Psalms 106:13

106:13 They quickly forgot what he had done; ¹ 

they did not wait for his instructions. ² 

Psalms 119:16-17

119:16 I find delight ³  in your statutes;

I do not forget your instructions. ⁴ 

ג (Gimel)

119:17 Be kind to your servant!

Then I will live ⁵  and keep ⁶  your instructions. ⁷ 

Psalms 119:57

ח (Khet)

119:57 The Lord is my source of security. ⁸ 

I have determined ⁹  to follow your instructions. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 119:67

119:67 Before I was afflicted I used to stray off, ¹¹ 

but now I keep your instructions. ¹² 

Psalms 119:89

ל (Lamed)

119:89 O Lord, your instructions endure;

they stand secure in heaven. ¹³ 

Psalms 119:101

119:101 I stay away ¹⁴  from the evil path,

so that I might keep your instructions. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 119:130

119:130 Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. ¹⁶ 

They give ¹⁷  insight to the untrained. ¹⁸ 

Psalms 119:158

119:158 I take note of the treacherous and despise them,

because they do not keep your instructions. ¹⁹ 

Psalms 119:162

119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,

like one who finds much plunder. ²⁰ 

Psalms 119:172

119:172 May my tongue sing about your instructions, ²¹ 

for all your commands are just.

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¹ tn Heb “his works.”

² tn Heb “his counsel.”

³ tn The imperfects in this verse emphasize the attitude the psalmist maintains toward God’s law. Another option is to translate with the future tense, “I will find delight…I will not forget.”

⁴ tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural here.

⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

⁶ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.

⁷ tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as several ancient versions read the plural here.

⁸ tn Heb “my portion [is] the Lord.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel (see Ps 16:5).

⁹ tn Heb “I said.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).

¹¹ tn Heb “before I suffered, I was straying off.”

¹² tn Heb “your word.”

¹³ tn Heb “Forever, O Lord, your word stands firm in heaven,” or “Forever, O Lord, [is] your word; it stands firm in heaven.” The translation assumes that “your word” refers here to the body of divine instructions contained in the law (note the frequent references to the law in vv. 92-96). See vv. 9, 16-17, 57, 101, 105, 130, 139 and 160-61. The reference in v. 86 to God’s law being faithful favors this interpretation. Another option is that “your word” refers to God’s assuring word of promise, mentioned in vv. 25, 28, 42, 65, 74, 81, 107, 114, 147 and 169. In this case one might translate, “O Lord, your promise is reliable, it stands firm in heaven.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “I hold back my feet.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural.

¹⁶ tn Heb “the doorway of your words gives light.” God’s “words” refer here to the instructions in his law (see vv. 9, 57).

¹⁷ tn Heb “it [i.e., the doorway] gives.”

¹⁸ tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Pss 19:7; 116:6.

¹⁹ tn Heb “your word.”

²⁰ tn Heb “like one who finds great plunder.” See Judg 5:30. The image is that of a victorious warrior who finds a large amount of plunder on the field of battle.

²¹ tn Heb “your word.”