Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm of the Psalter and the longest chapter in the Bible. The authorship of the psalm is attributed to King David, but the time of its writing is uncertain. It consists of 22 parts, the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. It is an acrostic, each of the 22 parts beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph, Beth, Gimel, etc.). Each of the 8 verses in those parts begins with that same letter.
Almost every verse in this psalm references the Word of God. Several different words are used for it:
- law – instruction
- testimonies – what God solemnly testifies to be his will
- precepts – what God has appointed to be done
- statutes – what the divine Lawgiver has laid down
- commandments – what God has commanded
- rules – what the Divine Judge has ruled to be right
- word – what God has spoken
*the list above is an excerpt from the ESV Study Bible notes on Psalm 119
There are only a couple of verses in the entire psalm that do not use any of these references.
Some of the most well-known Christians in history have memorized this entire psalm. Men like William Wilberforce, Henry Martyn, and David Livingstone. It is said that the 17th-century Bishop of Edinburgh, George Wishart, who was condemned for his faith, asked to have Psalm 119 sung before his death. Before 2/3 of the psalm was sung, his pardon arrived, and his life was spared.
As we journey through Psalm 119, one section per day / eight verses per day, my prayer is that your hearts are encouraged as you are reminded in every verse of the absolute importance of the Word of God in the life of a believer. I pray that it will increase your desire to be immersed in Scripture and to let it transform your hearts and minds, growing you in godliness, holiness, reverence, and awe. I pray that as we work through this Psalm, that you will meditate on what you read, find delight in what you learn and what God reveals to you, and to grow in your faith and trust that every word of God proves true.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
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