Psalm 118 on the granting of the mind. Psalter. Days of special remembrance of the departed in Orthodoxy

[Hallelujah]

In the Hebrew Bible this psalm has no inscription, but in the Greek and Vulgate it, like all the psalms, starting from 110, is inscribed- "hallelujah." The psalm is alphabetic, and each letter of the Jewish alphabet begins more than one verse, as in those psalms that we have already encountered, but a stanza of 8 verses, and therefore all the verses in psalm 176, stanzas 22, according to the number of signs of the Jewish alphabet. The psalm can be considered written during Ezra and Nehemiah, since the psalm’s indications of a disorder in life, such as hostile attitudes towards the Jews of the government (23, 46), the appearance of apostates among the Jews themselves (21, 53, 150), are also numerous indications that the righteous He fought and found protection and reinforcement only in faith in the Lord and following His law (vv. 1-8, 14, 20, 24, etc.) coincide with the situation of the Jews in the era of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Persian kings interfered with the Jews according to the intrigues of the Samaritans dispensation of their civil, political and religious situ when the Jews for his fidelity to the law were subjected to direct even persecuted, for example, under Artaxerxes 3, its commander Vagoz overlaid sacrifice tribute.; the famous Artaxerxes Longiman even issued a command from the courtier’s machinations to exterminate the Jews (Esther III: 8-14). At that time, the Jews had many apostates from the faith of their fathers.

The content of the psalm is devoted to understanding the height of the content of the law of God and clarifying its beneficial value for man. Despite the vastness of the psalm and the apparent repeatability of many thoughts, it is, however, in the expression of the Rev. Theophanes (see interpretation of this psalm, introduction to it) is full of diversity either in clarifying the properties of the law, or its different shades, so for those who go deeper into its reading it represents inexhaustible material for edification. The specified work the author will acquaint the interested person with the details, nuances of the content of the psalm, in its legal-educational understanding, but we will stop here only at those places that, after some darkness, need to clarify the direct, literal meaning.

1 Blessed are the immaculate in the way, walking in the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they who keep his revelations, who wholeheartedly seek him.
3 They do not do lawlessness; they walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded thy commandments to keep firm.
5 Oh, if my ways were guided towards the observance of thy statutes!
6 Then I would not be ashamed, looking at all your commandments:
7 I would glorify you in the rightness of the heart, learning from the courts of your righteousness.
8 I will keep thy statutes; don't leave me at all.

1-8. The law of God here is called by different names, with the unity of its internal content clarifying its various manifestations, expressions and meanings. "Law" is a general indication, a basic generic concept, indicating those immutable norms to which both the physical nature and the spiritual life of a person obey in their structure and activity. "Revelations" are special commands given by God to man for his spiritual growth. They are “frank”, that is, they are not developed by man, why they may not be binding and erroneous, but sinless and holy, because they are open, communicated by the Lord Himself, and therefore obligatory. This law is the "path", indicates the direction of human activity to achieve the specific purpose of his existence on earth. "Instructions" are particular instructions giving directions to activities in different types of life - family, social, religious, etc. "Statutes", that is, instructions that establish a person’s known relationship to God, the first obligations assumed, the violation of which entails a punishment, in the form of various disasters and frustrations of life, for this violation. "Commandments," that is, limits indicating the boundaries of what is permissible and useful, within which boundaries the will of man and his activity must be concluded. With Greek. and lat. “commandments” are understood to mean “justifications,” that is, the commandments of the Lord, while keeping and following them, making a person holy and right before God. “Court” - in the sense of impartiality and the infallibility of its decisions: in the law there is nothing condoning the passions of a person or ambiguous, there is one truth. The psalm writer praises and considers blessed the one who did not depart from this law and steadfastly followed it, and prays to God to give him strength for the same fulfillment of these commands, since only in the latter is a condition of peace of mind and moral satisfaction.

9 How can a young man keep his way clean? - Keeping yourself according to Your word.

9. Compared to Article 8 here, under the youth, you need to understand the writer of the psalm, as indicated by 100 tbsp. This indication can partly explain the vastness of the psalm, in which (vastness) one cannot help but see the writer's diligent effort to understand and understand the whole content of the law and its great significance for man, to understand it even in particulars; this is the first test of conscious thought and the desire to determine and outline the path of life. At the same time, in the psalm we will see many indications where his writer is imbued with a thirst for achievement and ardent, impetuous indignation at all who do not follow the law. The last trait, the trait of ardent desire for exploits and intentions to steadily and straightforwardly follow what is recognized as high, a feature and property of mainly young age. If the writer of the psalm was a young man, this eliminates the many assumptions that ascribe his origin to David, who wrote a psalm to his son Solomon for his education: David, when he had Solomon, was not a young man, but a mature and experienced husband. “Word” here refers to the same law of God, as communicated to man from the Lord through Moses and the prophets by word, speech. By following this word, the young man will keep his purity, since this law offers instructions that exalt a person, ennoble his soul and saints.

10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me dodge your commandments.
11 I hid Your word in my heart, so as not to sin before Thee.

11. "Hide in the heart" - to love, deeply assimilate, so that external behavior is an expression of inner mood. In the same accord of inner life and its external expression is the fullness of personal life and the certainty of its direction.

12   Blessed are you, Lord! Teach me thy statutes.
13   Through my mouth I have declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

13. As a result of the deep penetration of the law into the writer's heart, he constantly talks about this law, preaches it, since there is no other, more valuable and valuable subject for him.

14 On the path of your testimonies, I rejoice, as in all riches.

14. "On the path of your testimonies I rejoice", I rejoice when I follow Your commandments, because here I find satisfaction with my attractions. This adherence to the commandments does not mean only theoretical study of the law, but its manifold manifestation in activity, which in all its forms and directions was the implementation and actual, practical preaching of the Lord's statutes.

15 I meditate on your commandments, and look on your path.
16 I am comforting in your statutes, I do not forget your word.
17 Show mercy to your servant, and I will live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, and I will see the miracles of your law.

18. “To see the miracles of the law of God” is to understand its entire high content, to appreciate the power that transforms it, which makes a righteous person from a sinful person, a great ascetic from a weak will, and a hero from an insignificant one. There are thousands of such evidence of the miraculous transformation of man under the influence of the law: all the prophets were martyrs for the law and his unwavering preachers, but in the history of the Christian church such facts of great asceticism and martyrdom cannot be counted. It is possible to understand and recognize such a force and effect of the law of God on a person when his eyes are “open”, when they do not turn away from him with a biased conviction, but carefully, concentratedly, “with open eyes”, they study him.

19 I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.

19. Life on earth is "wandering", a journey made by man to achieve his fatherland and permanent, eternal residence. Obviously, the latter is not on earth, but behind the coffin. If so, then earthly life should be a preparation for the afterlife and only the unmistakably chosen path on earth can lead to it. How and where to find the last? This path is indicated in the commandments of the law. He who does not follow them is mistaken and will not reach the afterlife, that is, the afterlife tranquility, as rewards for the hard work to achieve it. Here is a fairly clear teaching on the purpose of earthly existence, the immortality of the human soul, and the afterlife creation.

20 My soul was weary by the desire of thy courts at all times.
21 You have tamed the proud, the damned, who are evading your commandments.
22 Take from me reproach and shame, for I keep thy testimonies.
23 Princes sit and conspire against me, and Your servant ponders Thy statutes.

21-23. In these verses - an indication of the position of the Jewish people during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when they met opposition from both the apostates from the faith of the fathers of the Jews and the Samaritans. The latter are called deviating from the commandments of God because the Samaritans recognized only the Pentateuch of Moses, and the rest of the holy books of the Jews rejected, as a result of which they avoided observing the revelation reported in these books. The Samaritans intrigued Jews against the Persian rulers, and the princes of the Persians, trusting their denunciations, issued decrees restricting the activities of Jews, such as, for example, prohibiting the construction of a temple and Jerusalem. Such prohibitions were an undeserved reproach and shame on Jews who cared only at these buildings to satisfy their religious needs, and not on political deposition, as their enemies falsely informed them.

24 Thy testimonies are my consolation, [and thy statutes] are my counselors.
25 My soul is cast to dust; quicken me according to thy word.

25. "My soul is cast to dust"   - I am exhausted, tormented to the point that I am close to death, turned to dust, nothing — an indication that the mood of the writer was depressing for the writer, he was desperate. - “Revive me according to thy word”   - help with your omnipotent assistance.

26 I have declared my ways, and you have heard me; Teach me thy statutes.
27 Let me understand the way of thy commandments, and I will meditate on your wonders.
28 My soul melts from grief: strengthen me according to thy word.
29 Remove from me the way of lies, and grant thy law to me.

29. "Take the path of lies away from me"   - save me from false and evil deeds. Maybe the writer, in order to weaken the intrigues of the Samaritans, temporarily stopped thinking, acting on the Persian court with indirect means, but then, realizing that this method, being unclean, could entail a whole series of similar ones, develop in a person indifference to the moral side of actions, having made the measure of the dignity of the latter only their external profitability, he was frightened of his thought and prayed to repentance to the Lord so that he would confirm Him in following only the truth, His law (see v. 30).

30 I have chosen the path of truth, I have set thy judgments before me.
31 I have cleaved unto thy testimonies, Lord; don't shame me.
32 I will flow by thy commandments, when you will expand my heart.
33 Lord, show me the way of thy statutes, and I will keep it to the end.
34 Advise me, and I will keep thy law and keep it with all my heart.
35 Put me on the path of thy commandments, for I have desired it.
36 Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to self-interest.
37 Turn away my eyes, so as not to see the fuss; give me life in thy way.
38 Establish your word to thy servant, for the sake of reverence for thee.

33-38. The writer’s awareness of the height of the law, its sanctity and its weakness and inexperience, causes him, when he decides to follow the instructions of the law steadily, a prayer to the Lord that He does not leave it with His constant admonition and guidance in a wide variety of circumstances and situations of life.

39 Turn away my reproach, which I fear, for thy judgments are good.

39. "Reproach"   - Of course, on the part of God for the sin of man, that is, for the departure from His commandments. This reproach is expressed in depriving a person of the greatest good - proximity to the Lord. Such a “reproach” for a pious person is the greatest calamity, the most severe punishment, which he fears and from which, in case of violation of the Divine commandments, he prays the goodness of the Lord to have mercy on him.

40 Behold, I have desired your commandments; give me life to your truth.
41 May thy mercies come unto me, Lord, thy salvation according to thy word, -
42 And I will give an answer to reproaching me, for I trust in thy word.

42. An ordinary, everyday measure applied to assessing the dignity of different areas of life is, for the most part, narrowly materialistic: dignity is measured by the degree of benefit and the number of practical amenities. In this position was the writer of the psalm with his deep faith in the fruitfulness of the law of God for those who keep it. His faith was deep, but his external situation was disastrous. This caused mockery of him from both the enemies of the Jewish people, pagans, and his fellow tribesmen, unstable in their faith and apostates from it. Since the reproach of the hopes of the righteous turned into the reproach of the Lord himself, impotent, as if to reward and save from the misfortunes of His readers, the writer prays to Him (see v. 40 and 41) to send mercies for those who believe in Him, thereby giving the actual rebuttal of the lies of the defamants.

43 Do not completely take away from my mouth the word of truth, for I trust in Your judgments

43. "Do not completely take away from my mouth the word of truth". "Absolutely"   it means forever, constantly, more precisely with Heb. “never,” that is, let me never back down from your commandments.

44 And I will keep thy law forever, forever and ever;
45 I will walk freely, for I have sought thy commandments;
46 I will speak of thy revelations before the kings, and I shall not be ashamed;

46. "To speak of your revelations before the kings"   - clarify the true meaning of what was built by the Jews upon their return from captivity, without fear of any false interpretations and distrust of the rulers (see article 29).

47 I will be comforted by thy commandments, which I have loved;
48 I will stretch my hands unto thy commandments, which I have loved, and meditate on thy statutes.
49 Remember the word [thy] to thy servant, on which you commanded me to trust:
50 this is comfort in my distress, that thy word quickens me.
51 The proud proudly swore at me, but I did not shy away from Your law.

