedience to good.
Keep in mind that the REPETITION in the psalm is designed
to stress the issue of obedience to that which has greater value than anything
else in life – the word of God.
Ordinances is mishpAt; the standards of divine justice as seen in the morality
system that God has designed for the entire human race.
2. For you yourself have taught me: The use of the 2nd
person personal pronoun along with the 2nd person of the verb
places great emphasis on the statement and indicates direct and intimate
interaction. The principle of inspiration is expressed at this point.
This is the only claim to such direct revelation from God that we find here.
The FACT that traditionally, this psalm has been accepted as part of the
inspired Old Testament Scriptures, lends support to this very personal
experience stated by the believer.
This might in fact be the very explanation how this believer could continue to
STUDY and LEARN God’s word as he wanders throughout the land. It seems
unlikely that he would be able to carry with him the written scrolls of the
Torah or other Scripture.
Such personal revelation from God is not a guarantee that the believer will be
faithful in obedience, but in this case, it has certainly produced a high
quality of sinless consistency as the inspired testimony bears out.
The experience of learning God’s word makes such an impact
on the faithful believer, that it motivates him toward obedience.
Verse 103, The Value Entry
How much sweeter are your words (’imrAh) to my taste than honey to my mouth.
For the trusting believer, there is no greater pleasure or
value than the study of God’s word.
Pleasure also communicates value.
The Greater PLEASURE of God’s word is also seen at Psalm 19:10b.
The GREATER value of God’s word is seen at Psalm 19:10a; Proverbs 8:11, 19; 24:13-14.
Verse 104, The Hatred Entry
1. From your precepts (piqqudh) I get understanding: the
verb is biyn again to indicate the acquisition of knowledge and insight, that
allows the believer to truly understand the nature of that which is contrary
to divine viewpoint; that which is falsehood and deception. With such insight,
the DIVINE viewpoint attitude of hatred toward that evil is to be naturally
expected.
2. therefore I hate every false way: The verb is sAn’ā. This is hatred that
reflects God’s attitude of rejecting what is contrary to His viewpoint.
The phrase is every way of falsehood. ’Orach, again indicates that which is
OVERT, and sheqer is that which is contrary to truth. It refers to anything
that undermines the Divine value system and God’s plan for the proper function
of the human race.
Orientation to God’s Hatred
Orientation to the Believer’s Hatred of Evil
SUMMARY OF THE THE WORD FILE
Verse 97, The Dedication Entry
In every situation of life, the believer focuses FIRST on divine
viewpoint as it is contained in God’s word.
Verse 98, The wisdom CONTENT Entry
Knowledge of God’s word gives the believer greater wisdom than the spiritual
rebels.
Verse 99, The Wisdom INSIGHT Entry
Knowledge of God’s word gives the believer greater insight than those who
reject truth.
Verse 100, The Orientation Entry
“The abundant in years may not be wise
nor may elders (zAqān) understand justice.”
Verse 101, The Fellowship Entry
The attitude and consistent action of keeping away from the overt expression
of evil constitutes keeping God’s word
Verse 102, The Obedience Entry
The experience of learning God’s word makes such an impact on the faithful
believer, that it motivates him toward obedience.
Verse 103, The VALUE Entry
For the trusting believer, there is no greater pleasure or value than the
study of God’s word.
Verse 104, The Hatred Entry
Knowledge of God’s word gives the believer the DIVINE viewpoint attitude of
hatred toward evil. | 
