119:14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules 1
as if 2 they were riches of all kinds. 3
119:16 I find delight 4 in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions. 5
119:72 The law you have revealed is more important to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. 6
מ (Mem)
119:97 O how I love your law!
All day long I meditate on it.
119:103 Your words are sweeter
in my mouth than honey! 7
119:104 Your precepts give me discernment.
Therefore I hate all deceitful actions. 8
119:111 I claim your rules as my permanent possession,
for they give me joy. 9
119:127 For this reason 10 I love your commands
more than gold, even purest gold.
1 tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”
2 tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).
3 tn Heb “all wealth.” The phrase refers to all kinds of wealth and riches. See Prov 1:13; 6:31; 24:4; Ezek 27:12, 18.
4 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.”
5 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
6 tn Heb “better to me [is] the law of your mouth than thousands of gold and silver.”
7 tn Heb “How smooth they are to my palate, your word, more than honey to my mouth.” A few medieval Hebrew
8 tn Heb “every false path.”
9 tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”
10 tn “For this reason” connects logically with the statement made in v. 126. Because the judgment the psalmist fears (see vv. 119-120) is imminent, he remains loyal to God’s law.