51 tbsp. next 42.

52 I remembered thy judgments, Lord, from the ages, and was comforted.
53 Horror takes hold of me at the sight of the wicked who forsake thy law.

53. By the wicked, "abandoning the law of God", it is not understood the Gentiles who did not keep this law, but the Jews who departed from it.

54 Your statutes were my songs in the place of my wanderings.
55 At night I remembered Your name, Lord, and kept Thy law.

55. "Night" is a time of disaster. In the difficult moments of his life, the writer was comforted only by the strength of his faith in the Law of God and the promises outlined there for all Jehovah's readers.

56 He became mine, for I keep thy commandments.
57 My destiny, Lord, I said, keep thy words.
58 I prayed to you with all my heart: have mercy on me according to your word.
59 He meditated on my ways, and turned my feet to your testimonies.
60 He hastened and did not hesitate to keep thy commandments.
61 Networks of the wicked surrounded me, but I did not forget Your law.

61. "The Network of the Wicked"probably the machinations of the Samaritans.

62 At midnight I got up to glorify you for your righteous judgments.
63 I am a companion to all who fear you and keep your commandments.
64 Your mercies, Lord, the earth is full; Teach me thy statutes.
65 Thou didest do good unto thy servant, Lord, according to thy word.
66 Teach me good understanding and knowledge, for I believe in thy commandments.
67 Before my suffering I was mistaken; and now I keep thy word.

67. The disasters experienced by the Jews during their captivity showed them that the strength and power of their people did not consist in arranging life at their discretion, but according to the direction of the Lord. Although the preaching of the prophets was constantly heard about the last, foreshadowing dire calamities for the retreat from God, but the people did not believe and “erred” until the punishment proclaimed by the prophets came, in the form of Babylonian captivity. Now, during the time of captivity, the Jew learned, realized that his well-being depends on the storage of "the word of God." The psalm writer here expresses the general mood of the pious Israelites.

68 You are good and beneficent, [Lord]; Teach me thy statutes.
69 The proud make up lies on me; I will keep Thy commandments with all my heart.
70 Their heart was fat as a fat; I am comforted by thy law.

69-70. By “proud” one can mean either pagan princes who were dismissive of Jews, or those Jews who turned all their efforts only on their material support, not caring for the general needs and moral purity. For all of them, a Jew loyal to his people and pious was an obstacle that they wanted to eliminate.

71 It is good to me that I suffered in order to learn thy statutes.
72 The law of thy mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver.
73 Your hands made me and made me; enlighten me, and I will learn thy commandments.
74 Those who fear you will see me - and they will be glad that I trust in your word.
75 I know, Lord, that your judgments are righteous and in fairness you have punished me.
76 Thy mercy be my consolation, according to thy word to thy servant.
77 Thy mercy come to me, and I will live; for thy law is my comfort.
78 Let the proud be ashamed, for they oppress me innocently; I meditate on your commandments.
79 Let those who fear you and know your testimonies turn to me.
80 May my heart be blameless in thy statutes, lest I be put to shame.
81 My soul faints for thy salvation; I trust in thy word.
82 My eyes faint about thy word; I say: when will you console me?
83 I became like a fur in smoke but   I have not forgotten thy statutes.

81-83. The image of the severity experienced by the writer of the disturbances of life. - "Fur in the smoke"more precisely, the fur in the frost, which hardens, breaks and smoke is made from it. "Frost" is the image of the calamities of the Jews, who have exhausted the latter.

84 How many days is your servant? When will you judge my persecutors?
85 Pit dug me a proud, contrary to thy law.
86 All thy commandments are truth; they unjustly pursue me: help me;
87 They nearly destroyed me on the earth, but I did not leave your commandments.
88 By thy mercy quicken me, and I will keep the revelations of thy mouth.
89 Forever and ever, Lord, your word is established in heaven;
90 Thy truth be in generation and generation. You set the earth, and it stands.
91 By your definitions, everything stands until now, for everything serves you.
92 If your law were not my consolation, I would perish in my distress.
93 I will never forget Your commandments forever, for with them You revive me.
94 Yours, save me; for I have sought thy commandments.

94. "Your me"   - I am devoted only to You and only from You I wait for help and protection.

95 The wicked lurk me to destroy; a   I delve into Your revelations.
96 I saw the limit of all perfection, but   Your commandment is immensely vast.

96. "I have seen the limit of all perfection". All human deeds and undertakings that limit their content and value to the limits of earthly life can be perfect and complete, "the commandment of the Lord is immensely vast," it cannot be completed by man, no one can say that he has reached perfection in the law, for the commandments the last of such a height that the measure, their limit can only be the complete God-likening of man, that is, his infinite development not only on earth, but also beyond the grave.

97 How I love thy law! I've been thinking about him all day.
98 By thy commandment, you have made me wiser than my enemies, for she is always with me.
99 I have become wiser than all my teachers, for I meditate on your revelations.
100 I know more than the elders, for I keep thy commandments.

98-100. Leading the commandment of the Lord makes a young man more intelligent than teachers, knowledgeable elders and wiser than enemies. Here is an indication that the psalm was written after removing some of the obstacles that Jews encountered during the time of Ezra. Remaining faithful to God's law, believing in his help, true and pious zealots for the welfare of the people did not stop caring for the improvement of his life and these concerns were often crowned with success, although they met with direct opposition from the enemies of the Samaritans and disapproval from the old teachers (see Hag 1 ch.), Which undermined the energy of the builders of the second temple and in some disorder of life saw signs of the rejection of their people by God, why they portended failure to all their enterprises.

101 From every evil way I restrain my feet, to keep thy word;
102 I do not shrink from thy courts, for you teach me.
103 How sweet the larynx of my word is thy! better than honey to my mouth.
104 By thy commandments I am enlightened; therefore I hate every way of lying.
105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my foot, and a light unto my path.
106 I vowed to keep thy righteous judgments, and I will fulfill.
107 I am greatly depressed, Lord; quicken me according to thy word.
108 But it is gracious, Lord, to accept a voluntary sacrifice of my mouth, and teach me thy courts.
109 My soul is constantly in my hand, but I do not forget Your law.

109. "My soul is constantly in my hand"- that is, it is open to everyone, accessible to the action of the enemy, or - in constant danger. Probably, the open and direct activity of the psalm writer to restore the people's well-being is probably at hand here, and this activity was unpleasant to the enemies of the Jewish people, who tried to find in it the basis for condemning the writer, perhaps through slander before the Persian government. But the writer was not embarrassed by a hostile attitude towards him, but adamantly strove to fulfill and restore legal service among his people.

110 The wicked set up a net for me, but I did not shy away from thy commandments.
111 I have accepted Your Revelations as an inheritance forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
112 I bowed my heart to the fulfillment of thy statutes forever, to the end.
113 Fiction human   I hate it, but I love your law.
114 You are my cover and my shield; I trust in your word.
115 Get away from me, wicked, and I will keep the commandments of my God.
116 Strengthen me according to thy word, and I will live; Do not shame me in my hope;
117 support me, and I will be saved; and I will constantly delve into your statutes.

116-117. Although the writer’s faith in the word of God was deep, the difficult conditions, among which he had to act, put him in such insurmountable obstacles that he resorted to the help of God and appealed to His direct assistance. An indicator of the strength of his faith here is the fact that even in moments of a certain decline in spirit he seeks support not from people, but from the Lord.

118 You depose all those departing from your statutes, for their tricks are a lie.
119 how   out of it, You sweep away all the wicked lands; therefore I have loved thy testimonies.
120 My flesh trembles with thy fear, and I fear thy judgments.

120. "My flesh trembles with thy fear", the writer is in awe, in a fearful expectation of what the definition of the Lord will be regarding the success of his work, he fears that, according to the judgment of Divine truth, the Jewish people may not be worthy of His mercy, and at the same time restore prosperity. This fear makes him tremble.

121 I have done judgment and truth; Do not betray me to my persecutors.
122 Take Thy Servant for Good his,   so that the proud do not oppress me.

121-122. Activities in the name of the national good have created the author many enemies who not only disdain him, but also “persecute” him, persecute him in many ways, which greatly harm the success of his good undertakings. He ceases the Lord to stop these attacks.

123 My eyes faint, waiting for Your salvation and the words of Your righteousness.
124 Create with thy servant according to thy mercy, and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant: admonish me, and I will know your revelations.
126 Time for the Lord to act: Thy law was ruined.

126. The writer prays the Lord over the wicked apostates from the law to pronounce his judgment. Their impunity and well-being are harmful because in the wavering souls they inspire distrust of activity in the spirit of the instructions of the law that only the latter will succeed and will cause goodwill on the part of God. The example of the welfare of the wicked seems to say otherwise. To strengthen the hesitant, to expose the apostates and to encourage the pious, the writer prays to God to pronounce His judgment.

127 But I love thy commandments more than gold, and pure gold.
128 All thy commandments - I admit all fair; I hate every way of lying.
129 Wondrous are thy revelations; therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The revelation of thy words enlightens, admonishes the simple.
131 I open my mouth and sigh, for Thy commandments are thirsty.
132 Look at me and have mercy on me, as you do with those who love your name.
133 Establish my feet in your word, and do not let any iniquity take possession of me;
134 deliver me from the oppression of man, and I will keep thy commandments;

134. Getting rid of human oppression   It is a condition of full and constant service to the Lord and the fulfillment of His law. External disasters do not have the power to undermine a person’s faith in God, but they can impede such a routine of time and their behavior that would always appear and be directed toward serving the Lord, diverting forces and attention to eliminating them.

135 shine upon thy servant with the light of thy face, and teach me thy statutes.
136 Streams of water flow from my eyes because they do not keep Thy law.

136. Since the writer everywhere preaches about the unusually exalting effect of the law on the soul of a person, it is also the fact that following the Lord’s statutes is a sure source and external well-being of a person on earth, then any disobedience to God's instructions that would have acted upon him he saw somewhere: he mourned with bitter regret such misguided people.

137 You are righteous, Lord, and your judgments are just.
138 Thy testimonies that you have commanded are truth and perfect truth.
139 My jealousy eats me up, because my enemies have forgotten Your words.
140 Your word is very pure, and your servant loved it.
141 I am small and despicable but   I do not forget your commandments.

141. The writer of the psalm was not prominent among the Jewish people ( "I am small and despicable"), but he was one of those faithful Jews who sincerely loved their people, were devoted to serving the Lord and ardently sought to restore true reverence and a godly life. It may be that the psalm writer was one of the pious Levites.

142 Thy truth is eternal truth, and thy law is truth.
143 Sorrow and sorrow befell me; Thy commandments are my comfort.
144 The truth of thy revelations is eternal: enlighten me, and I will live.
145 I cry with all my heart: hear me, Lord, and I will keep thy statutes.
146 I urge you: save me, and I will keep thy testimonies.
147 I anticipate the dawn and cry; I trust in your word.

147. "I anticipate the dawn and cry out", that is, from the early morning "until the onset" of the dawn, I pray and appeal to You for protection and help.

148 My eyes precede morning   to the guard, that I may go deeper into thy word.
149 Hear my voice by thy mercy, Lord; in thy judgment quicken me.
150 The scheming slyness approached; they are far from thy law.
151 You are close, Lord, and all thy commandments are truth.
152 From time immemorial I learned of Your revelations that You have confirmed them forever.
153 Look at my calamity and deliver me, for I do not forget your law.
154 Get in my work and protect me; according to thy word revive me.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek thy statutes.
156 Many thy bounties, Lord; in thy judgment quicken me.
157 I have many persecutors and enemies, but   from thy testimonies I do not go away.
158 I see the apostates, and lament, for they do not keep Thy word.
159 See how I love thy commandments; by thy mercy, Lord, quicken me.
160 The foundation of your word is true, and all judgment of your righteousness is eternal.
161 Princes persecute me innocently, but my heart is afraid of Your word.
162 I rejoice at thy word, as having received great profit.
163 I hate lying and abhor it; Thy law I love.
164 Seven times a day I glorify you for the judgments of your righteousness.

