Psalm 119:37

(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.)

 

"Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,

And revive me in Your ways."

 

In Psalm 119:29 the Psalmist asked for the false way to be removed.  Here the Psalmist seems to ask You to take away the attraction which remains towards that which dishonors You.  It reminds me of Psalm 101:3, David’s desire that worthless things not capture his heart.  ’Turn away’ is the Hebrew עָבַר, ‛āḇar: A verb meaning to pass through or over, to cover, to go beyond, to go along, to be crossed over, to make to cross over, to go through, to go away.  So we are not distracted, we move along and keep focused.  ‘Vanity’ is the Hebrew שָׁוְא, šāw’: A masculine noun meaning emptiness, vanity, evil, ruin, uselessness, deception, worthless, without result, fraud, deceit.

 

‘The honours, pleasures, and profits of the world are the vanities, the aspect and prospect of which draw multitudes away from the paths of religion and godliness. The eye, when fastened on these, infects the heart with the love of them, and so it is alienated from God and divine things; and therefore, as we ought to make a covenant with our eyes, and lay a charge upon them, that they shall not wander after, much less fix upon, that which is dangerous (Job 31:1)… a traveller that stands gazing upon every object that presents itself to his view will not rid ground; but, if our eyes be kept from that which would divert us, our hearts will be kept to that which will excite us.’[1]

 

‘The prayer is not so much that the eyes may be shut as “turned away;” for we need to have them open, but directed to right objects…It is a proof of the sense of weakness felt by the Psalmist and of his entire dependence upon God that he even asks to have his eyes turned for him; he meant not to make himself passive, but he intended to set forth his own utter helplessness apart from the grace of God…Vitality is the cure of vanity.’[2]


[1] Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Psalm 119:37, e-Sword edition

[2] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Treasury of David, on Psalm 119:37, e-Sword edition


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