(See:  pronunciation guide for the Hebrew vowels)

PSALM 119:153-160

THE MENTALITY FILE
Each verse in this file begins with the letter rāsh, which refers to the head, and has the emphasis on the MENTALITY. Of course the focus of the entire Psalm is the VALUE of God’s word and the importance of learning it and GUARDING it within the soul. Here, the emphasis is on the volitional devotion and decisions that need to be made on a daily basis.

Verse 153, The Pressure Entry
Continued remembrance of God’s word is the basis for continued divine protection against the persecutors.

1. Look upon my affliction: the verb is rA’Ah, and is a humility/command for God to continue His personal attention on the life of this believer in the face of violent persecution.
The affliction is ‘aniy and indicates extreme pressure.

2. and rescue me: the humility dependence on God via faith-rest is further expressed in the command for physical deliverance as has been expressed many times in this Psalm already. The verb is chalets as a piel imperative. The qal stem means to draw away; the piel means to PULL away.

3. For I do not forget your law (torAh): Kiy (because) gives the reason this believer can have such confidence in God’s wisdom and timing. The verb shAkach is repeated for it is the consistent mental activity of this believer to focus on and not forget God’s word.

Verse 154, The Protection Entry
1. plead my cause: the verb is riybh as a qal imperative, and it means to represent me or to vindicate me from false accusations. The principle of Isaiah 54:17.
”No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper;
and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh
And their vindication is from Me, declares Yahweh.”

2. and redeem me: The verb is ga’al, and means to purchase from bondage as a member of one’s family. This completes the vindication of the previous verb by desiring physical protection and deliverance from the CLAIM that the spiritual rebels try to make upon the faithful believer.

3. Keep me alive according to your word (’imrAh): The verb is chAyAh as a piel imperative again to express confidence in God for physical deliverance from the violent persecutors.
As previously noted, the NASB, which consistently translates this as “revive” misses the context that the focus is on DELIVERANCE from physical death.
The basis for this deliverance is the standard of God’s word which contains the timing and wisdom which God uses to protect the believer.

Verse 155, The Wicked Entry
Throughout this Psalm there are various comments about the spiritual rebels. This provides an orientation that is essential for keeping good vs. evil in perspective.

1. Deliverance is far from the wicked (rAsh`A): The word is yeshu`Ah. It means deliverance from some danger. It is also the word for salvation. Salvation from sin is not the issue here, but deliverance from the experiential consequences of their evil life style. The point is that the spiritual rebels will not escape the effects of evil, whether it is experiential or future.
Isaiah 57:21, “There is no peace says my God for the wicked.”

2. for (kiy) they have not sought your statutes (choq): And of course, the reason is because of their rejection of God’s word.

Verse 156, The Provision Entry

1. Great (many) are your mercies: The adjective is rabh, which speaks of QUANTITY rather than QUALITY. Of course God’s grace resources are GREAT, but the focus here is on the fact that they are many and varied, and specifically offsets the “many” of verse 157. The word, mercies, is rachamiym, and refers to the expressions of God’s love that provide chesed; grace provision.

2. keep me alive according to your standards of justice (mispAt): The verb is chAyAh, again and refers to the same thing as in verse 154. The believer depends on God’s mercy and standards of justice for protection and deliverance from death in the face of violent persecution.

Verse 157, The Persecution Entry
No matter how severe the persecution, the faithful believer will not turn aside from God’s word.

1. Many are my persecutors and my adversaries: The adjective, rabh, is repeated to indicate the severity of the persecution that this believer faces. Persecutors is rAdaph and adversaries is tsar. As seen earlier, the persecution comes from his fellow citizens and from the political rulers.            

(A) The experience of general persecution: Vs. 39, 42, 51, 61, 69, 78, 84-87, 95, 110, 153-157
(B) Political persecution: Verse 23, 46, 161

2. I do not turn (have not turned) aside from your testimonies (`āduth): The verb is nAtAh as a qal perfect plus the negative, lo. The focus again, is both a past and a present idea, and stresses this believer’s continual devotion to God’s word.