164. “I glorify you seven times a day for the judgments of your righteousness”. - Sevenfold - in the sense of often. - "Courts of Truth"   - manifestations of divine anger on the enemies of a pious writer and all faithful Jews. One can see here an indication that the actions of the enemies of the Jewish people were not always successful: they managed to expose their intrigues, there was an improvement and these moments of life fill the writer with a gratefully enthusiastic feeling.

165 The world is great among those who love your law, and there is no stumbling block.
166 I trust in thy salvation, Lord, and I keep thy commandments.
167 My soul keeps Thy testimonies, and I love them deeply.
168 I keep thy commandments and thy testimonies, for all my ways are before thee.
169 May my cry draw near before thy face, Lord; according to thy word enlighten me.
170 May my prayer come before thy face; according to thy word deliver me.
171 My lips will utter praise when you teach me your statutes.

171. Instead "when"   more precisely, one could translate "since." The meaning is this: since only from you, Lord, is the teaching of the law, I am full of praise to you.

172 My tongue will cry out thy word, for all thy commandments are righteous.
173 Thy hand be to help me, for I have chosen thy commandments.
174 I thirst for thy salvation, Lord, and thy law is my comfort.
175 May my soul live and glorify thee, and thy judgments help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant, for I have not forgotten thy commandments.

176. The “Lost Sheep” is a lost, oppressed writer, like every true Jehovah's reader at the present time, which indicates the general difficult situation of the Jewish people at that time.

The content of the psalm provides few indications of the external position of the writer, most of all it speaks of what feelings and thoughts are evoked in him when reading the law. In it alone, he finds reassurance and comfort, draws faith in the triumph of truth and energy for his work. Such is the content of the psalm, which clearly indicates that the hostile actions of the haters of the Jews put the last obstacles that stopped and slowed down their undertakings. But the severity of this situation is not without a gap: the writer found an opportunity to rejoice and thank the Lord for the manifestation of His courts (v. 164), i.e. there were times when the activity of his enemies was fruitless. The general oppressed tone of the psalm’s content with glimpses of light and joy in the writer confirms the assumption made at the beginning of the psalm about the time of its origin in the era of Ezra, when there was an intrigue against the Jews at court, which prohibited the Jews from building the temple and other persecutions, and when the leaders of the Jewish people had to expose lies and slander of enemies and partially cause glimpses of goodwill of the Persian government.

Psalm 118: All About the Bible

This psalm was called the "golden alphabet" of the Bible. It is divided into twenty-two sections, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section has eight verses, and each section verse begins with a specific Hebrew letter. So, in the Hebrew text, each verse of the first section begins with the letter Aleph; the second - with the letter bet, and so on.

In the translation of NKI, all but four verses of this longest of psalms contain some title or description of the Word of God. The four exceptions are verses 84, 121, 122 and 132. The Word of God here is called the law, testimony, paths, precepts, charters, commandments, courts, decrees, truth, commandments and revelations.

Rydaut believes that using the alphabet in this acrostic, the author wanted to show that "all the possibilities of the human language for expressing the fullness and perfection of the Word of God have been exhausted." A similar idea is expressed in the New Testament. Our Lord calls Himself Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1: 8). This, of course, is the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The idea here is that He is all good and perfect, which can be expressed by all letters of the alphabet, in all possible combinations.

The psalm does not have two verses of the same meaning. Each has a unique connotation of meaning. C. S. Lewis wrote about Psalm 118: “This poem is not, and does not pretend to be a sudden surge of feelings, like, say, Psalm 17. This is a complex pattern that was performed stitch by stitch, for long hours, with love for the subject and enjoyment the result, the skillful fruit of labor and displines. " The following subheadings of the sections of this psalm are primarily based on notes by F.W. Grant:

The psalm perfectly expresses the love of the Word of God that our Savior experienced when he was a man on earth. Bellet also suggests that "in its full prophetic meaning [this psalm] expresses the feelings of true Israel, returning to God and His prophecies, which they have long neglected."

118:1   Blessed or happy is one whose life is in accordance with the Word of the Lord. Even if he sins and stumbles, the Word cares for His confession and restoration, which keeps him immaculate.

118:2   It is important to obey His revelations - and obedience is not from under the stick, not insensitive and reluctant, but a passionate, great desire to be pleasing to Him, from the bottom of my heart.

118:3   We can say that happiness is a distance from any lawlessness. It is a desire to follow the path He has outlined for us in Scripture. The surest way to resist evil is to devote oneself to good deeds.

118:4   God's commands are not just wishes, they are the commandments   which must be followed not arbitrarily, but firmly.

118:5   Now the author of the psalm is moving from truth in general to truth in his own life. By involuntarily moving from precepts to prayer, he acknowledges that the desire, as well as the ability to constantly obey, ultimately must come from God.

118:6   As long as he obeys all the ordinances of the Lord, he will be spared the shame that torments his mind, makes his cheeks redden, and sometimes even makes his body tremble.

118:7   "The path from prayer to praise is short." Those who learn to obey God's rules of truth are full of joy, leading them to spontaneous worship.

118:8   Firm determination is complemented by meek hope. The author of the psalm decided to firmly follow the Lord. But he understands his weakness. Prayer: “Do not leave me at all,” is not so much an assumption of such an opportunity, but a statement of fact: this is what the author deserves.

118:9   One of the most important problems in the life of every young man is to keep clean. In order to do this, one must practice the words of the Bible.

118:10 In order to achieve holiness, you need an interesting mixture of human desire (with all my heart I seek you) and empowerment of God (do not let me evade your commandments).

118:11   God does not make us holy against our will or without our assistance. Someone wisely said: “The best book in the world is the Bible. The best place to put it is the heart. The best reason to put it there is that it saves us from sin against God.”

118:12   Since God is so great and full of grace, the renewed nature longs to know His statutes and conform to them. Christ's love holds us back!

118:14   The gold digger does not rejoice in the gold bars found as the one who discovers hidden truths in Scripture is rejoiced.

118:15   God's Word is an endless source of material for the most pleasant thoughts, but thinking should not be divorced from the practical fulfillment of the Word.

118:16   “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5: 3). He who is born again of God is comforted by His charters and always keeps them in his memory.

118:17   Without Him we are incapable of anything. We need His grace to live and obey His word. Let us ask for abundant grace, because our need is so great.

118:18   There are many miracles in the Bible, many spiritual blessings that are hidden from superficial gaze. We need to open our eyes so that we can see them.

118:19   The Bible is a roadmap that inevitably leads pilgrims to a true goal.

118:20   It is good when our thirst for Scripture is great and unquenchable. The soul of the author of the psalm languished, desiring the Word, and this ardent, intense desire was with him at all times.

118:21   There are examples in history of how the proud and arrogant neglected the commandments of the Lord, and were soon relegated by the powerful hand of God.

118:22   The world taunts believers, mocks them. "They ... are amazed that you are not participating in the same debauchery, and they are cursing you" (1 Pet. 4: 4). But the believer's sequence will be rewarded, and His praise will fully compensate for the inconvenience caused by reproach and shame.

118:23   Even when those who hold a high position, unite and slander the Christian, he can gain strength and comfort in meditating on the Bible, "answering his detractors with silence."

118:24   Matthew Henry comments on this verse as follows:

"Was David at a loss when the princes were malicious against him? God's commandments were his counselors, and they advised him to demolish everything patiently and let God solve the problem." 118:25 Life has its ups and downs. Even when we are sad, we can appeal to the Lord to revive us with the regenerating power of His word.

118:26   When we talk about our ways, that is, we openly confess our sins, the Lord answers us with forgiveness. Then our desire for holiness, revived in prayer, is revived: "Teach me thy statutes."

118:27   We must understand the meaning of God's commandments and how to put them into practice in our lives. This leads us to reflect on God's miracles.

118:28   In the gloomy moments of life, when our soul melts from grief, the God of all comforts inclines toward us and often lifts our spirit and strengthens us with a single verse of Scripture so that we can move forward.

118:29   By the Spirit of God and through the Word of God we can distinguish truth from error. The Bible expresses holy hatred of any form of lie. She also teaches that truth is what God says (John 17:17).

118:30   No one can become a saint automatically. To do this, one must consciously choose the path of truth revealed in the Holy Scriptures. Spurgeon said: "God's commandments must be set before us as the goal we are striving for, as a role model, as a path."

118:32   God gives us a big heart, not a big brain, so that we strive to keep His commandments. It is more a matter of affection than intelligence.

118:33   We must pray for guidance. As students of God's school, we must be willing to learn how to put the rules into practice and decide to obey His Word for the rest of our lives.

118:34   We must pray for admonition. It is important to have a correct understanding of Scripture, its meaning, and ordinances. How else can we follow Him with unwavering devotion?

118:35   We must pray for guidance. Our spirit thirsts, but the flesh is weak. Therefore, we want the Lord to guide us on the path of His will, since this is the only path on which we will be truly happy.

118:36   We should pray for spiritual rather than material enrichment. “The great gain is to be pious and contented” (1 Tim. 6: 6). The miracle of grace frees a person from the love of money and replaces it with love for the Bible.

118:37   We must pray for spiritual reality, not shadows. Here is what God says about television: "Turn away my eyes, so as not to see the fuss." On TV we are shown a fabulous country, a world that does not exist. God's Word shows us real life.

118:38 We must pray that God will confirm His promise. "I claim all the rivers of Your grace; on all promises I write my name." We can claim His promises because we are afraid of Him.

118:39   We must pray that God will protect us from reproach, from everything that can disgrace the name of the Lord Jesus or bring dishonor on Him. His courts are good; we must faithfully follow them.

118:40   We must pray for personal awakening. “And the ghost of the waters will turn into a lake, and the thirsty earth will become a spring of waters” (Isa. 35: 7). We suffer, having desired His precepts, and He gives us life by His truth.

118:41   We should not take God's mercies and salvation for granted. We depend on His compassion and protection just as we did when we were just saved. Therefore, we trust in His promise to take care of us and keep us day by day.

118:42   Indisputable evidence that the Lord answers prayers should silence the unbelievers who reproach us. Our faith is based on the word of God, which is infallible.

118:43   Never be afraid or ashamed to speak the word of truth. If we trust in the judgments of God, He will constantly send us the opportunity to testify of Him.

118:44   Our answer to His love and grace must be a firm determination to keep His Word until death. "After what He has done for me, how can I do less than give Him the very best and live only for Him?"

118:45   Liberated by the Son of God, they are truly free (John 8:36). To the world, the Christian way of life seems slavery. But those who have sought the commandments of God enjoy genuine freedom.

118:46   Faith gives courage to speak of Jesus in the presence of kings. How many powerful persons have heard the Good News from humble and often despised subjects!

118:47   Those who love the Bible find great pleasure in reading its pages. It is a source of comfort, a stream of pleasure, an inexhaustible storehouse of satisfaction.

118:48   We honor the Bible in the sense that we are in awe, thinking about its scope, its depths, its strength, its treasures and its infinity. We loved her for what she is and for what she does. We reflect on it day and night.

118:49   God cannot forget about His promise, but in the crucible of suffering, when our faith is wavering, we are allowed to pray: “Lord, remember ...” “He could not teach us to believe in His name just to bring shame on us” .

118:50   Those who have experienced the effect of the life-giving word find in it an endless source of comfort. People’s words are often empty and unreliable, but the Word of God is always alive, relevant and effective.

118:51 If we are faithful to the Lord, we should expect ridicule and mocking, but, having acquired God's principles, we must adhere to them.

118:52   We are encouraged by the memory of how the Lord helped us in the past. In His mercy, He brought us to where we are, and will no doubt bring us to the goal. "His love shown to us in the past does not allow us to think that He can leave us in the darkness in the future."

118:53   When a believer sees that God's law is dishonored and not kept, it causes him furious indignation. This is how the Lord Jesus related to this: “The curses of those who cursed you have fallen on me” (Rom. 15: 3). The Son perceived any insult of the Father as personal.

118:54   Thanks to the wonderful Word of God, a traveler can sing at the place of wandering, or, as Knox puts it, "in the land of exile." The path may be difficult, but it cannot be long. The night may be dark, but God sends a song.

