89:33 But I will not remove 1 my loyal love from him,
nor be unfaithful to my promise. 2
119:29 Remove me from the path of deceit! 3
Graciously give me 4 your law!
119:119 You remove all the wicked of the earth like slag. 5
Therefore I love your rules. 6
1 tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.
2 tn Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”
3 tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.
4 tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)
5 sn Traditionally “dross” (so KJV, ASV, NIV). The metaphor comes from metallurgy; “slag” is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.
6 sn As he explains in the next verse, the psalmist’s fear of judgment motivates him to obey God’s rules.