Psalm 119:13

(This is an entry from a devotional commentary I am working on from Psalm 119 entitled God and His Word.  The introduction can be found here, successive entries have covered the 22 sections of the Psalm, and following entries verse by verse.)

 

"With my lips I have told of

All the ordinances of Your mouth."

 

‘Lips’ is the Hebrew ‘ שָׂפָה, šap̱āh: A feminine noun meaning a lip, a language, an edge, a border.  ‘Mouth’ is the Hebrew פֶּה, peh: A masculine singular noun meaning mouth. Besides the literal meaning, this term is used as the instrument of speech and figuratively for speech itself.  It is used, for example, in Psalm 33:6; the breath of Your mouth creates the heavens!  My lips can only sing of Your praise (see Psalm 119:171) of what You have done.  In this age of the ‘little gods’ heresy, may I speak not from my own imagination, but from what You have said and done.  For who can tell of all Your mighty deeds and show forth all Your praise? (Psalm 106:2)   It is a single, delightful pursuit of life.  You perform; I can but proclaim!  Amos 3:7-8, Jeremiah 23:28, 1 Peter 4:11.

 

‘Thus he showed how full he was of the word of God, and what a holy delight he took in his acquaintance with it; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks [Luke 6:45]. Thus he did good with his knowledge; he did not hide God's word from others, but hid it for them; and, out of that good treasure in his heart, brought forth good things, as the householder out of his store things new and old [Matthew 13:52].’[1]

 

‘What the Lord has veiled, it would be presumption for us to uncover; but on the other hand, what the Lord has revealed, it would be shameful for us to conceal…By teaching, we learn. By training the tongue in holy speech, we master the whole body. By familiarity with the divine procedure, we are made to delight in righteousness. Even so, in a threefold manner, our way is cleansed by our proclaiming the way of the Lord. What a joy for anyone to be able to look back on a faithful testimony to divine truth! When weary with Sunday services, how sweet to feel that we have not spoken our own words, but the teachings of divine revelation.’[2]


[1] Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Psalm 119:13, e-Sword edition

[2] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon . The Golden Alphabet (Updated, Annotated): An Exposition of Psalm 119 (pp. 32-34). Aneko Press. Kindle Edition.


 

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