118:55   The hours of sleepless nights seem endless, but they can be occupied with thoughts about the Lord, who is revealed to us in His Word. The better we know Him, the more we love Him, and by loving Him we want to obey His commandments.

118:56   Obedience is a blessing. “Piety for all is useful, having the promise of a present and a future life” (1 Tim. 4: 8).

118:57   Understanding what incomparable treasure we have in the Lord makes us take a vow to keep His words. He is self-sufficient. To possess Him is to be fabulously rich.

118:58   Although He is self-sufficient, we are not. “Our ability is from God” (2 Cor. 3: 5). Therefore, we must constantly pray, ask for God's mercy, and trust in His promise of mercy.

118:59   Choosing a path is an eternal problem. Where to go? Honestly, we ourselves do not have the wisdom to choose the path. Okay. Then we will turn our feet on the path indicated in Scripture.

118:60   We live in times of fast food, quick service, and generally fast everything. Quick obedience to God's revealed will is a thing that needs to be thought about and developed.

118:61   The wicked may be malicious against an innocent believer, but this is another reason for him to remember the Word as a source of instruction and protection.

118:62   “Around midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang of God” (Acts 16:25). People were unfair to them, but they could still sing God's righteous judgments.

118:63   Those who love God love His people. And those who love the Bible love all who love the Bible. This is a worldwide brotherhood that does not pay attention to national, social and racial borders.

118:64 God's infinite love of self can be felt anywhere in the world, but moreover, the earth is full   by her. Our grateful hearts say, “Lord, make me the tabernacle of your Holy Spirit!”

118:65   How long was the last time I thanked the Lord for His wonderful relationship to me, according to His word? "Count your blessings; name them one by one, and you will wonder how much the Lord has done!"

118:66   We must all pray for good understanding as well as for knowledge. You can have knowledge without understanding and without balance. From the Word and life experience, we receive lessons from sound judgment.

118:67   God's instruction "to the learned through him delivers the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11). Remembering what our errors cost us helps us not to repeat them.

118:68   God is good and everything that He does is good too. In order to become good, we must accept His burden and learn from Him.

118:69   When wicked people try to destroy our reputation with their lies, we can be protected by faithful and infallible obedience to the Bible.

118:70   Let the worldly bathe in luxury and pleasure. We find our pleasure in spiritual instruction, and not in sensual pleasures.

118:71   Suffering is temporary, but the beneficial effect of suffering remains forever. People are chasing us to hurt us; God does it for good.

118:72   The Bible is the greatest material value that we have in the world. A computer can add fantastically large numbers, but it cannot appreciate the value of Scripture.

118:73   Since God created us so miraculously, He must rightly be our Teacher. We must understand the purpose for which He created us, and to fulfill His purpose to the end.

118:74   It is a great spiritual joy to meet a Christian who passionately loves the Lord Jesus. Those who trust in the Word of God shine from the presence of the Holy Spirit.

118:75   Sickness, suffering, and grief do not come directly from God, but He allows them under certain circumstances and forces them to serve His purpose. It is a sign of spiritual maturity to see His justice and righteousness amid such circumstances.

118:76   By ourselves, we are weak as dust, and we need His compassionate love that would support us. “Therefore, let us proceed with boldness to the throne of grace in order to receive mercy and gain grace for timely help” (Heb. 4:16).

118:77   Any manifestation of God's mercy is like a fresh infusion of life into the heart of a weary saint. Those for whom God's law is a consolation can be sure that He will come to the rescue.

118:78 Zhelino translates verse 78: “Let the proud be ashamed, who harm me with their lies, while I meditate on your commandments.”

118:79   Spiritual instinct tells us to seek fellowship with those who know and love the Word of God. But how often do we ask the Lord to meet with those who fear

118:80   There are many reasons why we should be willing to immaculately observe the Lord's statutes. The author of the psalm points to one of them here - in order to avoid the shame of sin.

118:81   A believer may be sad, but not broken; in perplexity, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; wounded, but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4: 8, 9). Here he prays for the saving help of God, and hope is alive in him.

118:82   Although the believer’s eyes melt in anticipation of God's promise of deliverance, he does not pray, “Will you comfort me?”, He prays, “When will you comfort me?”

118:83   Fur for wine in the smoke becomes wrinkled and darkens. The comparison is clear. The believer in distress suffers, dries, becomes discouraged, but does not lose hope, because he has the Word.

118:84   Life is very short at best. It seems that days of grief occupy most of it. It is time for the Lord to act and punish the oppressors.

118:85   The villains in this verse are wicked and wicked; these two characteristics are inseparable from each other. They conspire to destroy the righteous and innocent - proof that they do not want to obey God's law.

118:86   There is nothing more reliable than God's Word. He promised to deliver His people, which are being persecuted. Therefore, when we are falsely accused, we can safely use the "golden prayer": "Help me!"

118:87   Spurgeon wrote: "If we keep our commandments, we will be saved by promises." Even in a desperate situation, we must never stop obeying. Help will come, just believe!

118:88   The best prayer is born at the moment of a strong inner need. Here the author of the psalm prays that the Lord spare his life and that he could continue to glorify God by obeying His Word.

118:89   Faith is not blind. It is based on the most certain thing in the world - the Bible. There is no risk in believing in a word that is forever established in heaven.

118:90   God's faithfulness is manifested not only in His Word, but also in His deeds. It applies to all generations, it is visible in the orderliness and accuracy of nature.

118:91   Heaven and earth fulfill His laws. The time of sowing and harvesting, cold and hot weather, day and night - everything is determined by God and everything serves Him. All this is regulated and supported by His word of power.

118:92 Barnes comments: “I could have drowned a thousand times already,” said one eminent and very unhappy person, “if it were not for one text in the Word of God:“ Your refuge is ancient God, and you are under the eternal muscles. ”

118:93   Those who have experienced the power of Scripture in their lives are unlikely to forget this. We are “not regenerated from the perishable seed, but from the incorruptible, from the word of God, living and abiding forever” (1 Pet. 1:23).

118:94   But even after we were saved from the punishment for sin, we still need to be saved from pollution and harm day after day. Acquaintance with God's commands and with our own hearts allows us to understand that salvation is always necessary for us.

118:95   The only way to avoid the attacks of the wicked is to lead an insignificant, inconsistent life. As long as our lives are effective for Him, we should expect resistance. But we gain strength and confidence when we delve into the revelations of God.

118:96   Even the best in this world is perfect and perishable, but the Word of God is perfect and infinite. The better we learn the Bible, the better we understand how imperfect we ourselves are.

118:97   Those who love the Lord will certainly love His Word. And this love will manifest itself in Bible study at every opportunity. As we meditate on Scripture, we suddenly discover new beauties and wonders in it.

118:98   A humble believer, armed with the wisdom of the Word, kneeling, can see more than his enemies standing on tiptoe.

118:99   If the teacher is satisfied with himself and rests on his laurels, he will be quickly replaced by a younger person constantly reflecting on the Word.

118:100   This may sound like unreasonable boasting, but it is not. What matters is not age and the mind of a person, but his obedience. Therefore, a young man can surpass the elderly if he has a higher OQ (obedience ratio).

118:101   Here we observe obedience in action. The author of the psalm keeps his feet from the path of sin in order to obey God as best as possible.

118:102   The great sanctifying influence of the Bible. Taught by the Lord through its pages, we develop within ourselves hatred of sin and love of holiness.

118:103   And, of course, the Bible is a source of pure enjoyment. No other book in the world can be so enjoyable. Honey is sweet, but the Word of God is sweeter.

118:104   In order to distinguish fake money from real ones, people carefully study the real ones. So a close acquaintance with the truth helps to recognize and expose every path of lies.

118:105 The word educates us by prohibiting certain types of behavior. It leads us, showing the right path. How much we owe to the friendly rays of this lamp!

118:106   It expresses the holy determination to obey the scriptures. This is done for the glory of God, for the blessing of others, and for our own good.

118:107   Spurgeon said: "In the previous verse, the author of the psalm vowed to be a warrior of the Lord, and in this verse he is called to suffer in this capacity. Serving the Lord does not free us from trials, but rather provides them to us."

118:108   We come to the Lord as priests and as disciples. As priests, we “continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of the mouth glorifying His name” (Heb. 13:15). As disciples, we open hearts and minds to God's instructions.

118:109   When our lives are constantly in danger, we can gain security and confidence by remembering the law of the Lord. You should avoid panic, hysteria at all costs and never forget the Word of God.

118:110   Those who know the Word know about the machinations of Satan. By simply obeying the Scriptures, we can escape its traps.

118:111   Scripture is a jewel, the most important legacy. Think about how a person rejoices after inheriting a great fortune. How much more should we, the owners of the Book of Books, enjoy.

118:112   All who understand the value of the Bible must obey it forever, to the end of their days. No weekends and vacations, no holidays - just obedience.

118:113   Moffat translates this verse as follows: "I hate people who compromise. I love your law." Human inventions lead to the fact that people today are on the side of God, and tomorrow - on the side of the world. They are two-faced and betray the law of God.

118:114   The Lord is our cover when we are persecuted, and our shield when we are attacked. Those who trust in His promises will never be disappointed, because He cannot deceive or be deceived.

118:115   We must move away from the unlawful who do not obey the commandments of our God. But, not participating in their sinful affairs, we still maintain contact with the people of the world in order to share the Good News with them.

118:116   The essence of this prayer is: "You promised to support me. Now do what you promised. Otherwise, people will say that you left me and I will be disappointed in my hope."

118:117   We cannot protect ourselves, just as we cannot save ourselves. But, if God supports us, we will be safe. For our part, we must constantly observe His statutes.

118:118 The Lord punishes all who depart from His statutes. One day it turns out that the behavior that they thought was smart was actually unreasonable.

118:119   The word clearly teaches that God sweeps away all the wicked lands, as the master removes the scale that forms on the surface of the metal. If He did not punish sin justly, we could not respect His written law.

118:120   Thinking of God's judgment on sinners, we may well tremble. But also, according to Barnes, we are “filled with awe, thinking about the severity, spirituality, and severity of His law.”

118:121   The author of the psalm prays that his just and righteous deeds become a common and unchanging rule. His righteous life was the fruit of his salvation, and on this basis he can ask the Lord not to betray him to the persecutors.

118:122   A protector is one who stands on the side of another, who defends his rights. Our Protector at Calvary successfully prays for us throughout our lives, restraining arrogant persecutors.

118:123   Here we see a man who was waiting for God's deliverance until his eyes were tired. To the point of exhaustion, he waited for the promise of truth to be fulfilled when the Lord intervened and helped him.

118:124   Despite the words of verse 121, which may seem to us a plea for justice, here he trusts in the mercy or grace of the Lord. One form of His mercy is His gracious instruction. "Teach me thy statutes."

118:125   The more a slave knows about his master, the better he works and the more he can be useful. We must be admonished to know the revelations of God.

118:126   The other side of the coin is shown here. The slave calls on the Master to act because His law is broken. This is the call of God's people in dark times: "Time for the Lord to act."

118:127   The extent to which the Bible is dear to us is evident from the amount of time spent studying it. If we value her more than pure gold, her cover will be shabby and the pages read.

118:128   Another proof of our respect for the Book is our obedience to it. If we do not do what she says, and we do not hate every way of lies, we deceive ourselves.

118:129   God's Word is marvelous in its eternity, purity, accuracy, harmony, universal relevance, strength and sufficiency. Such a book is worth reading and listening to.

118:130   The revelation of the Word enlightens nations, families, and individuals. We poorly understand the sanctifying effect it has on the world. It admonishes those who consider themselves simple, that is, in need of help.

118:131 The enormous, intense thirst for the Word of God is what all of us need. “As newborn babies, love pure milk of words, so that from it you may be saved” (1 Pet. 2: 2).

118:132   You may be tired of these repeated requests for mercy, but not the author of the psalm, and certainly not God. We will never in this life reach such a position that we do not need His grace.

118:133   The coin of holiness has two sides - to persistently move to the Lord in accordance with His word and to free oneself from the influence of the sin in us.

118:134   The first part of this prayer is not unusual; any of us would like to get rid of human oppression. But pay attention to the unusual purpose of this: "and I will keep thy commandments."

