Psalm 119 - Tsadhe: Exceeding Faithfulness

Tsadhe. Righteous are You, O LORD,

And upright are Your judgments.

[138] You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness

And exceeding faithfulness.

[139] My zeal has consumed me,

Because my adversaries have forgotten Your words.

[140] Your word is very pure,

Therefore Your servant loves it.

[141] I am small and despised,

Yet I do not forget Your precepts.

[142] Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,

And Your law is truth.

[143] Trouble and anguish have come upon me,

Yet Your commandments are my delight.

[144] Your testimonies are righteous forever;

Give me understanding that I may live." 

(Psalm 119:137-144)

 

Righteous (vv. 137-138, 142, 144), exceedingly faithful (v. 138), pure (v. 140), everlasting (vv. 142, 144), truth (v. 142), a delight (v. 143) are You and Your word.  As You are, so is Your word (Psalm 138:2), so is Your praise (Psalm 48:10, Psalm 119:48).  Because of this reality, zeal overtakes at its neglect (v. 139) yet assuring strength bathes me in my weakness (v. 141).  It creates in me love (v. 140), delight in affliction (v. 143), and understanding in all things (v. 144).

 

‘This passage deals with the perfect righteousness of Jehovah and his word, and expresses the struggles of a holy soul in reference to that righteousness. The initial letter with which every verse commences sounds like the Hebrew word for righteousness: our keynote is righteousness.’[1]


[1]  Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Treasury of David, Psalm 119 - Tsadhe, e-Sword edition

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