PSA 119

Psalm 119:28

WEB

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.

BSB

My soul melts with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word.

KJV

My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

Matthew Henry

Verses 28–29

Psalms 119:28–29

Here is, 1. David's representation of his own griefs: My soul melteth for heaviness, which is to the same purport with Psa 119:25, My soul cleaveth to the dust. Heaviness in the heart of man makes it to melt, to drop away like a candle that wastes. The penitent soul melts in sorrow for sin, and even the patient soul may melt in the sense of affliction, and it is then its interest to pour out its supplication before God. 2. His request for God's grace. (1.) That God would enable him to bear his affliction well and graciously support him under it: "Strengthen thou me with strength in my soul, according to thy word, which, as the bread of life, strengthens man's heart to undergo whatever God is pleased to inflict. Strengthen me to do the duties, resist the temptations, and bear up under the burdens, of an afflicted state, that the spirit may not fail. Strengthen me according to that word (Deu 33:25), As thy days so shall thy strength be." (2.) That God would keep him from using any unlawful indirect means for the extricating of himself out of his troubles (Psa 119:29): Remove from me the way of lying. David was conscious to himself of a proneness to this sin; he had, in a strait, cheated Ahimelech (Sa1 21:2), and Achish, Sa1 21:13 and Sa1 27:10. Great difficulties are great temptations to palliate a lie with the colour of a pious fraud and a necessary self-defence; therefore David prays that God would prevent him from falling into this sin any more, lest he should settle in the way of it. A course of lying, of deceit and dissimulation, is that which every good man dreads and which we are all concerned to beg of God by his grace to keep us from. (3.) That he might always be under the guidance and protection of God's government: Grant me thy law graciously; grant me that to keep me from the way of lying. David had the law written with his own hand, for the king was obliged to transcribe a copy of it for his own use (Deu 17:18); but he prays that he might have it written in his heart; for then, and then only, we have it indeed, and to good purpose. "Grant it me more and more." Those that know and love the law of God cannot but desire to know it more and love it better. "Grant it me graciously;" he begs it as a special token of God's favour. Note, We ought to reckon God's law a grant, a gift, an unspeakable gift, to value it, and pray for it, and to give thanks for it accordingly. The divine code of institutes and precepts is indeed a charter of privileges; and God is truly gracious to those whom he makes gracious by giving them his law.

Cross-references: Ps 119:25 · Deut 33:25 · Ps 119:29 · 1Sam 21:2 · 1Sam 21:13 · 1Sam 27:10 · Deut 17:18

Hebrew interlinear

H1811

דָּלַףdâlaph/daw-laf'/

v — drip, weep

Derivation: a primitive root;

to drip; by implication, to weep

KJV: drop through, melt, pour out.

דָּלַף

vb — drop

[דָּלַף] vb. drop, drip

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

H8424

תּוּגָהtûwgâh/too-gaw'/

n-f — depression, grief

Derivation: from 3013;

depression (of spirits); concretely a grief

KJV: heaviness, sorrow.

תּוּגָה

n.f — grief

תּוּגָה n.f. grief (poet.)

H6965

קוּםqûwm/koom/

v — rise

Derivation: a primitive root;

to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)

KJV: abide, accomplish, × be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, × be dim, endure, × enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, × but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-) rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-) stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -rising).

לֵב קָמָי

Leb Qamay

לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.

קוּם

vb — arise

קוּם 628 vb. arise, stand up, stand

Qal 460

1. arise

2. arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)

3. arise, abs., = become powerful

4. arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet

5. arise for, i.e. to become

6.

a. arise for action

b. arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed

c. esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere

7. stand

Pi.

1. fulfil

2.

a. confirm, ratify

b. confirm, establish

c. impose, an obligation

Pō‛l. raise up

Hithpō‛l. raise oneself, = rise up

Hiph. 146

1. cause to arise, raise

2.

a. raise, set up, stones

b. erect, build

c. fig, of setting up law

3. raise up = bring on the scene

4.

a. raise up = rouse, stir up

b. instigate, build

c. fig, of setting up law

5. raise up = constitute

6. cause to stand

Hoph. be raised up

H1697

דָּבָרdâbâr/daw-baw'/

n-m — word, matter, spoken, thing, cause

Derivation: from 1696;

a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause

KJV: act, advice, affair, answer, × any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, chronicles, commandment, × commune(-ication), concern(-ing), confer, counsel, dearth, decree, deed, × disease, due, duty, effect, eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, glory, harm, hurt, iniquity, judgment, language, lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, × ought, × parts, pertaining, please, portion, power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, × (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, sign, so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, song, speech, × spoken, talk, task, that, × there done, thing (concerning), thought, thus, tidings, what(-soever), wherewith, which, word, work.

דָּבָר

n.m — speech

דָּבָר 1439 n.m. speech, word

I. sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken

II. sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse

III. sg. a word, words

IV. sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks

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