118:135   By serving the Lord, we can ask Him for a sign of His presence, mercy, and strength. He knows how to inspire us in response to our prayer. And we should never lose our desire to learn more and more about Him.

118:136   Tears flowing like streams of water are a very vivid description of the deepest grief and longing! What makes the author so sad? Some kind of injustice towards himself? No, neglect of God's law defaming His name.

118:138   All that God says is truth and perfect truth. His Word is absolutely trustworthy. Believing in the Word of God is not a rewarding business. This is just common sense.

118:139   Barnes cites a discerning commentary on these words: "This is a great victory for the human soul, when, looking at the behavior of persecutors, persecutors and blasphemers, he is more upset that they violate God's law than that they harm him himself."

118:140   The Bible is a tested book. Thousands of people relied on her promises and found that they were true. "She survived the hatred of people, the bonfires of wicked priests, the ridicule of unbelievers, and the carnal wisdom of modern criticism" ( Everyday Notes of the Union of Scripture).

118:141   From the point of view of his enemies, the author of the psalm is small and despicable. But people's ridicule does not prevent him from holding onto the Bible.

118:142   God's truth is not a passing mood, but an eternal virtue. It is not enough to say that the Bible contains truth; The Bible is the truth. Every saying of God is true.

118:144   God's revelations are not only righteous now; they will always be like that. The more we understand them, the more we are able to enjoy life, now and in heaven.

118:145   The key to understanding this passage is the word "cry out." Here the heart calls out for help with faith. Almighty God cannot but heed the prayers that come from the heart and which express the desire to fulfill His will.

(118: 145) Verses 145-152 begin with the letter “kof,” the first letter of the Hebrew word “I cry.”

118:146   When we, like Peter, begin to plunge into the waves, we can always turn to God with a short prayer: "Save me." And the Lord saves us so that we continue to live and serve Him.

118:147   Wigl writes: "The habits of a godly man who rises before dawn and begins the day with reflection and prayer are described here." Our motto should be the words: "He who does not read the Bible does not eat breakfast."

118:148   Even sleepless night watchmen can be used to reflect on the Word. Often in these hours the Lord sends us a "treasure in the darkness."

118:149   We must never forget the wonderful fact: we have direct access to God in prayer. Like the author of the psalm, we can ask God for mercy and judgment to save our lives.

118:150   Enemies approached. They are going to harm the servant of God. They neglect God's law in their lives, and it seems that nothing will stop them.

118:151   But the Lord is close, and the one with God is in the majority. "No enemy can hurt us, no horror - scare us, we are on the side of the winner." God's word is true, and He will never leave his children.

118:152   It is a tremendous consolation to know that the Word of God is eternal. "He who trusts in his promises will not fade when storms of doubt and fear fall upon him; we will stand the living Word of God; relying on God's promises."

118:153   The Lord really cares for us in our tribulations. "A man of sorrows takes part in all the torments tormenting our hearts." He comes to deliver those who hold on to Him and His Word.

118:155   God does not save people against their will. He does not inhabit the sky with people who do not want to be there. There is no salvation for those who do not want to listen to the Word.

118:156   No human language can describe the grace of God. His bounties will never run out. The author of the psalm, being persecuted, asks for deliverance from his potential killers.

118:157   Many of these verses find their true fulfillment in the Lord Jesus, of course. Surrounded by persecutors and enemies, He remained faithful to the revelations of the Father.

118:158   This is a sign of spiritual maturity - to grieve more about the insults inflicted on God than about yourself. May such jealousy of the Lord devour us!

118:159   In verse 153 the author of the psalm wrote: "Look at my calamity." Here, as Spurgeon points out, he says: “Look at my affection” - attachment to sacred precepts. He also asks, for the third time in this section, to save his life (vv. 154, 156).

118:160 God's word is true in every way. His every promise will be fulfilled. “Until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18).

118:161   Powerful people often oppressed God's servants. But deep respect and fear of the word of God keeps the faithful from treason to the Lord.

118:162   He who studies the Bible and explores its spiritual wealth is delighted to discover hidden profits.

118:163   Getting to know the Word helps us to love what God (the law) loves and to hate what He hates (the lie). We begin to think like God.

118:164   Since seven is the number of perfection and completeness, we understand that the author of the psalm is going to praise the Lord for His judgments of truth constantly and with all our hearts.

118:165   The word gives us peace among anxiety and security from the power of temptation. This verse does not mean that believers do not experience sorrow and unrest, but, following the law, they avoid the traps of sin.

118:166   Psalm 36: 3 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good.” Here the author says that he followed this advice. First comes faith, followed by deeds - the fruit of faith.

118:167   In the days of Malachi, the people perceived obedience as a heavy duty (Mal. 1:13). But the author of the psalm takes it differently. He obeys the Word and loves him more and more.

118:168   The last three verses of this section speak of the practical obedience of the Bible. If it seems to you that an ordinary believer could not say this, just think that these are the words of our Savior, and the problem will be solved.

118:169   The psalm ends, and the prayer becomes more passionate. The word yes is repeated here seven times. First, a request to listen to a prayer, then a request for genuine spiritual admonition.

118:170   From these verses it is clear that the enemy is always nearby, so the author continues to ask for deliverance, in accordance with the promise of the word.

118:171   Gaining knowledge of God's charters does not lead to pride and high self-conceit, but to praise and worship of the Lord.

118:172   Instead of talking about all sorts of nonsense and insignificant things, we should accustom ourselves to talking

to speak about the spiritual. All the commandments of God are righteous and extremely valuable.

118:173   This is an amazing picture - the Almighty's hand pierced with nails extends from heaven to help out a simple person who consciously decided to follow the commandments of the Lord in his life.

118:174   Enjoying the salvation of our souls as a fait accompli, we desire salvation from the presence of sin when Jesus comes again. In the meantime, we are comforted in reading the Bible and fulfilling its commandments.

118:175 We are saved not only for service, but also to praise God. Any healing, any salvation from an accident should encourage us to worship, any trouble - to prayer for help.

118:176   This is one of the few confessions in this psalm. "After flying in the heights of holy admiration, we must always return to a humble admission of our sinfulness and inability."

Psalm 118 of the Prophet David was written during a time of hostility to the Jews, when the ruling Persian kings prevented the Jewish people from arranging their political, civil and. Jews in these times were persecuted and even exterminated. This time is also marked by the fact that among the Jews there were many apostates from the faith of the fathers.

Psalm 118 is dedicated to the interpretation of the content of God's law and its meaning for man. The entire text of Psalm 118 is permeated with the thought of the Law of God, but at the same time, it is called by different words. Of the 176 verses of the psalm one hundred and eighteen there is not a single repetition. The peculiarity of the Christian psalm 118 is its arrangement in the alphabetical acrostic of 22 alphabetic Hebrew alphabets in eight verses per letter.

Psalm 118 - Interpretation

In the chant of verses of Psalm 118, the Law of God has different names, but a single internal content. This Law is a way that indicates the direction of each Christian's activities aimed at achieving a specific goal of his existence on earth.

Psalm 118 - Interpretation reveals the essence of each concept that determines the direction of a person’s life - commandments, charters, commandments, and judgment. The psalmist praises in Psalm 118 and considers blessed that he who does not back down follows him, and prays to the Lord to give strength for the fulfillment of these laws and to him, because this is the main condition for peace of mind and satisfaction.

The Meaning of the Law in Psalm 118

In all verses of Psalm 118 of David one can see an effort to understand the whole content of the law and its great significance for each person. David considers himself a youth and seeks answers to the question "how to keep a youth clean".

The word in Psalm 118 is the law of God, which is transmitted by word and speech. The law has all the instructions that exalt a person. By following this Word, the young man will keep himself clean. David constantly talks about the Law, preaching it and believing that no other important such thing exists. boils down to the fact that a person must live in harmony of inner life and its external expression. King David calls himself a wanderer, who rejoices in the path of God's revelations, finding satisfaction from them. He asks "to remove the path of lies from him," preserving from evil deeds. Psalm 118   in each verse he speaks of King David’s devotion to the Law of God, in which he finds joy and tranquility, draws faith and the triumph of truth.

