Carefully Examining the Text

143:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD- Hear is often used in the Psalms as an imperative directed to God (17:7; 27:7; 28:2; 30:10; 54:2; 64:1). Give ear to my supplications! Give ear is also an imperative addressed to God in the Psalms (5:1; 17:1; 39:12; 54:2; 55:1; 84:8; 86:6; 140:6; 141:1; 143:1). The fact these imperatives are used together stresses the urgency of the request. For supplications the ESV and NIV have cries for mercy.  Supplications are found in Ps. 28:2, 6; 31:22; 116:1; 130:2; 140:6.Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness- “The psalmist makes his plea for deliverance, not on the merit of his own righteousness (vs. 2), but on that basis of God's righteousness (vss. 1, 11)” Miller, 436. “His only claim is to a covenant relationship with his God (servant, cf. vs. 10), initiated and maintained by divine grace” Laymen 697. “His confidence lies, not in himself, but in the one who promised. He is true, faithful, and righteous” VanGemeren, 856. “Righteousness is an appositive of faithfulness, so that the one word helps explain the other. The use of righteousness with steadfast love (covenant loyalty, vss. 11-12) also tempers the meaning of righteous (innocent) before God's courts (vs. 2). God is faithful to His covenant commitment to His servant (vss. 2a, 12) and He is true to His own righteousness (character) in forgiving the penitent sinner” Miller, 436. 143:2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant- The writer describes His relationship to God as Your servant (2, 12). For in Your sight no man living is righteous- Job 4:17; 9:2; 15:4; 25:4; Eccl. 7:20. “No creature (not even the angels, according to Job) can hope to be blameless before God's inexorable judgment” Alter, 492. “The OT also teaches that God freely forgives because of His grace (cf. Pss. 32:1-2, 5; 51:1-2; 103:3, 11-13; 130:3-4)” Miller, 437. This word righteous is a verb while vs. 1 and 11 are nouns. While God is righteous in the sense that He is faithful to His covenant, we are not righteous.“While the psalmist is aware that no-one is perfectly righteous (v. 2), he does believe that he has grounds for saying that he does not deserve the violent treatment of those who are persecuting (pursuing) him” Longman, 462. “The reference to human waywardness (cf. 130:3; I Kings 8:46) is no shoulder-shrugging excuse but expresses a conviction of the power of sin” Laymen, 697. “The covenant relationship can be sustained only on the basis of continual divine forgiveness (cf. 51:5)” Allen, 281. 143:3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul- “Three metaphors describe the intensity of His suffering” Miller, 437. “Like a hunted beast he has been chased, grounded, caged (3; cf. 142 title)” Motyer, 580. The word enemy or enemies is used in vs. 3, 9, 12.                                   He has crushed my life to the ground- “Like the suffering servant in the book of Isaiah, crushed (see Isa. 53:5, 10; see also Ps. 94:5; Lam. 3:34)” McCann, 1251. He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead- If you need further notes please send a facebook message..                                                                                       

142:1 I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD-  “The synonymous parallelism repeats the phrase ‘with my voice' to emphasize that he cries aloud” Miller, 435. “In Psalm 142:1 is za'aq,  conveys the idea of crying out in acute distress and seeking deliverance. The verbal root occurs only five times in the Psalter, twice in Psalm 142” NICOT, 978. “Although the Hebrew root translated ‘cry' in vv. 1, 5 does not occur often in the psalms (see Pss. 22:5; 107:13, 19), it is an important theological word. For instance, it recalls the exodus (see Exod. 2:23); it is a crucial part of the pattern in the book of Judges (see Judg. 3:9, 15; 6:6-7); indeed, it became understood as a typical element in God's dealing with God's people (see Neh. 9:28)” McCann, 1247. “To make supplication is to appeal to kindness (so the Hebrew word suggests)” Kidner, 473. 142:2 I pour out my complaint before Him- The six Hebrew words that make up this verse are a chiasm. pour out is used in 42:4; 62:8. The word before Him twice in vs. 2. The word complaint is used in Pss. 55:2; 64:1; 102:1 (heading); 104:34.I declare my trouble before Him- Trouble is used in parallelism with complaint. This word appears in 77:2; 86:7.142:3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me- Faint or overwhelmed is used in Ps. 61:2; 77:3; 143:4; Jonah 2:7. The word is used twice in Gen. 30:42 for the feeble among the flocks becoming Laban's. “He is at his wit's end and does not know how to pray adequately” Miller, 435. “He describes his emotional state as his spirit growing faint, probably referring to deep disappointment or depression” Longman, 461. You knew my path- The you is emphatic. Knew in Ps. 1:6; 139:1-4. He finds comfort that God understands. “His only help in this time of distress is God, who watches over his life” Longman, 461. They have hidden a trap for me- Trap lead for him in 140:5; 141:9-10.142:4 Look to the right and see- “To the right suggests the place where a helper would stand (cf. 16:8; 109:31; 110:5; 121:5)” Miller, 435.  “The right was the place where the witness for the defense stood (109:31)” Allen, 276. No one cares for my soul- “David was completely helpless before his enemies and no one seemed to care for his life” BK, 894. II Tim. 4:17 “He stands alone” Laymen's, 697. “On the horizontal plane he stands alone” Allen, 279. “God hears persons whom nobody else bothers to hear, and that God cares for those whom nobody else appears to care for (v. 4d)” McCann, 1248.142:5 I cried to You, O LORD- 140:6 I said, ‘You are my refuge- Ps. 14:6; 46:1; 61:3; 62:7, 8; 71:7; 73:28; 91:2, 9; 94:22; 104:18; 142:5; Isa. 4:6; 25:4.My portion in the land of the living'- “Claiming Yahweh as my portion in the land of the living is particularly associated with the Levites (Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9)” Broyles, 495. “The land of the living is opposite of Sheol, the place of the dead (cff. Pss. 27:13; 52:5; 116:9)” Miller, 435. 142:6 For I am brought very low- brought low in Judges 6:6; Ps. 79:8; 116:6. For they are too strong for me- Ps. 79:8 God is big enough to defeat every foe. 142:7 Bring my soul out of prison- Isa. 42:7; Ps. 102:20; 107:10. God can deliver us from every bondage. “He pleads his weakness and implicitly confesses God's sovereign power” Laymen's 697. So that I may give thanks to Your name- 18:49; 20:1; 140:13 “The psalm-singer