Verse 158, The Hatred Entry
The faithful believer has a righteous hatred toward the spiritual rebels.

1. I behold (have seen) the treacherous: The verb is rA’Ah as a qal perfect; I have seen.
The treacherous is bAgadh as a qal active participle. It focuses on the fact that these persecutors are deceivers who engage in duplicity and trickery in order to capture and destroy the believers. They are living contrary to the truths they have been taught all their lives as members of the nation of Israel, and some of them might even be believers as seen at verse 139.

2. And loathe (or, have loathed) them: The verb is qut as a hithpael imperfect/consecutive, which continues the completed action idea of the previous verb. This verb occurs 7 other times in the Old Testament.
At Psalm 95:10, it is used of God who loathed the Exodus generation that refused to believe His word.
At Psalm 139:21, it is used to describe David’s attitude toward the wicked. In a synonymous distich, it is coupled with the word for HATE, sAnā.
In Ezek. 6:9; 16:45 x2; 20:43; 36:31, it is used to express extreme disdain and disgust both toward others and toward self.
Here, the extreme hatred of evil expressed toward the evil doers is repeated as in verses 104, 113, 128, and later at 163. This context of hatred toward evil and evil doers explains the nature of this believer’s zeal as stated at verse 139. There, is is stated that they “have forgotten Your words.” Here it is because . . .

3. because they do not keep (have not kept) your word (’imrAh):  The verb is shAmar as a qal perfect to indicate both past and present action on the part of the spiritual rebels.

Verse 159, The Dedication Entry
The dedicated believer has confidence in God’s protection based on his continued love for the word of God.

1. Consider: The verb is rA’Ah as a qal imperative, and means to look at or observe.

2. how (kiy- that fact that) I love your precepts (piqqudh): The verb is ’Ahabh and indicates the placement of great value on the object of focus. In this case, the believer’s love for God Himself is reflected in the same value toward His word.

3. keep me alive according to your grace provision: The repeat of chAyAh repeats the believer’s dependence on God to protect his life in the face of the violent persecutors.
And as indicated before, it is based on the grace provision (chesed) of God.

Verse 160, The Truth Entry
God’s word is truth and His righteousness and justice is established for all eternity.

1. The sum of your word (dAbhAr) is truth: The word, sum, is actually, HEAD (rosh), head, leader, representative of a group; that which characterizes a group.

2. and every just expression of your righteousness is eternal: mishpAt occurs in the singular and refers best to a “just expression.” The word righteousness is tsedeq and refers to the perfectly righteous character of God. This establishes a very important order and understanding. Righteousness is the ABSOLUTE character of God and FROM that righteousness comes justice. The FOUNDATION of justice is the character of righteousness and they are uniquely inter-related and inseparable.
With le `olAm, the perpetuity of God’s justice and righteousness is stated once again by this believer, as was done at verses 89, 144, and 152.

SUMMARY OF THE MENTALITY FILE

Verse 153, The Mentality Entry
Continued remembrance of God’s word is the basis for continued divine protection against the persecutors.

Verse 154, The Protection Entry
The basis for deliverance from death at the hand of the persecutors is the standard of God’s word which contains the timing and wisdom which God uses to protect the believer.

Verse 155, The Wicked Entry
Isaiah 57:21, “There is no peace says my God for the wicked.”

Verse 156, The Provision Entry
The believer depends on God’s mercy and standards of justice for protection and deliverance from death in the face of violent persecution.

Verse 157, The Persecution Entry
No matter how severe the persecution, the faithful believer will not turn aside from God’s word.

Verse 158, The Hatred Entry
The faithful believer has a righteous hatred toward the spiritual rebels.

Verse 159, The Dedication Entry
The dedicated believer has confidence in God’s protection based on his continued love for the word of God.

Verse 160, The Truth Entry
God’s word is truth and His righteousness and justice is established for all eternity.

Questions and comments are always welcome

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