Russian text psalm 118 Tsar David

Blessed are the immaculate in the way, walking in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep His revelations, who wholeheartedly seek Him. They do not do lawlessness; they walk in His ways. You have commanded your command to keep firm. Oh, if my ways were guided towards the observance of thy statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, looking at all your commandments: I would glorify you in the rightness of the heart, learning from the courts of your truth. I will keep thy statutes; don't leave me at all. How can a young man keep his way clean? - Keeping yourself according to Your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me dodge your commandments. I hid Your word in my heart, so as not to sin before Thee. Blessed are you, Lord! Teach me thy statutes. Through my mouth I have declared all the judgments of thy mouth. On the path of Your revelations, I rejoice, as in all riches. I ponder Thy commandments, and I look at Your paths. I am comforting in your statutes, I do not forget your word. Show mercy to your servant, and I will live and keep your word. Open my eyes and see the miracles of your law. I am a wanderer on earth; do not hide Your commandments from me. My soul is exhausted by the desire of thy courts at all times. You have tamed the proud, the damned, those who deviate from Your commandments. Take away reproach and shame from me, for I keep Thy testimonies. The princes sit and conspire against me, and your servant reflects on your statutes. Thy testimonies are my consolation, and thy statutes are my counselors. My soul is cast to dust; quicken me according to thy word. I declared my ways, and You heard me; Teach me thy statutes. Let me understand the way of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonders. My soul melts from grief: strengthen me according to thy word. Take the path of lies away from me, and grant me your law. I have chosen the path of truth, set thy judgments before me. I stuck to revelations; don't shame me. I will flow by Your commandments, when You will expand my heart. Show me, Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will keep it to the end. Advise me, and I will observe Your law and keep it with all my heart. Put me on the path of Your commandments, for I have desired it. Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to self-interest. Turn away my eyes, so as not to see the fuss; give me life in thy way. Establish your word to thy servant, for the sake of reverence for thee. Turn away my reproach, which I fear, for thy judgments are good. Behold, I have desired your commandments; give me life to your truth. Thy mercies come unto me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word, and I will give an answer to those who reproach me, for I trust in Your word. Do not completely take away from my lips the words of truth, for I trust in Your judgments and will keep Your law forever, forever and ever; I will walk freely, for I have sought thy commandments; I will speak of thy revelations before the kings, and I will not be ashamed; I will be comforted by thy commandments that I have loved; I will stretch my hands unto thy commandments, which I have loved, and meditate on thy statutes. Remember Thy word to Thy servant, on which You have commanded me to trust: it is comfort in my distress, that Thy word quickens me. The proud proudly swore at me, but I did not shy away from Your law. I remembered Your judgments, Lord, from the ages, and was comforted. Horror takes hold of me at the sight of the wicked who forsake thy law. Thy statutes were my songs in the place of my wanderings. At night I remembered Your name, Lord, and kept Thy law. He became mine, for I keep thy commandments. My destiny, Lord, I said, keep Your words. I prayed to you with all my heart: have mercy on me according to your word. He meditated on my ways and turned my feet to your revelations. Hastened and did not hesitate to keep thy commandments. The networks of the wicked surrounded me, but I did not forget Your law. At midnight I got up to glorify you for your righteous judgments. I am a companion to all who fear You and keep your commandments. Thy mercies, Lord, the earth is full; Teach me thy statutes. Thou didest good unto thy servant, Lord, according to thy word. Teach me good understanding and knowledge, for I believe in thy commandments. Before my misery I was mistaken; and now I keep thy word. Good and beneficent are you, Lord; Teach me thy statutes. Proud people weave lies; I will keep Thy commandments with all my heart. Their heart was fat as a fat; I am comforted by thy law. It’s good that I suffered in order to learn Your statutes. The law of thy mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver. Your hands made me and made me; enlighten me, and I will learn thy commandments. Those who fear You will see me - and they will rejoice that I trust in Your word. I know, Lord, that Your judgments are righteous and in justice You punished me. Thy mercy be my comfort, according to thy word to thy servant. Thy mercy come to me, and I will live; for thy law is my comfort. May the proud be ashamed, for they oppress me innocently; I meditate on your commandments. May those who fear you and know your revelations turn to me. May my heart be blameless in thy statutes, lest I be ashamed. My soul yearns for thy salvation; I trust in your word. My eyes faint about thy word; I say: when will you console me? I became like fur in a smoke, but I did not forget Your statutes. How many days is your servant? When will you judge my persecutors? The proud have dug a hole for me, contrary to Thy law. All thy commandments are truth; they unjustly pursue me: help me; they nearly destroyed me on the earth, but I did not leave your commandments. By thy mercy quicken me, and I will keep the revelations of thy mouth. Forever and ever, Lord, your word is established in heaven; Thy truth be in generation and generation. You set the earth, and it stands. By Your definitions, everything stands until now, for everything serves You. If your law were not my consolation, I would perish in my distress. I will never forget Your commandments forever, because with them You revive me. Yours, save me; for I have sought thy commandments. The wicked lurk me to destroy; but I delve into Your revelations. I saw the limit of all perfection, but Your commandment is immensely vast. How I love your law! I've been thinking about him all day. By thy commandment you have made me wiser than my enemies, for she is always with me. I have become wiser than all my teachers, for I reflect on your revelations. I know more than the elders, for I keep thy commandments. From every evil way I keep my feet, to keep Thy word; I do not shrink from thy courts, for you teach me. How sweet are the larynxes of my words! better than honey to my mouth. By thy commandments I am enlightened; therefore I hate every way of lying. Thy Word is a lamp to my foot and a light to my path. I vowed to keep thy righteous judgments, and I will fulfill. I am very depressed, Lord; quicken me according to thy word. O Lord, please take the voluntary sacrifice of my mouth, and teach me thy courts. My soul is constantly in my hand, but I do not forget Your law. The wicked set up a net for me, but I did not shy away from thy commandments. I have accepted Your revelations as an inheritance forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I bowed my heart to the fulfillment of thy statutes forever, to the end. I hate human fiction, but I love your law. You are my cover and my shield; I trust in your word. Get away from me, wicked, and I will keep the commandments of my God. Strengthen me according to thy word, and I will live; Do not shame me in my hope; support me and I will be saved; and I will constantly delve into your statutes. You depose all those who depart from Your statutes, for their tricks are a lie. Like an outcast, You sweep away all the wicked lands; therefore I have loved thy testimonies. My flesh trembles with thy fear, and I fear thy judgments. I have done judgment and truth; Do not betray me to my persecutors. Take Thy servant for his good, that the proud may not oppress me. My eyes fade, waiting for Your salvation and the words of Your righteousness. Create with thy servant according to thy mercy, and teach me your statutes. I am your servant: enlighten me, and I will know your revelations. It is time for the Lord to act: Thy law was ruined. And I love thy commandments more than gold, and pure gold. All thy commandments - I admit everything fair; I hate every way of lying. Your revelations are marvelous; therefore my soul keeps them. The revelation of thy words enlightens, admonishes the simple. I open my mouth and sigh, for Thy commandments are thirsty. Look at me and have mercy on me, as you do with those who love your name. Establish my feet in Your word, and do not let any lawlessness take possession of me; deliver me from the oppression of man, and I will keep thy commandments; shine upon thy servant with the light of thy face, and teach me thy statutes. Streams of water flow from my eyes because they do not keep Thy law. You are righteous, Lord, and your judgments are just. Thy testimonies that you command are truth and perfect truth. My jealousy eats me up, because my enemies have forgotten Your words. Thy Word is very pure, and Thy servant loved him. I am small and despicable, but I do not forget Your commandments. Thy truth is eternal truth, and thy law is truth. Sorrow and sorrow befell me; Thy commandments are my comfort. The truth of thy revelations is eternal: enlighten me, and I will live. I cry with all my heart: hear me, Lord, and I will keep thy statutes. I urge you: save me, and I will keep thy testimonies. I anticipate the dawn and cry out; I trust in your word. My eyes precede the morning watch, so that I may go deeper into your word. Hear my voice by thy mercy, Lord; in thy judgment quicken me. Conscious craftiness approached; they are far from thy law. You are close, Lord, and all your commandments are truth. I have long known about Your revelations that You have confirmed them forever. Look at my calamity and deliver me, for I do not forget Your law. Get involved in my work and protect me; according to thy word revive me. Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. Thy many bounties, Lord; in thy judgment quicken me. I have many persecutors and enemies, but I am not moving away from Your revelations. I see the apostates, and lament, for they do not keep Thy word. See how I love thy commandments; by thy mercy, Lord, quicken me. The foundation of your word is true, and all judgment of your righteousness is eternal. The princes persecute me innocently, but my heart is afraid of Your word. I rejoice at thy word, as having received great profit. I hate lying and abhor it; Thy law I love. Seven times a day I glorify you for the courts of your righteousness. Great is the peace of those who love your law, and there is no stumbling block. I trust in thy salvation, Lord, and I keep thy commandments. My soul keeps Thy testimonies, and I love them deeply. I keep thy commandments and thy testimonies, for all my ways are before thee. May my cry draw near before thy face, Lord; according to thy word enlighten me. May my prayer come before thy face; according to thy word deliver me. My lips will utter praise when you teach me your statutes. My tongue will proclaim your word, for all thy commandments are righteous. Thy hand be to help me, for I have chosen thy commandments. I long for thy salvation, Lord, and thy law is my comfort. May my soul live and glorify you, and thy judgments may help me. I have lost my way, like a lost sheep: seek thy servant, for I have not forgotten thy commandments.

Psalm 118 is the longest text in the Psalms. He is attributed to historical and laudatory songs, but authorship is still unknown. This text can be divided into many separate thoughts, but its main idea is the greatness and beauty of the Lord and the need for man to know Him.

Writing history

In Hebrew, the song does not have a prescription, although the Greek version is signed "Hallelujah", indicating laudatory content. For the Greek translation and the Vulgate, such a precept is characteristic; it is found in Psalms 110-118.

In psalm 118, every 8 verses begin with a letter of the Jewish alphabet

This psalm was not written by David, it was allegedly created during the time of the persecution of Jews and captivity in Persia. The date of writing is also unknown, but researchers suggest that it was created during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. This is confirmed by the places in which the hostile attitude of the new government towards the Jews is described (verses 23, 46) and the emergence of apostates among the Jews themselves.

It is also mentioned that only the righteous found protection from the Lord, while infidels suffered more from the new government. This is characteristic of the period of the captivity of Jews in Persia, when the kings there in every possible way obstructed the civil, political and religious life of the Jews. The Samaritans also took part in their oppression, setting up power.

Interpretation of the psalm

A characteristic feature of the text is that each 8-line stanza begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

There are 176 verses in the psalm, 22 stanzas - each for one letter of the alphabet. In its content, the psalm is dedicated to describing the height of the content of the law of God and explaining its significance for man.

From a stylistic point of view, the psalm has vast thoughts and their frequent repetition, but at the same time it is extremely diverse and provides extensive material for reflection and teaching. Parsing it into verses, we can highlight some interesting thoughts:

The psalm as a whole has a rather oppressed color - the trials and burdens of the Jewish people cannot cause joy in the author. But at the same time, oppression alternates with the hope of salvation from above and the admiration of God who rules Israel.

Important! The psalm is read in the course of weekly services and during Lent. It is best to read in Church Slavonic.