141:1-2 Cry for help141:1 O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me- “The cryptic phraseology indicates urgency” Miller, 433. Call (Ps. 4:1, 3; 17:6; 88:9; 130:1) and hasten or come quickly is used in Pss. 22:19; 38:22; 40:13; 70:1, 5; 71:12.Give ear to my voice when I call to You!- Give ear is used in Ps. 55:1; 86:6; 143:1.141:2 May my prayer be counted as incense before You- “Incense and evening sacrifice come from the realm of formal worship” Longman, 458. “Incense symbolized the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8) and the priestly intercession accompanying their prayers on behalf of the people (Rev. 8:3-4; Exod. 30:10)” Miller, 433. “Incense is intended to present a sweet fragrance before the Lord, and so the psalmist wants his prayer similarly to please God” Longman, 458. The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering- Lifting up of hands was a common posture in prayer- Ex. 9:29; Ps. 28:2; 63:4; 134:2; I Tim. 2:8. The morning and evening offering are described in Ex. 29:38-42; 30:7-8; Num. 28:4-8. Because he mentions the evening sacrifice, BK, 893, calls this “an evening prayer for sanctification and protection.” A similar idea appears in Longman, 458.This shows that he knew that sacrifices were acceptable and longs for prayer to be just as acceptable. Portions of Scripture like Isaiah 1:10-15 are not anti-sacrifice. 141:3-7 Petition141:3 Set a guard, O LORD over my mouth- “The prayer for the worshiper himself builds on bodily images” Broyles, 492.  There were guards who waited at the temple- I Chron. 15:18, 24; II Kings 11:4-8; II Chron. 23:1-7. “He needs this strong Ally to help him guard his tongue” Laymen, 697. “Pure prayer Godward must be controlled speech manward (James 3:10-12)” Laymen, 579. “Religious ritual and moral lifestyle were to be integrally connected in ancient Israel” Broyles, 492. His first request is not judgment on his enemies but a plea that God will keep him from sin- Longman, 458. “Speech is an indicator of one's relationship to the Lord (cf. 34:13; 39:1; Prov. 13:3; 21:23; James 3:1-12)” VanGemeren, 847. The malicious intention of the speaker's enemies seems to manifest itself in vicious speech. The special emphasis here is on the speaker's prayer that he not answer them in kind, that he keep his own speech from slander and invective” Alter, 487. Faithful and Christian at Vanity Fair prayed “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity” Kidner, 470. Keep watch over the door of my lips- “The psalmist desires not to sin in word (34:13; 39:1; Prov. 13:3; 18:21; 21:23)” Miller, 433. Speech can do much harm- Prov. 10:6; 12:6; 22:10.141:4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing- Matt. 6:13 More fundamental than his speech is his heart and he prays his heart will be right with God. “He knows too the dominant pull of his heart toward involvement in evil” Laymen, 697. “Whereas the psalmist prayed in Psalm 140 for deliverance from ‘evil' (see vs. 1-2), here the prayer is that he be prevented from joining the wicked in their ‘evil' (v. 4)” McCann, 1244. “This is a remarkable expression of divine control over the mind; I Sam. 16:14; I Kings 22:21-23; Ps. 119:36” Allen, 270.With men who do iniquity – “He resolves to leave their circle with its lavish hospitality (cf. 23:5)” Laymen, 697. And do not let me eat of their delicacies- “To eat of their dainties could mean to eat of their delicacies attained through wickedness, or it could suggest the strong temptation to follow the ways of those who used a false hospitality to influence him for evil (cf. Prov. 23:6-8, 20-21; Hos. 7:1-7)” Miller, 433. Prov. 4:17.

Psalm 140 For the choir director, A Psalm of David“Psalm 140 is clearly an individual lament, with its appeals to God to listen and rescue (vv. 1, 4, 8), its complaints concerning the wicked who intend to harm the psalmist (vv. 2-3, 5), its imprecation (vv. 9-11) and its note of confidence (vv. 6-7, 12-13)” Longman, 455. “In the present literary setting, the petitions in Psalm 140 can be understood as an elaboration of Ps. 139:19-22…Psalm 140 also anticipates Psalms 141-143” McCann, 1240. Psalms 141-143 are also individual laments. “Psalm 140 is another prayer psalm about personal enemies. They are described in the familiar categories of ‘the righteous; (vs.13) and ‘the wicked' (vv. 4, 8). These ‘men of violence' (vv. 1, and so they ‘devise evil') and ‘proud' (v. 5) and by a variety of images. They are warlike (vv. 2, 7) and are compared to hunter (v. 5) and ‘their tongues; to ‘a serpent's' (v. 3)…The righteous are further described by the moral term ‘the upright' and be economic terms, ‘the poor' and ‘needy'” Broyles, 489. “The psalm consists of two prayers (1-5, 8-11) each followed by an affirmation (6-7, 12-13)” Motyer, 579. “The first affirmation acknowledges the God of salvation in personal, protective care, the second affirms the God of righteousness in public oversight of society” Motyer, 579.“The occurrences of Selah after vv. 3, 5, and 8 suggest a fourfold division of the psalm” McCann, 1239.  The divine name appears in the first colon of vs. 1, 4, 6, 12.140:1-3 Rescue me from violent men140:4-5 Keep me from the wicked 140:6-8 A plea for God to provide protection 140:9-11 A prayer for judgment upon the wicked 140:12-13 God will maintain the cause of his peopleJesus and Psalm 140140:3 is quoted to describe the sinfulness of man in Rom. 3:13. Sin from which only Jesus can provide salvation. “The New Testament treats the Psalter as a major witness to human depravity (most of Rom. 3:10-18 is from the Psalms), largely because it exposes this element in us of sheer malice, a poison which can be secreted and employed not only without provocation (69:4) but even in face of generosity and love (cf. especially 35:12-16; 55:12-14)” Kidner, 468. “Paul is not referring to or condemning the malicious and violent enemies of the faith, but all humanity, both Jews and Greeks (Rom. 3:9). We are all capable of plotting maliciousness and engaging in violent ways” NICOT, 971. “From this perspective, Psalm 140 becomes a prayer requesting that we be delivered from ourselves!” McCann, 1241. “Jesus Himself was the subject of false accusations that led to his crucifixion (see John 18:19-19:37). One can imagine Jesus praying this prayer. However, rather than uttering imprecation against his attackers, He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing' (Luke 23:34). Like the psalmist, Jesus expressed His utter confidence in God, even in the face of death” Longman, 457. 140:13 Jesus gives a whole deeper meaning to the upright dwelling in Your presence. “His last word matched the climax to which the whole of Scriptures moves: ‘His servants shall serve him: and they shall see His face' (Rev. 22:3f., AV)” Kidner, 469. For further notes, private message me on the facebook page

