Psalm 119:16

(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.)

 

"I shall delight in Your statutes;

I shall not forget Your word." 

 

The Psalmist continues this section on rejoicing and meditating on Your word and culminates this with ‘delight’ and ‘I shall not forget’.  At this point we are referring to a person’s default thought patterns, a point where he does not self-consciously point himself to Your word, but it is his starting point, where his mind goes when and before it goes anywhere else.  Delight is the Hebrew שָׁעַע, šā‛a‛: in this case a verb meaning to take delight in; to fondle. It refers to taking joy or enjoyment from something (Psalm 94:19), especially God's laws (Psalm 119:16, Psalm 119:47, Psalm 119:40).  Father, You have created Your word to be treasured within and remembered (see vv. 9,11), and the Psalmist resolves not to forget it throughout the Psalm (Psalm 119:61, Psalm 119:84, Psalm 119:93, Psalm 119:109, Psalm 119:139, Psalm 119:141, Psalm 119:153, Psalm 119:176).  The Psalmist does not forget despite all kinds of difficulty and opposition, and ends the Psalm with this resolution.

 

‘When the law is written in the heart duty becomes a delight… Those that meditate in God's word, and delight in it, are in no great danger of forgetting it.’[1]

 

‘When we have no other solace, but are quite alone, it will be a glad thing for the heart to turn upon itself, and sweetly whisper, “I will delight myself.”… here is no delighting ourselves with anything below that which God intended to be the soul's eternal satisfaction. The statute-book is intended to be the joy of every loyal subject. When the believer once peruses the sacred pages his soul burns within him as he turns first to one and then to another of the royal words of the great King, words full and firm, immutable and divine… Note how two “I wills” follow upon two “I haves.” We may not promise for the future if we have altogether failed in the past; but where grace has enabled us to accomplish something, we may hopefully expect that it will enable us to do more.’[2]


[1] Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Psalm 119:16, e-Sword edition

[2] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Treasury of David, on Psalm 119:16, e-Sword edition


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