Blessed are the integrity of the way that goeth in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who seek His meeting, with all their hearts they will seek Him, not doing more iniquity, in His journey as you walk. You have commanded you to keep your commandments. So that my path is corrected, keep Thy excuses. Then I will not be ashamed, forever contemplate with me all Thy commandments. Let us confess to you the rightness of the heart, forever teach us the fate of your righteousness. I will keep Your justifications, do not leave me to the verge. In Chesh he will correct his youngest way; save thy words forever. With all my heart I seek You, do not reject me from Your commandments. In my heart, hidden thy words, that I may not sin unto thee. Blessed be thou Lord: teach me thy justification. The mouth of mine has announced the whole fate of thy mouth. On the way of your meetings, enjoy, as for all riches. I will mock in thy commandment, and I will understand thy way. In your justification I will learn, I will not forget your words. Reward Thy servant: live me, and I will keep Thy words. Open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of thy law. A newcomer I am to the earth: not hide from thy commandment me. Love my soul longing for your fate for all time. He forbade thou proud: curse them that dodge the commandments of you. Otimi from me, diarrhea and humiliation, like meeting Your exacting demands. For hellish reigns, and on my slander, Thy servant mocked at Your justification: For Your admonition is mine, and advise My excuse. Hold my soul to the earth: live according to thy words. I have announced my ways, and I heard you: teach me your justification: the way of your justification is intelligible, and I will mock at your miracle. My soul stares from despondency: establish me in thy words. Set aside the path of iniquity from me, and have mercy on me by thy law. The path of truth is foolish, and thy fate is not forgotten. Cleaved by thy meeting, Lord, do not shame me less. The path of Thy commandments has always expanded if you have my heart. God forbid me, the way of Your justifications, and I will seek and take out: Teach me, and I will test Your law, and I will save it with all my heart. Instruct me on the path of thy commandments, as I delight. Incline my heart in thy meeting, and not in extortion. Turn away my eyes, if you see no fuss, live in thy way. Put Thy servant thy word in thy fear. Otimi my reproach, hedgehogs: like thy fate is good. Behold thy commandments, live in thy righteousness. And may Thy mercy come upon me, thy salvation according to thy words. And I discern the reproachful word to me: as I hope in thy words. And not from my lips, the word is true to evil, as if it were in thy fate. And I will preserve Thy law, in the century and in the century of the century. And walks in breadth, as thy commandments sought. And the verbs of your meeting with the kings, and do not be ashamed: And study in thy commandment, even beloved beloved: And raised my hand to thy commandment, even my beloved, and mocked at thy justification. Remember thy words to thy servant; their hope has been given to me. That is my consolation in my humility, as Thy word live me. The pride of the crime of law to the dawn: from your law do not shy away. Remembrance of Your fate from the age, Lord, and comforted. Sorrow is pleasant to me from the sinner who forsakes thy law. Peta Byakhu to me Your justification, at the place of my arrival. I remember your name in the night, Lord, and keep thy law. Hail to me, just as excuses for Your punishment. My part, O Lord, save Thy law. Pray to Your face with all my heart: have mercy on me according to Your words. Thought your ways, and returned my nose to your dates. Be prepared and not be embarrassed to keep Thy commandments. Already a sinner pledged to me, and thy law is not forgotten. Midnight rapture to confess to you about the fate of thy righteousness. A partaker I am to all those who fear you, and keep your commandments. Thy graces, O Lord, fill the earth: with thy justification, teach me. Thou didest goodness with Thy servant, Lord, according to Thy words. Teach goodness, and teach punishment and reason, as we command thy faiths. Before you didn’t even reconcile, having sinned: For this reason, keep Thy word. Thou art the Lord, and through Thy grace teach me your justification. Multiplying by me the unrighteousness of the proud, but with all my heart I will experience thy commandments. Use your milk as if their heart was milky, but as for thy law to learn. Fortunately for me, as I have humbled me, for I will learn Your justification. The law of thy mouth is good to me, more than a thousand gold and silver. Glory: Thy hands shall you make me, and you will make me: bring me up, and I will learn thy commandment. They who are afraid of you will be seen and rejoice, as if in the words of your hope. Reason, Lord, like the truth of Your fate, and truly humbled me. Thine be mercy, that I may comfort you according to thy words to thy servant. Thy bounties come to me, and I will be alive, as your law is my teaching. Yes, they will be ashamed of pride, as if you were unjustly unlawful on me, but I will mock at Thy commandment. May they fear me, and those who know your meetings, will be converted. May my heart be blameless in thy justification, for I am not ashamed. Thy soul disappears for salvation, in Thy words of faith. When my eyes disappear into thy word, saying: when comfort me; Formerly, like fur on a slate: Thy excuses are not forgotten. Koliko is the days of your servant; when you make judgment from those who persecute me; Bringing me a transgressor of mockery, but not like thy law, Lord. Your whole commandment is truth: chase me unrighteously, help me. I haven’t done much less for the land: for I have not forsaken thy commandments. By thy mercy live me, and I will keep the meeting of thy mouth. For ever, Lord, thy word abides in heaven. Thy truth is in generation and generation. He founded the earth, and abides. Thy doctrine abides the day, as all sorts of work for you. If it weren’t for your law, my teaching was then, then slaughter perished in my humility. In an age I will not forget Your excuses, as I revived me in them. [Wednesday:] Yours, save me, as an excuse for Your pursuit. To me, waiting for a sinner to destroy me, goodbye Your understanding. Every end has seen the end, Your commandment is wide zelo. If you beloved, your law, Lord, all day there is my teaching. More than my enemy has made me thy commandment, for it is in my age. More than all those who have taught me, there is a sense of reason, as if I had a date. My teaching is there. More often the old man is foolish, like Thy commandments sought. From every way of the evil one excites my feet, so that I may keep thy words. Thou did not shy away from Your destinies, for Thou have ordained mi thou. Since Thy word is sweet to my larynx, more than honey through my mouth. Thy commandments make sense, for the sake of which he hated every way of iniquity. The lamp of my foot is My law, and the light of my paths. We swear and set you save the fate of Thy truth. Humble yourself to the point, Lord, live me according to thy words. My free mouth is well pleased, Lord, and teach me your fate. My soul shall be taken into thy hand, and thy law is not forgotten. Having laid a sinner's net to me, and from thy commandments do not stray. In the inheritance of thy meeting in the age, as the joy of my heart is the essence of it. Adherent of my heart, create thy justification in the age of retribution. Hateful hate, but the law of thy love. My helper and my intercessor, thou art the words of thy faith. Evade me from the evil one, and I will try the commandments of my God. Take me according to Your words, and I will be alive, and do not shame less from my aspirations. Help me, and I will be saved, and I will learn in thy justification I will take out. Thou shalt destroy all that departed from thy justifications, as though they were unjustly thinking. All sinful lands that are transgressing for nothing, for the sake of the love of thy meeting. Nail your fear of my flesh, fear thy fate from your fate. I have created judgment and truth, do not foretell me offending me. Take thy servant for good, and do not slander my pride. My eyes are gone in thy salvation, and in the word of thy righteousness. Create with thy servant according to thy mercy, and by thy justification teach me. Thy servant I am: enlighten me, and take thy meeting. The time to create the Lord: destroy your law. For the sake of love, thy commandments are more than gold and topazy. For this sake, to all your commandments have gone, every way of iniquity has been hated. It’s marvelous for Your meeting, for the sake of which I have been tested I am my soul. The manifestation of thy words enlightens and admonishes infants. My mouth went wild, and attracted the spirit, as the commandments of Your desires. Glory: Look upon me and have mercy on me, according to the judgment of those who love thy name. Direct my feet according to Thy words, and may not all iniquity possess me. Deliver me from the slander of humanity, and keep Thy commandments. Enlighten your face on your servant, and teach me your justification. The source of the water is from the sight of my eyes, but not without preserving your law. Thou art righteous, Lord, and rule Thy judge. Thou hast spoken the truth of Thy date and the truth is green. I have melted, your jealousy is, as if forgetting your word, defeat mine. Thy word is kindled, and Thy servant will love e. The youngest I am and humbled, Thy excuses are not forgotten. Thy truth is truth forever, and thy law is truth. Sorrows and needs are found, Thy commandments are my teaching. The truth of your meeting is in the age, bring me forth, and I will live. Cry out with all my heart, hear me, Lord, I will seek thy justification. Cry Thou, save me, and I will keep Thy date. Anticipate in despair and cries, in Thy words of faith. Before my eyes in the morning, learn your word. Hear my voice, Lord, by Your mercy: according to Your fate live me. Approaching those who persecute me with lawlessness, they departed from Your law. Thou art near, Lord, and all thy way is truth. After all, the knowledge of thy dates, as in the age I founded thou art. See my humility and change me, for thy law is not forgotten. Judge my judgment and deliver me, a word for your sake live me. Salvation is far from the sinner, for thy excuses are not exacting. Thy bounties are many, O Lord, according to thy fate, live me. Mnozi banishing me and chilling me, from your meetings do not shy away. Videkh unreasonable and languishing, as Your words have not been preserved. See, as the commandment of thy beloved, Lord, by thy mercy live me. The beginning of Thy words is truth, and in the age of all the fate of Thy righteousness. The princes will chase after me tune, and from thy words I fear my heart. I will rejoice at the words of Thy words, as you gain much self-interest. It is not true that he hated and abominated, but your law of love. On Sedmeritsa, we praised Thee about the fate of Thy truth. The world is many to those who love your law, and to bear the temptation to them. The teas of thy salvation, Lord, and thy commandments beloved. Rip up my soul, your meetings, and love me viciously. Keep thy commandments and thy meetings, as though all my way before you, Lord. May my prayer draw near before Thee, Lord, according to Thy words, bring me to your knowledge. May my prayer be seen before Thee, Lord, according to Your word, deliver me. My singing will belch out orally; always teach me your justification. Thy language of Thy word proclaims, as Thy whole commandment is true. Thy hand be a hedgehog to save me, as thy commandments are willed. Thy desire is your salvation, Lord, and your law is my teaching. My soul will be alive and will praise Thee, and Your fate will help me. Lost, like a lost sheep, seek thy servant, for thy commandments are not forgotten.

In the Hebrew Bible, this psalm has no inscription, but in the Greek and Vulgate it, like all psalms, starting from 110, is inscribed - "hallelujah." The psalm is alphabetic, and each letter of the Jewish alphabet begins more than one verse, as in those psalms that we have already encountered, but a stanza of 8 verses, and therefore all the verses in psalm 176, stanza 22, according to the number of signs in the Jewish alphabet. The psalm can be considered written during Ezra and Nehemiah, since the psalm’s indications of a disorder in life, such as hostile attitudes towards the Jews of the government (Ps.118_23, 46), the appearance of apostates among the Jews themselves (Ps.118_21, 53, 150) are equally numerous indications that the righteous fought and found protection and reinforcement only in faith in the Lord and following His law (v. Ps. 118_1–8, 14, 20, 24, etc.) coincide with the position of the Jews in the era of the activities of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Persian the kings prevented the Jews from the intrigues of the Samaritans in arranging their civil, political and religious life, when Jews, for their loyalty to the law, were even directly persecuted, for example, under Artaxerxes 3, his warlord Vagoz imposed a sacrifice on the tribute; the famous Artaxerxes Longiman even issued a decree on the machinations of the courtier about the extermination of the Jews (). At that time, the Jews had many apostates from the faith of their fathers.

The content of the psalm is devoted to understanding the height of the content of the law of God and clarifying its beneficial value for man. Despite the vastness of the psalm and the apparent repeatability of many thoughts, it is, however, in the expression of the Rev. Theophanes (see interpretation of this psalm, introduction to it) is full of diversity either in clarifying the properties of the law, or its different shades, so for those who go deeper into its reading it represents inexhaustible material for edification. The specified work the author will acquaint the interested person with the details, the nuances of the content of the psalm, in its legal-educational understanding, but we will stop here only at those places that, after some darkness, need to clarify the direct, literal meaning.

. Blessed are the immaculate in the way, walking in the law of the Lord.

. Blessed are they who keep His revelations, who wholeheartedly seek Him.

. They do not do lawlessness; they walk in His ways.

. You have commanded your command to keep firm.

. Oh, if my ways were guided towards the observance of thy statutes!

. Then I would not be ashamed, looking at all your commandments:

. i would glorify you in the rightness of the heart, learning from the courts of your righteousness.

. I will keep thy statutes; don't leave me at all.

The law of God here is called by different names, with the unity of its internal content clarifying its various manifestations, expressions and meanings. "Law" is a general indication, a basic generic concept, pointing to those immutable norms to which both the physical nature and the spiritual life of a person obey in their structure and activity. “Revelations” are special commands given by God to man for his spiritual growth. They are “frank”, that is, they are not developed by man, why they may not be binding and erroneous, but sinless and holy, because they are open, communicated by the Lord Himself, and therefore obligatory. This law is the "path", indicates the direction of human activity to achieve the specific purpose of his existence on earth. “Instructions” are private regulations giving directions to activities in different types of life — family, social, religious, etc. “Statutes,” that is, regulations that establish a person’s known relationship to God, the first obligations assumed, the violation of which entails a punishment, in the form of various disasters and frustrations of life, for this violation. "Commandments," that is, limits indicating the boundaries of what is permissible and useful, within which boundaries the will of man and his activity must be concluded. With Greek. and lat. “commandments” are understood as “justifications,” that is, the commandments of the Lord, which, when preserved and followed, make a person holy and right before God. “Judgment ...” - in the sense of impartiality and the infallibility of his decisions: there is nothing in the law, a person who condones passions or is ambiguous, there is one truth: the psalm writer praises and considers blessed be the one who did not depart from this law and steadfastly followed it, and prays to God to give him strength for the same fulfillment of these commands, since only in the latter is the condition peace of mind and disposition Twain satisfaction.

. How can a young man keep his way clean? - Keeping yourself according to Your word.

In comparison with Article 8 here, under the youth, you need to understand the writer of the psalm, as indicated by 100 tbsp. This indication can partly explain the vastness of the psalm, in which (vastness) one cannot help but see the writer's inquisitive efforts to understand and understand the whole content of the law and its great significance for man, to understand it even in particulars; this is the first test of conscious thought and the desire to determine and outline the path of life. At the same time, in the psalm we will see many indications where his writer is imbued with a thirst for achievement and ardent, impetuous indignation at all who do not follow the law. The last trait, the trait of ardent desire for exploits and intentions to steadily and straightforwardly follow what is recognized as high, the peculiarity and property of mainly young age. If the writer of the psalm was a young man, this eliminates the many assumptions that ascribe his origin to David, who wrote a psalm to his son Solomon for his education: David, when he had Solomon, was not a young man, but a mature and experienced husband. “Ohm” here refers to the same law of God as communicated to man from the Lord through Moses and the prophets by word, speech. By following this word, the young man will keep his purity, since this law offers instructions that exalt a person, ennoble his soul and saints.

. I hid Your word in my heart, so as not to sin before Thee.

"Hide ... in the heart": - to love, deeply assimilate, so that the external behavior is an expression of the internal mood. In the same accord of inner life and its external expression is the fullness of personal life and the certainty of its direction.

. Through my mouth I have declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

As a result of the deep penetration of the law into the writer's heart, he constantly talks about this law, preaches it, since there is no other, more valuable and valuable subject for him.

. On the path of Your revelations, I rejoice, as in all riches.

“On the Path of Your Revelations, I Rejoice”, I rejoice when I follow Your commandments, because here I find satisfaction with my attractions. This adherence to the commandments does not mean only theoretical study of the law, but its manifold manifestation in activity, which in all its forms and directions was the implementation and actual, practical preaching of the Lord's statutes.

. Open my eyes and see the miracles of your law.

“See the miracles of the law of God” - to understand all its high content, to appreciate the power that transforms it, which makes a righteous person from a sinful person, a great ascetic from a weak person, and a hero from an insignificant one. Thousands: all the prophets were martyrs for the law and its unwavering preachers, but in the history of the Christian church such facts of great asceticism and martyrdom are impossible to recount. tvie the law of God to man can be when the "OPEN yty eyes" when you do not turn away from it with a preconceived belief and carefully, with concentration, "with Rev. ytymi Pts s", exploring it.

. I am a wanderer on earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.

Life on earth is a “journey”, a journey made by man to achieve his fatherland and permanent, eternal residence. Obviously, the latter is not on earth, but behind the tomb. If so, then earthly life should be a preparation for the afterlife and for it can only lead an unmistakably chosen path on earth. How and where to find the last one? This path is indicated in the commandments of the law. Whoever does not follow them will be mistaken and will not reach the afterlife, that is, the afterlife tranquility, as rewards for the hard work to achieve it Here until a rather clear doctrine of the purpose of earthly existence, the immortality of the human soul, and the afterlife creation.