Psalm 139 For the choir director. A Psalm of David.“The Greek title has prefixed the strange phrase ‘for the end,' and the Alexandrinus text has appended the phrase ‘of Zechariah in the dispersion.'” Miller, 426; see Kinder, 463-464 for similar ideas. “The psalm is poetically balanced with four paragraphs (or strophes) of six verses each. In the first paragraph (vss. 1-6), the psalmist praised God for his minute knowledge of him, the contemplation of which fills the psalmist with awe (vs. 6). In the second paragraph (vss. 7-12), the psalmist states that God is everywhere the psalmists might go, and God is there to lead and hold him (vs. 10). In the third paragraph (vs. 13-18) and the psalmists combines the idea of God omniscience (vs. 1-6) and omnipresence (vss. 7-12) and applies these divine qualities to God's knowledge of the psalmist's embryonic development (vss. 13-15) and God's planning of the psalmist's life (vss. 16-18)…In the fourth paragraph (vss. 19-24), the psalmist thinks of God as the judge of all  the earth and in complete confidence asks God to judge Him with a view to His correcting His life so as to please God (vss. 23-24)” Miller, 426. “Psalm 139 is perhaps the most intimate of psalms. It displays a striking awareness of God's interest in individuals” Broyles, 483.“Any small thoughts that we may have of God are magnificently transcended by this psalm; yet for all its height and depth it remains intensely personal from first to last” Kidner, 463. I think Longman is overly negative in his assessment of the Psalm. He says vs. 1-18 “express ambivalence about God's pervasive knowledge, presence, and power. In light of its final stanza, the psalm is best considered a lament” 452.139:1-6 God's intimate knowledge of the PsalmistFor more notes, send me a private message on Facebook. 

Psalm 138A Psalm of David- Psalms 138-145 are listed as Psalms of David in the heading. “The Greek title places the psalm in the days of Haggai and Zechariah” Miller, 423. Is the I individual or collectively? “The individual who is offering thanks here appears to have been rescued from enemies who sought his undoing” Alter, 476. “Psalm 138 is the first of a collection of eight psalms (Pss. 138-145) in Book Five that are attributed, in their superscription to David” NICOT, 958. “Psalms 138 and 145 share no less than thirteen terms and verbal roots, forming an envelope structure around the collection: ‘give thanks' (138:1, 2, 4); ‘name' (138:2; 145:1-2, 21); ‘hesed' (138:2; 145:8, 10, 13, 17), ‘be faithful' (138:2; 145:13, 18), ‘be great' (138:2, 5; 145:3, 6, 8); ‘cry out' (138:3; 145:18); ‘hear' (138:4; 145:19); ‘glory' (138:5; 145:5, 11, 12); ‘exalt' (138:6; 145:1); ‘hand' (138:7, 8; 145:16); ‘for all time' (138:8; 145:1, 21); ‘deliver' (138:7; 145:19)'; ‘make, do' (138:8; 145:4, 9, 10, 13, 17)” NICOT, 958.“Maybe it all happened in II Sam. 5:17-25, when the Philistines challenged David's infant kingdom, and in answer to enquiring of the Lord, a signal victory was won and the ‘gods' of Philistia became the litter of battle” Motyer, 578. 138:1-3 His personal situation and his deliverance“In vv. 1-3, the singer speaks directly to God, using second person pronouns” NICOT, 960. 138:1 I will give You thanks with all my heart- Ps. 119:2, 10, 34, 58, 69, 145; Jer. 3:10; 24:7. “O Lord comes from the Greek; it is omitted in the Hebrew text” Miller, 424. It is added in the NIV following a number of mss., versions, and 11 QPs- VanGemeren, 834; NICOT, 958; Allen, 244. Giving thanks is mentioned in vs. 1, 2, 4. I will sing praises to You before the gods- Pss. 95:3; 96:4; 97:7; 135:5; 136:2-3 “gods (‘elohim) is translated ‘angels' in the Greek. However, there is little, if any, clear evidence in the OT for taking the word ‘elohim to mean angels. The Jewish translators of the OT into Greek were influenced by the Hellenistic concept of angels meditating to man the will of God so transcendently holy that he refused to communicate directly with sinful man” Miller, 424. See Allen, 244, for more on the LXX.  “The Aramaic Targum rendered it, not very convincingly, as ‘judges.' Following this line, Rashi and other medieval exegetes understood it as a reference to the Sanhedrin” Alter, 476. Some believe he refers to all heavenly beings and give Psalm 82 as a parallel. This psalm is “expressing God's sovereignty over any claimants to the appellation ‘god.'” NICOT, 959. The Psalm is “an implicit testimony to Yahweh's power not only to surrounding pagan nations but to their gods” Allen, 244. “The psalmist offers praise ‘in the face of the gods,' almost contemptuously denying them sovereignty (see Pss. 58:1-2; 82:1)” McCann, 1232. “He openly defies the gods of pagan nations, proud of this practical proof of the superiority of his own God” Laymen, 695. 138:2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple- Ps. 5:7; 11:4; 22:29; 28:2; 134:2; I Kings 8:29. “There is a fine blend of boldness and humility from the outset: boldness to confess the Lord before the gods, humility to bow down before Him” Kinder, 461. For more notes send me a private message on Facebook 

