107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, 1
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. 2
ב (Bet)
119:9 How can a young person 3 maintain a pure life? 4
By guarding it according to your instructions! 5
1 tn Heb “the words of God.”
2 tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
3 tn Heb “young man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender specific “young man” has been translated with the more neutral “young person.”
4 tn Heb “purify his path.”
5 tn Heb “by keeping according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew