PSA 119

Psalm 119:167

WEB

My soul has observed your testimonies. I love them exceedingly.

BSB

I obey Your testimonies and love them greatly.

KJV

My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.

Matthew Henry

Verses 167–168

Psalms 119:167–168

David's conscience here witnesses for him,

I. That his practices were good. 1. He loved God's testimonies, he loved them exceedingly. Our love to the word of God must be a superlative love (we must love it better than the wealth and pleasure of this world), and it must be a victorious love, such as will subdue and mortify our lusts and extirpate carnal affections. 2. He kept them, his soul kept them. Bodily exercise profits little in religion; we must make heart-work of it or we make nothing of it. The soul must be sanctified and renewed, and delivered into the mould of the word; the soul must be employed in glorifying God, for he will be worshipped in the spirit. We must keep both the precepts and the testimonies, the commands of God by our obedience to them and his promises by our reliance on them.

II. That he was governed herein by a good principle: "Therefore I have kept thy precepts, because by faith I have seen thy eye always upon me; all my ways are before thee; thou knowest every step I take and strictly observest all I say and do. Thou dost see and accept all that I say and do well; thou dost see and art displeased with all I say and do amiss." Note, The consideration of this, that God's eye is upon us at all times, should make us very careful in every thing to keep his commandments, Gen 17:1.

Cross-references: Gen 17:1

Hebrew interlinear

H8104

שָׁמַרshâmar/shaw-mar'/

v — hedge, guard, protect, attend to

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.

KJV: beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).

שָׁמַר

vb — keep

שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve

Qal 425

1.

a. keep, have charge of

b. keep, guard, captives

c. hence, watch for, wait for

d. watch, observe

2.

a. keep, retain, of storing up (food)

b. keep within bounds, restrain

3.

a. observe, celebrate

b. keep sabbath

c. of other obligations

d. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)

4. sts. י׳ subj.

5. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest

Niph. 36

1. be on one's guard

2. keep oneself, refrain, abstain

3. be kept, guarded

Pi. those paying regard to false vanities

Hithp. I kept myself from

H5315

נֶפֶשׁnephesh/neh'-fesh/

n-f — breathing creature, animal, vitality

Derivation: from 5314;

properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)

KJV: any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it.

נֶ֫פֶשׁ

n.f — soul

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

1. = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

2. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

3. The נפשׁ is specif.

4. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

5. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

6. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

7. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

8. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

9. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

10. נ׳ in D

H5713

עֵדָהʻêdâh/ay-daw'/

n-f — testimony

Derivation: feminine of 5707 in its techn. sense;

testimony

KJV: testimony, witness. Compare 5712.

עֵדָה

n.f — testimonies

[עֵדָה] n.f. only pl. MT testimonies

עֵדָה

n.f — testimony

עֵדָה n.f. testimony, witness

H157

אָהַבʼâhab/aw-hab'/

v — have affection

Derivation: or אָהֵב ; a primitive root;

to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)

KJV: (be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend.

אָהֵב

vb — love

אָהֵב 216 vb. love

Qal

1. human love to human object

2. less oft. of appetite

3. love to God

4. esp. Pt.

5. of divine love

Niph. Pt. pl. lovely, loveable

Pi.

1. friends

2. lovers

H3966

מְאֹדmᵉʼôd/meh-ode'/

a — vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

Derivation: from the same as 181;

properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)

KJV: diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), × louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very ( much, sore), well.

מְאֹד

n.m — muchness

מְאֹד n.m. muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

1. force, might

2. in diff. idioms (298 t.) to express the idea of exceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree)

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