Psalm 137The LXX has a heading τω Δανιδ the Lucian text add (δια) ‘Ιεριμιομ ‘through Jeremiah' Allen, 235. This is a community lament written in the time of Babylonian captivity. They are in Babylon (1-3) and Jerusalem has been destroyed (7). “Note the first person plural ‘we,' ‘us,' ‘our,' etc., in vs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8.” Willis, vol. 3, 4-5. “The scene has the vividness of first-hand experience” Kidner, 459.This psalm is a first-person account of the sadness of the captives. It seems that the experience of exile “is fresh and acutely painful” Alter, 473. Most psalms “are historically vague in order to be applied again and again to new situations” Longman, 448, but the historical context for this psalm is much easier to identify. It may have been written by Levitical musicians who ‘bemoan their separation from the temple” Longman, 448. “Every line of it is alive with pain, whose intensity grows with each strophe to the appalling climax” Kidner, 459. “The placement of Psalm 137 in Book Five of the Psalter is somewhat curious. According to the story of the Psalter, Book Five celebrates the return of the Babylonian exiles to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple, and the continued existence of the Israelites as the people of God…It seems that for the Israelites, even in the midst of present rejoicing, the past pain must always be remembered” NICOT, 953. 137:1-4 Lament 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon- Ezek. 1:3. Jer. 51:13 describes Babylon a “you who dwell by many waters.” Alter, 473, argues for the translation streams here instead of rivers. Babylon is also mentioned in vs.8. There we sat down and wept- Neh. 1:4; Lam. 1:2, 16. There is used in vs. 1 and v. 3 This word expresses “the alienation of the collective speakers from the place they find themselves, which, logically should be ‘here' rather than ‘there'” Alter, 473. Some take it as an indication that the psalm was written after return from captivity- Motyer, 577. The people had lost their home country and had been taken into slavery. They lost their king and palace and they lost the temple where their God dwelt. “There is a proper time for weeping. Life is not ceaseless joy” Motyer, 577. There is repetition of the first plural pronoun suffix nu nine times in vv. 1-3. Isa. 53:4-6 is similar. When we remembered Zion- The word remember is used in vs. 1, 6, 7 and the word forget was used twice in vs. 5.  Zion is used in this psalm in vs. 1, 3. The word Jerusalem is used in vs. 5, 6, 7. “Their grief was no mere homesickness” Laymen, 694. They longed for the temple, the festivals, the fellowship with God. Interestingly, in Lam. 1:7 Jerusalem is doing the remembering. This is not to say that life for all was horrific in Babylon. “The prophet Jeremiah encouraged them to make a living, to increase in number, and to seek the peace and prosperity of the land (Jer. 29:4-9)” VanGemeren, 827. 137:2 Upon the willows in the midst of it- The NIV has poplars instead of willows. “The populus euphratica is in view; it looks more like a willow than a true poplar” K. Wilson, quoted in Allen, 236. We hung our harps- “Lyres are smaller than ‘harps' (KJV, NASB, NEB), and would much more likely be carried into exile” Miller, 422. “A relief from Sennacherib's palace at Nineveh, in the neighboring land of Assyria, portrays a situation not unlike this, with three prisoners of war play lyres as they march along by an armed soldier” Kidner, 459; also Alter, 474. For more notes send me a private message via facebook. 

Psalm 135“Some Jewish authorities include Psalms 135 and 136 as part of the collection of Psalms 120-136, whereas others limit the Great Hallel psalms to 135-136, or even Psalm 136 alone”  135:1 Praise the LORD!- 113:1 The word praise is used as an imperative three times in the verse. “The phrase Praise the LORD (and variations of the phrase) occurs seventy-five times in the Psalter, with no less that fifty-four occurrences in Book Five” NICOT, 944. Praise Him, O servants of the LORD- The first two lines speak of the LORD as the object of praise and the last line mentioned the servants as the ones who give praise. 135:2 You who stand in the house of the LORDIn the courts of the house of our God!- Ps. 92:13; 116:19 “The priests and Levites were charged (v. 19-20) with the worship of the Lord ‘in the house of the LORD'” VanGemeren, 819.135:3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good- I Chron. 16:34; II Chron. 5:13; 7:3; Ezra 3:11; Ps. 23:6; 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 110:5; 118:1, 29; 119:68; 118:1, 29. “The Lord's name is good (52:9), that He Himself is good (135:3) and that praising Him is good (147:1)” Kidner, 455.Sing praises to His name- Ps. 68:4for it lovely- The word lovely is a rare word in the OT used only 13 times. In the Psalms it is used in Psalm 16:6, 11; 81:2; 133:1; 147:1 besides here. Good and pleasant (or lovely) appear together in 133:1 and 147:1.135:4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself- Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 7:6; 10:15; 14:2; Ps. 105:6. The goodness of God is manifested in the choice of Israel. “If the first ground of praise is the Lord's character (3), the next is His love for us. The word Jacob is emphatic: ‘For it was Jacob that the Lord chose…'” Kidner, 455.Israel for His own possession- His own possession or special treasure is one word used 8 times in the OT- Ex. 19:6; Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 25:18; I Chron. 29:3; Eccl. 2:8; Malachi 3:16.135:5 For I know that the LORD is great-Ps. 48:1; 95:3; 145:3 I is emphatic. And that our Lord is above all gods- Ex. 18:11; Ps. 95:3; 96:4-5; 97:7-9.135:6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does- 115:3. The Hebrew word translated does in vs. 6 is translated makes in vs. 7 and make in vs. 18. In vs. 15 the noun form is used and it is translated work.  In heaven and in earth- Jer. 10:13in the seas and in all deeps- The LORD “is not limited to a particular sphere assigned to Him by His creatures, as is the case with pagan deities. The Lord is God over all realms by virtue of being the Creator. VanGemeren, 820.135:7 He causes the vapors to ascend for the ends of the earth- Jer. 10:13; 51:16 “The rainy season with its storms and wind is under His providential control-not, it is implied, that of Canaanite Baal, as his devotees claimed” Laymen's, 646. Since the weather is attributed to the LORD and not Baal, “it is another way of affirming that ‘our Lord is above all gods' (v. 5)” McCann, 1220.Who makes lightning for the rain- Job 38:22; Ps 77:17-18; 104:3-4 “His greatness even extends to the elements and powers of nature and wind (cf. Jer. 10:13; 51:16). The Canaanites believed that these powers belonged to Baal, but the psalmist confesses rightly that only Yahweh has power to ‘the ends of the earth'” VanGemeren, 820-821.Who brings forth wind from His treasuries135:8 He smote the firstborn of Egypt- 136:10; 78:51; 105:36; Ex. 12:29 Verses 5-7 stress the LORD's power in nature while vs. 8-14

A Song of Ascents- “The pilgrimage began in ‘Kedar' (120:5); it ends in the Lord's house wherein the pilgrims ‘bless the Lord' (2) and He blesses them (3)'” Motyer, 576. This “forms a magnificent conclusion to this collection of psalms” VanGemeren, 817. It is “a brief word of departure as they ready themselves to return to their homes in the surrounding countryside” NICOT, 940. 134:1 Behold, bless the LORD, all servants of the LORD- Allen says, 216, Behold “is here uniquely with an imperative” and he translates this Come. Ps. 124:6 The word bless is used in each of these verses. In the first two verses servants are blessing the LORD but in vs. 3 the LORD is blessing us. “The Hebrew root that the NRSV regularly translates as ‘bless' originally meant more literally ‘to kneel,' as in paying homage to a superior (see above on Ps. 95:6; see also Pss. 16:7; 26:12; 34:1; 63:4; 103:1-2; 115:18; 135:19-20; 145:1, 10)” McCann, 1217.In our attitude to God, bless means “to praise, thank, and glorify God” Miller, 416. The NIV translates 134:1-2 praise and 134:3 bless. This obscures the fact that all the verses use the same Hebrew word. “Servants could apply to the whole nation in a different context, but here refers to those officiants who stand to minister (Ps. 135:1-2; Deut. 10:8) day and night (I Chron. 9:33) at the temple. By night is a plural in Hebrew and probably is to be taken in the distributive sense of ‘night after night'” Miller, 416-417.   The first step of the LORD blessing us originally is left out. “But the exchange is quite unequal: to bless God is to acknowledge gratefully what He is; but to bless man, God must make of him what he is not, give him what he has not” Kidner, 454.Who serve by night in the house of the LORD- 122:1-2. I Chron. 23:26, 30. Serve is literally stand here- Ps. 135:1-2; Deut. 10:8; 18:7; I Chron. 23:30. Exodus 12:42; Isaiah 30:29 Passover seems to have been celebrated at night. God, our Keeper, neither slumbers nor sleeps- Ps. 121:4- so this may be a wish that He is praised continually at the temple- Broyles, 475. “Evening duties included keeping the lampstand and the sacrifices burning as well as guarding the gates (Ex. 27:21; Lev. 6:9; I Chr. 9:22-27)” Longman, 441. “Later Jewish tradition associates nocturnal services with the Feast of Tabernacles, the ceremony of water libation during the nights of the festival (Cf. Mishnah, Sukk. 5:4)” Allen, 218. 134:2 Lift up your hands to the sanctuary- Ex. 9:29; I Kings 8:30; Ps. 28:2; 63:4; I Tim. 2:8. Sanctuary is a single word and may refer to worshiping in holiness or to the holy place, sanctuary- Kidner, 454. And bless the LORD 134:3 May the LORD bless you from Zion- Lev. 9:22-23; Num. 6:24-26; Ps. 128:5-6. The God who made everything dwells in a special way in Zion and sends His blessings from there. “Like His commandment, his blessing is not ‘far off'; not ‘in heaven' nor ‘beyond the sea,' but ‘every near you' (Deut. 30:11-14; Rom. 10:6ff)” Kidner, 454. “Dynamic potential is given to those who give Yahweh since acknowledgment of His power…He generously shares with His devoted followers from His own resources of omnipotence so that abundant life may be theirs: Allen, 218. He who made heaven and earth- Ps. 115:15; 121:2; 124:8; 146:6 He is LORD of all. The Creator of all “makes Himself known in historical relationships that are marked by particular people and particular places” Broyles, 475. Jesus and Psalm 134Luke 24:50-53Eph. 1:3