. You have tamed the proud, the damned, those who deviate from Your commandments.

. Take away reproach and shame from me, for I keep Thy testimonies.

. The princes sit and conspire against me, and your servant reflects on your statutes.

In these verses - an indication of the situation of the Jewish people during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when they met opposition from both the apostates from the faith of the fathers of the Jews and the Samaritans. The latter are called deviating from the commandments of God because the Samaritans recognized only the Pentateuch of Moses, and the rest of the holy books of the Jews rejected, as a result of which they avoided observing the revelation reported in these books. The Samaritans intrigued the Jews before the Persian rulers, and the princes of the Persians, trusting their denunciations, issued decrees restricting the activities of Jews, such as, for example, prohibiting the construction of a temple and Jerusalem. Such prohibitions were an undeserved reproach and shame on the Jews, who took care only at these buildings to satisfy their religious needs, and not on political deposition, as their enemies falsely informed them.

. My soul is cast to dust; quicken me according to thy word.

"My soul is cast to dust"   - I am exhausted, tormented to the point that I’m close to death, turned to dust, nothing — an indication that the mood of the writer was depressing for the writer, he was desperate. - “Revive me according to thy word”   - help with your omnipotent assistance.

. Take the path of lies away from me, and grant me your law.

“Take the path of lies away from me”   - save me from false and evil deeds. Maybe the writer, in order to weaken the intrigues of the Samaritans, temporarily stopped thinking, acting on the Persian court with indirect means, but then, realizing that this method, being unclean, could entail a whole series of similar ones, develop indifference to the moral side of actions in a person, having made the measure of the dignity of the latter only their external profitability, he was frightened of his thought and prayed to repentance to the Lord so that he would affirm Him in following only the truth, His law (see v. 30).

. Show me, Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will keep it to the end.

. Advise me, and I will observe Your law and keep it with all my heart.

. Put me on the path of Your commandments, for I have desired it.

. Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to self-interest.

. Turn away my eyes, so as not to see the fuss; give me life in thy way.

. Establish your word to thy servant, for the sake of reverence for thee.

The writer’s awareness of the height of the law, its sanctity and its weakness and inexperience, causes him, when he decides to follow the instructions of the law steadily, a prayer to the Lord that He does not leave it with His constant admonition and guidance in the most diverse circumstances and situations of life.

. Turn away my reproach, which I fear, for thy judgments are good.

"Reproach" - of course from God for the sin of man, that is, for the departure from His commandments. This reproach is expressed in depriving a person of the greatest good - proximity to the Lord. Such a “reproach” for a pious person is the greatest calamity, the most severe punishment, which he fears and from which, in case of violation of the Divine commandments, he prays the goodness of the Lord to have mercy on him.

. and I will give an answer to reproaching me, for I trust in thy word.

The ordinary, everyday measure applied to assessing the dignity of different areas of life is, for the most part, narrowly materialistic: dignity is measured by the degree of benefit and the number of practical amenities. In this position was the writer of the psalm with his deep faith in the fruitfulness of the law of God for those who keep it. His faith was deep, but his external situation was disastrous. This caused mockery of him from both the enemies of the Jewish people, pagans, and his fellow tribesmen, unstable in their faith and apostates from it. Since the reproach of the hopes of the righteous turned into the reproach of the Lord himself, impotent, as if to reward and relieve the misfortunes of His readers, the writer prays to Him (see v. 40 and 41) to send mercies for those who believe in Him, thereby giving the actual rebuttal of the lies of the reproaches.

. Do not completely take away from my mouth the words of truth, for I trust in Your judgments

“Do not completely take away from my mouth the word of truth”. “Absolutely” means forever, constantly, more precisely with Heb. “Never,” that is, let me never back down from your commandments.

. i will speak of thy revelations before the kings, and I will not be ashamed;

“To speak of your revelations before the kings”   - clarify the true meaning of what was built by the Jews upon their return from captivity, without fear of any false interpretations and distrust of the rulers (see article 29).

. The proud proudly swore at me, but I did not shy away from Your law.

. Horror takes hold of me at the sight of the wicked who forsake thy law.

By the wicked who “leave behind the law of God,” they mean not the Gentiles who did not keep this law, but the Jews who departed from it.

. At night I remembered Your name, Lord, and kept Thy law.

"Night ..." is a time of disaster. In the difficult moments of his life, the writer was comforted only by the strength of his faith in the Law of God and the promises set forth there for all Jehovah's readers.

. The networks of the wicked surrounded me, but I did not forget Your law.

The Network of the Wickedprobably the machinations of the Samaritans.

. Before my misery I was mistaken; and now I keep thy word.

The disasters experienced by the Jews during their captivity showed them that the strength and power of their people was not in arranging life at their discretion, but at the direction of the Lord. Although the preaching of the prophets was constantly heard about the last, foreshadowing dire calamities for the retreat from God, but the people did not believe and were “mistaken” until the punishment proclaimed by the prophets came, in the form of Babylonian captivity. Now, during the captivity, the Jew learned, realized that his well-being depends on the storage of “the words of God.” The psalm writer here is an expression of the general mood of the pious Israelites.

. Proud people weave lies; I will keep Thy commandments with all my heart.

. Their heart was fat as a fat; I am comforted by thy law.

By “proud” we can mean either pagan princes who were disdainful of Jews in general, or those of Jews who turned all their efforts only on their material security, not caring for the general public needs and their moral purity. For all of them, a Jew devoted to his to the people and the pious, was an obstacle that they wanted to eliminate.

. My soul yearns for thy salvation; I trust in your word.

. My eyes faint about thy word; I say: when will you console me?

. I became like fur in smoke but i have not forgotten thy statutes.

The image of the severity experienced by the writer of the disturbances of life. - “Fur in smoke”, more precisely, the fur in the frost, which hardens from this, breaks and smoke is made from it. “Frost” is the image of the calamities of the Jews, who have exhausted the latter.

. Yours, save me; for I have sought thy commandments.

“Your I” is only devoted to You alone, and only from You I am waiting for help and protection.

. I saw the limit of all perfection but Your commandment is immensely vast.

“I have seen the limit of all perfection”. All human deeds and undertakings that limit their content and value to the limits of earthly life can be perfect and completed, "the commandment of the Lord immensely vast ”, it cannot be completed by man, no one can say that he has achieved perfection in the law, for the commandments of the latter are so high that the measure, the limit of them can only be complete God-likening of a person, that is, his endless development is not on earth only but also behind the coffin.

. By thy commandment you have made me wiser than my enemies, for she is always with me.

. I have become wiser than all my teachers, for I reflect on your revelations.

. I know more than the elders, for I keep thy commandments.

Guiding the commandment of the Lord makes a young man more intelligent than teachers, knowledgeable elders and wiser than enemies. Here is an indication that the psalm was written after removing some of the obstacles that Jews encountered during the time of Ezra. Remaining faithful to God's law, believing in his help, true and pious zealots for the welfare of the people did not stop caring for the improvement of his life and these worries were often crowned with success, although they met with direct opposition from the enemies of the Samaritans and disapproval from the old teachers (), who undermined the energy of the builders of the second temple and in some disorder of life they saw signs of the rejection of their people by God, why they portended failure to all their enterprises.

. My soul is constantly in my hand, but I do not forget Your law.

“My soul is constantly in my hand”- that is, it is open to everyone, accessible to the action of the enemy, or - in constant danger. Probably, the open and direct activity of the psalm writer to restore people's well-being is probably at hand here, and this activity was unpleasant to the enemies of the Jewish people, who tried to find in it the basis for condemning the writer, perhaps through slander before the Persian government. But the writer was not embarrassed by a hostile attitude towards him, but adamantly strove to fulfill and restore legal service among his people.

. Strengthen me according to thy word, and I will live; Do not shame me in my hope;

. support me and I will be saved; and I will constantly delve into your statutes.

Although the writer’s faith in the word of God was deep, the difficult conditions, among which he had to act, put him in such insurmountable obstacles that he resorted to the help of God and appealed to His direct assistance. An indicator of the strength of his faith here is the fact that even in moments of a certain decline in spirit he seeks support not from people, but from the Lord.

. My flesh trembles with thy fear, and I fear thy judgments.

“My flesh trembles with thy fear”, the writer is in awe, in a fearful expectation of what the definition of the Lord will be regarding the success of his work, he fears that, according to the judgment of Divine truth, the Jewish people may not be worthy of His mercy, and at the same time restore prosperity. This fear makes him tremble.

. I have done judgment and truth; Do not betray me to my persecutors.

. Take Thy Servant for Good his, so that the proud do not oppress me.

Activities in the name of the national good created many enemies for the author, who not only disdain him, but also “persecute” him, persecute him in many ways, which greatly harm the success of his good undertakings. He prays to the Lord to stop these attacks.

. It is time for the Lord to act: Thy law was ruined.

Over the wicked apostates from the law, the writer prays to the Lord to pronounce his judgment. Their impunity and well-being are harmful because in the wavering souls they inspire distrust of activity in the spirit of the instructions of the law that only the latter will succeed and will cause goodwill on the part of God. The example of the welfare of the wicked seems to say otherwise. To strengthen the hesitant, to expose the apostates and to encourage the pious, the writer prays to God to pronounce His judgment.

. deliver me from the oppression of man, and I will keep thy commandments;

Getting rid of "Oppression of man"   It is a condition of full and constant service to the Lord and the fulfillment of His law. External disasters do not have the power to undermine a person’s faith in God, but they can impede such a routine of time and their behavior that would always appear and be directed toward serving the Lord, diverting forces and attention to eliminating them.

. Streams of water flow from my eyes because they do not keep Thy law.

Since the writer everywhere preaches about the unusually exalting effect of the law on the soul of a person, as well as the fact that following the Lord’s statutes is the true source and external well-being of man on earth, he must have been depressed by any violation of God's commandments, which he’s where I saw it: with bitter regret, he mourns such misguided people.

I'm small and despicable but i do not forget your commandments.

The psalm writer was not prominent among the Jewish people ( "I am small and despicable"), but he was one of those faithful Jews who sincerely loved their people, were devoted to serving the Lord and ardently sought to restore true reverence and a godly life. It may be that the psalm writer was one of the pious Levites.

. I anticipate the dawn and cry out; I trust in your word.

“I anticipate the dawn and cry”, that is, from the early morning "before the onset" of the dawn, I pray and appeal to You for protection and help.

. Seven times a day I glorify you for the courts of your righteousness.

“I glorify you seven times a day for the judgments of your righteousness”. - Sevenfold - in the sense of often. “The Courts of Truth” are manifestations of divine wrath on the enemies of a pious writer and all faithful Jews. One can see here an indication that the actions of the enemies of the Jewish people were not always successful: they managed to expose their intrigues, there was an improvement and these moments of life fill the writer with a gratefully enthusiastic feeling.

. My lips will utter praise when you teach me your statutes.

Instead of “when” it would be more accurate to translate “since”. The meaning is this: since only from you, Lord, is the teaching of the law, I am full of praise to you.

. I have lost my way, like a lost sheep: seek thy servant, for I have not forgotten thy commandments.

“Get lost in the sheep ...” - a lost, oppressed writer, like any true reader of Jehovah at this time, which indicates the general difficult situation of the Jewish people at that time.

The content of the psalm provides few indications of the external position of the writer, most of all it speaks of what feelings and thoughts are evoked in him when reading the law. In it alone, he finds reassurance and comfort, draws faith in the triumph of truth and energy for his work. This content of the psalm clearly indicates that the hostile actions of the haters of the Jews put the last obstacles that stopped and slowed down their undertakings. But the severity of this situation is not without a gap: the writer found an opportunity to rejoice and thank the Lord for the manifestation of His courts (v. 164), i.e. there were times when the activity of his enemies was fruitless. The general oppressed tone of the psalm’s content with glimpses of light and joy in the writer confirms the assumption made at the beginning of the psalm about the time of its origin in the era of Ezra, when there was an intrigue against the Jews at court, which prohibited the Jews from building the temple and other persecutions, and when the leaders of the Jewish people had to expose lies and slander of enemies and partially cause glimpses of goodwill of the Persian government.