Psalm 133A Song of Ascents, of David“The brief didactic psalm employs two beautiful similes to illustrate the beauty and value of unity” Miller, 415. The two similes are the oil and dew. “The pilgrims came from many different walks of life, regions, and tribes, as they gathered for one purpose: the worship of the Lord in Jerusalem” VanGemeren, 815. 133:1 Behold, how good- “It is interesting that he gives no explanation as to why unity is good. Perhaps he does not need to do so, because this should be self-evident to everyone” Willis, vol. 3, 95. The word good is used in Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 31. It is not good that man live alone in Gen. 2:18. “The word good in Ps. 133:1 reminds the reciter of God's provision of the community and relatedness for humanity” NICOT, 938. and how pleasant it is- Psalm 16:6, 11; 135:3; 147:1 “Again, the poet gives no reason for this” Willis, 95. “Strife demands more energy, whereas peaceful unity means the corporate body can reach common goals with less stress. If individual cooperate, then their efforts are multiplied” Longman, 439. 133:2 It is like the precious oil upon the head- The word translated precious in vs. 2 is the same Hebrew word translated good in vs. 1. “The pouring of oil over the head seems to have been an act of hospitality, signaling joy and relatedness (see Pss. 23:5; 92:10; Luke 7:46) as well as an official act of consecrating kings and priests” McCann, 1214. Joy in Ecc. 9:7-8; Matt. 6:16-17.Coming down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard- Lev. 21:5 The verb coming down is used three times- vss. 2, 2, 3. This stresses the origin of the blessings from heaven- Broyles, 474. Unity “is like precious oil that runs down on the high priest's beard, giving off a sweet-smelling fragrance (see Exodus 29:7; 30:22-33)” Lev. 8:12 Willis, 95. “Its fragrance could not be contained (Exodus 29:21)” Kidner, 453. “The anointed priest, in premonarchical days in particular, stood as a symbol of unity” Milller, 415. “The breastplate with the names of all 12 tribes. The oil thus symbolized the unity of the nation in worship under their consecrated priest” B.K. 888.133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon- “The dew is understood to be an agency of fruitfulness” Alter, 463. Isaiah 26:19; Hosea 14:5 Mount Hermon is the only snow-capped mountain in Israel- Longman, 439. “Mount Hermon in the north at the headwaters of the Jordan is the highest elevation in Palestine. A spur of the Anti-Lebanon mountains. Mount Hermon reaches a height of over nine thousand feet. Heavy dew is to found on it slopes early in the summer mornings even during the dry season” Miller, 416. Coming down upon the mountains of Zion- Ps. 48:2; 68:15-16; 87:2 “Situated more than one hundred air miles from Jerusalem, its dew could not literally come down upon the mountains of Zion. The simile is another allusion to the unifying effect that Jerusalem has on the nation” Miller, 416. Because of the geographical distance Alter, 463, emends the text to parched mountains instead of mountains of Zion. Zion is stressed in the songs of ascents- Ps. 125:1; 126:1; 128:5; 129:5; 132:13; 133:3; 134:3.Psalm 133 and JesusJohn 17:20-23; Eph. 2:11-22Mark 14:3, 6 The anointing oil was poured down upon Jesus. Matthew 10:34-37; Luke 12:51-53 Jesus is greater even than family and unity. 133:3 Mt. Zion as the place of blessing- Heb. 12:22-24; 13:14-16; Gal. 4:26; Rev. 14:1

A Song of Ascents, of DavidIt is attributed to David. “It is not against high position that is divinely given, but it does model a critical attitude toward pure blind ambition” Longman, 433. “This personal prayer (vss. 1-2) has a lesson in it that needs to be shared by the nation (vs. 3)” Miller, 411. “This simple, concise, and affecting expression of humility shows no signs of cultic or public function,and is a good illustration of how the psalm as a poetic form of spiritual expressions often stands outside the generic categories that scholars have constructed” Alden, 457. 131:1 O LORD, my heart is not proud- The word proud is used of Uzziah in II Chron. 26:16, Hezekiah in II Chron. 32:25, the king of Tyre in Ezek. 28:2, 17. nor my eyes haughty- Pss. 18:27; 101:5; Prov. 6:17; 30:13 “It would be easy to make this verse an excuse to avoid the challenges of life. But the sin rejected in 1a is pride, while the sin of 1b is presumption. By the first of these, one undervalues other people; by the second, one overestimates and overreaches oneself, forgetting, e.g. Deut. 29:29” Kidner, 447. Nor do I involve myself in great matters- Jer. 45:5or in things too difficult for me- Deut. 17:8; 30:11 “These two words are used in Pss. 86:10; 136:4; and 145:5-6 to describe the works of God in the world. The psalmist has not sought to do or take credit for Godlike acts in the world” NICOT, 931. 131:2 Surely, I have composed and quieted my soul-  Composed is used in II Sam. 22:34; Ps. 18:33 of God making his feet sure and in Isaiah 28:25 of leveling ground. The verb quieted is used in Ps. 37:7 and translated rest. My soul is like a weaned child within me- A child not weaned “is fussy and restless” Longman, 433. But here “he was content without that which used to seem indispensable. A mature believer leaves the clamor of proud ambition and rests in the Lord” B.K, 887 131:3 O Israel, hope in the LORD- 130:5, 7 To hope in the LORD “is the antithesis of pride” B.K., 887. “We do not know, but its call to hope in the Lord links it with 130 and makes it the testimony of a sinner forgiven: humbled by the mercy of God, at peace within because at peace above” Motyer, 575. From this time forth and forever- 113:2; 121:8; 125:2Jesus and Psalm 131“This demure little psalm anticipates the object lesson of Matt. 18:1-4” Kidner, 447. “It is freedom from the nagging of self-seeking” Kidner, 448. “The OT is not alone in making a child the model of humble faith in God” Allen, 199. Matt. 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17 If we do not enter the kingdom as a child we do not enter it at all. “In Philippians 2 we are shown the constructive answer to the first of these tempations, in the honor of being a servant; and in Philippians 3, I Cor. 2, the answer to the second, not by stifling adventurousness but by rightly directing it” Kidner, 447. This psalm “embodies the lessons of both Philippians 2:3ff. (‘Do nothing from selfishness or conceit') as 4:11ff. (‘I have learned…to be content')” Kidner, 448.John 4:34 If we make His ambition ours then we free ourselves from many problems The word used for in vs. 1 in the LXX for heart being proud is exalted and it is used of Christ on the cross in John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32.It is also used in Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14.

Psalm 130 A Song of Ascents “In Christian tradition the psalm became one of the seven penitential psalms, the others being Ps. 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 143” Allen, 195. “This psalm, of course, is a penitential psalm, focusing not on the evil of Israel's enemies, as does Psalm 129, but on the wrongs Israel has done” Alter, 455.130:1 Out of the depths- Ps. 30:1; 71:20; Isa. 51:10; Ezek. 27:34; Jonah 2:2-6 This is “a figure of speech suggesting his insurmountable difficulty, even to the point of death:…The exact problem is not specified” B.K, 886. I have cried to You, O LORD- Ps. 17:6; 86:7. Is the I used of the author individually or the people collectively? “In v. 1, the psalm-singer addresses God by the divine name YHWH: in v. 2, the psalmist uses the more generic Lord (adonay). The pattern (divine name followed by generic name) is repeated in vv. 3-4 and in vv. 5-6. Only in vv. 7-8 is the divine name YHWH used twice” NICOT, 927. 130:2 Lord, hear my voice!- Ps. 4:1; 64:1;102:2; 119:149; 141:1 .Let your ear be attentive- II Chron. 6:40; 7:15; Neh. 1:6, 11 “What is clear in all such passages is that self-help is no answer to the depths of distress, however useful it may be in the shallows of self-pity” Kidner, 446. To the voice of my supplications- Ps. 28:2; 140:6 “The Hebrew word translated supplications comes from the same root as those render ‘grace' and ‘be gracious'” Miller, 411.  130:3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities- Iniquities “is the primary word used to describe human sin and guilt in the prophetic writings” NICOT, 928. The word iniquities will reappear in vs. 8. “If He should deal with us exactly as we are; if He should overlook nothing, forgive nothing, we could have no hope” Barnes, 259.  O Lord, who can stand?- Ezra 9:15; Ps. 76:7; Amos 7:2; Nah. 1:6; Mal. 3:2; Rev. 6:17. This is “an adaptation of the question of the entrance liturgy ( ‘who shall stand' 24:3; 15:1)” Allen, 192.Compare the thought of I Kings 8:46; Psalm 143:2; Prov. 20:9; Rom. 3:9-20, 23. 130:4 But there is forgiveness with You- Exod. 34:7; Neh. 9:17; Dan. 9:9. “He derives comfort from the known character of Yahweh as a God who forgives (cf. 86:5, 15): this divine quality transcends man's sinfulness” Allen, 195.That I may be feared- Jer. 33:8-9 “Forgiveness increases the sinner's reverent awe of and trust in Yahweh (cf. I Kings 8:38-40)” Allen, 192. 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait- Ps. 25:3, 5; 27:14; 33:20; 37:34; 40:1; 52:9; 62:1, 5; Isa. 8:17; 26:8 Notice the shift from 2nd person (vss. 1-4) to 3rd person (verses 5-8).  And in His word do I hope- Ps. 119:74, 81, 114, 147 The word hope appears in both vs. 5 & vs. 7.  130:6 My soul waits for the LORD- A similar phrase is used in Judges 5:9 with “my heart goes out to the commanders” Allen, 192.. More than the watchman for the morning- “He compared his weight to that of a city's watchman looking for the first rays of dawn, for then they would be relieved of their duties by other guards” B.K., 886. Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning- The verb waits is missing in the Hebrew text but it added in some translations like the NIV because it is implied- VanGemeren, 802. 130:7 O Israel, hope in the LORD- 131:3 “The psalmist's faith and hope impel him…to encourage others to be faithful and hopeful (Pss. 22:22-23; 27:14; 31:23-24; 32:8-11; 34:3, 5, 8-14; 51:13-14; 131:3)” McCann, 1206. “The morning will dawn; the light will break in the east; deliverance and joy will come” Barnes, 260. 

Psalm 129 A Song of Ascents129:1-2 Introductory summary; 129:3 Their intense need; 129:4 Praise to God129:5-8 Request for judgment upon the foes“The psalm divide into two sections: verses 1-4 (statement of suffering) and verses 5-8 (prayer for vindication against the enemies causing the suffering)” Transforming Word, 498. 129:1 Many times they have persecuted me- The word many times in vss. 1-2 is used in 120:6; 123:4. In the NRSV is translated greatly. “A comparison of the NIV with the NRSV shows that the adverb at the beginning of vv. 1-2 can be construed to indicate either the frequency of the opposition or its severity” McCann, 1203. “The religious community is encouraged by a cultic precentor to take upon their own lips a testimony to Yahweh's repeated aid” Allen, 190. “The first-person language makes this initially sound like an individual complaint, but as the references to ‘the haters of Zion' in verse 5 indicates, the first person is speaking on behalf of the nation” Alter, 453. “The communal lament differs from most laments in that it mourns an extended period rather than a single event” Transforming Word, 498. from my youth up- Jer. 2:2; 22:21; Ezek. 16:22; Hos. 2:15; 11:1 Israel's youth was a time of devotion (Jer. 2:2) and joy (Hos. 2:15), but also a time of disobedience (Jer. 22:21), yet God loved them and showed them mercy anyway (Ezek. 16:22; Hos. 11:1).Let Israel now say- 118:2; 124:1 “In the subsequent interpretation in terms of ‘Israel' this religious truth received even wider warrant: it could trace back to the Exodus (cf. Hos. 11:1) the history of God's saving grace over against the oppressor's plowlike scourge (cf. Isa. 1:5-7; 51:23)” Allen, 190. “National memoirs may be written from the standpoint of achievement and attainment, of from the viewpoint of suffering and survival. While secular nations usually choose the former, it is singular that Israel glorifies God as her protector and preserver” Miller, 409. 129:2 Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up- Ps. 88:15 The repetition fixes their thoughts on the severity of their troubles- Barnes, 255. Yet they have not prevailed against me- Jer. 1:19; 15:20; 20:11; Matt. 16:18; II Cor. 4:8-9. This does not promise God's people will not suffer, but it does promise that wickedness will not ultimately prevail. 129:3 The plowers plowed upon my back- Micah 3:12; Isaiah 51:23 The plow would pass over the field, tear up the sod, pierce deep and produce long rows- Barnes, 256. “This agricultural image for laceration and torment, is vivid enough in itself, leads to the agricultural simile of the curse in verses 6-8” Alter, 453. “The imagery of plowing furrows describes the extreme suffering that the enemies inflicted on Israel” B.K, 886. The words for plowers and wicked are very similar in Hebrew and a Hebrew manuscript from Qumran has wicked- Allen, 187.They lengthened their furrows129:4 The LORD is righteous- Ps. 119:137 In permitting this, the LORD is righteous. “Deliverance from such suffering is attributed to the righteous LORD” B.K., 886. The LORD's righteousness is demonstrated in the judgment upon Israel's enemies. “The mystery of the continual resilience of God's city and people is thereby explained. V. 4 triumphantly amplifies (v. 2b), after (v. 3) has grimly developed (v. 2a). To use J.B. Philips paraphrase of II Cor. 4:9, the capital and community were often knocked down, but never knocked out. They revived and survived as a testimony to a long history of God'

Psalm 128 A Song of Ascents“The quiet blessings of an ordered life are traced from the centre outwards in this psalm, as the eye travels from the godly man to his family and finally to Israel. Here is simple piety with its proper fruit of stability and peace: Kidner, 443. How are Psalms 127 and 128 linked?1.The word blessed- 127:5; 128:1-22. eat/eating in 127:2; 128:23. Behold in 127:3; 128:44. son/sons in 127:3, 4; 128:3, 65. fruit in 127:3; 128:3 McCann, 1200; Allen, 184-185.“Both sections of Psalm 128 display the same movement from third person (vv. 1, 4) to direct address (vv. 2-3, 5-6)” McCann, 1200.Both are viewed as wisdom psalms. These provide instruction in daily living in the manner of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job.128:1  Both this verse and vs. 4 emphasize fearing the LORD. Fearing the LORD is highlighted in Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Prov. 1:9; 9:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13. “To fear the Lord means fundamentally to recognize God's sovereignty and so to entrust life and future to God (see Pss. 2:11; 25:14; 31:19; 33:18; 34:9, 11; 60:4; 112:1; 115:11, 13; 118:4)” McCann, 1201. It means to walk in integrity- Ps. 26:1. Notice how universal these promises are- everyone. 128:2 When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands- The generalized statement of vs. 1 is personalized in vs. 2 with you. 128:3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine- Contrast Gen. 30:1-2; I Sam. 1:5-6; Luke 1:25 “Fruitful vine and olive shoot are fit similes of prolific fruit bearing” Miller, 408. “The vine was a symbol not only of fruitfulness (here explicitly so) but of sexual charm (Song of Solomon 7:8) and of festivity (Judges 9:13)” Kidner, 443. 128:5 The LORD will bless you from Zion- Pss. 14:7; 20:2. The godly man's concern extends beyond his own family to all the nation. The temple mount is the source of blessing for all- Ezek. 47:1-12. Zion is a key theme in the Songs of Ascents- Pss. 122:1-2, 6-9; 125:1-2; 126:1; 129:5; 132:31; 134:3. Blessing a key theme in these psalms- 129:8; 132:15; 133:3; 134:3.128:6 Indeed, may you see your children's children- This is actually your son's sons. This implies a long life- Gen. 48:11; Prov. 17:6Peace be upon Israel!- Pss. 122:6-8; 125:5; 134:3. The wordplay between Jerusalem in vs. 5 and peace in vs. 6.“The simple philosophy of the psalm, though presented in seemingly absolute terms, receives qualification even in the OT and certainly in the NT (cf. Job; Habakkuk 3:17-18; Rom. 8:35-39). But for many it must have proved a good working principle of life; such categorical promises of material endowment are not absent from the NT (Matt. 6:33; II Cor. 9:6-12; Phil 4:19) despite a shift to a less earthly emphasis” Allen, 186,Psalm 128 and Jesus128:3 “The imagery of vine and olive tree are reminiscent of the years of David and Solomon (I Kings 4:25) and the blessings associated with the Messianic era (Micah 4:4; Zech. 3:10). To sit under one's vine and fig tree was an expression of a state of tranquility, peace, and prosperity” VanGemeren, 796. 128:3 Jesus is the ultimate vine who causes us to bear fruit- John 15:1-8128:5 The LORD bless you from Zion- Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-3128:6 Peace be upon Israel- Jesus is our peace- Eph. 2:14-17

“The psalm is ascribed to Solomon, and has perhaps a concealed signature in the expression his beloved (2), which is the word from which Jedidiah, his personal name from God, was formed (II Sam. 12:25)” Kidner, 440. Solomon carried on many building activities (I Kings 3:1-2; 7:1-11; 8:13; 9:1). This psalm has more of the characteristics of a wisdom psalms than other types. “A wisdom psalm ... ‘provides instruction in right living and right faith” NICOT, 917. “In Jewish practice the psalm is recited as a part of thanksgiving as a part of a thanksgiving service after children” VanGemeren, 793 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house- “The Hebrew bayit equally means ‘house' and ‘home.' The emphasis in the second half of the psalm on progeny suggests that both sense of the word are in play here” Alter, 449.  “House could refer to a literal dwelling house (Gen. 19:10), a household (Gen. 7:1), the temple, or the king's palace (I Kings 9:1), or the nation as a whole (Amos 3:1, 13; 7:10)” Miller, 407. See NICOT, 918, for even more possibilities for the word house. They labor in vain who build it- Prov. 14:23 uses this word for labor and says in all labor there is a profit. The word for in vain is used three times in vss. 1-2. It is translated vain in the command not to take God's name in vain in Exodus 20:7; Deut. 5:11. It is translated false in warnings against false reports in Exodus 23:1; Deut. 5:20. It refers to worthless idols in Jer. 18:15; Jonah 2:8 and the false messages of false prophets in Ezekiel 13:6, 7, 8, 9, 23.Unless the LORD guards the city- Num. 6:24; Pss. 25:20; 34:20; 86:2; 97:10; 116:6; 121:3-5, 7-8.127:2 For He gives to His beloved even in His sleep The NIV has He grants sleep to those He loves. “This could signify the blessing God gives, or taken adverbially the time or way to which He gives it” Kidner, 442. 127:3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD- Gen. 33:5; Deut. 7:13. The word children here and in vs. 4 is literally sons. “The martial imagery of the rest of the poem argues for the masculine sense of the term” Alter, 450. “The patriarchs of Israel and their wives recognized that children are gifts from God (Gen. 29:31-35; 30:1-6, 17-23; I Sam. 1:5-6, 11, 19-20) How much better our society would be if we recognized as much!” Miller, 407. The word sons vss. 3, 4 in Hebrew is very similar to the word for builders in vs. 1- McCann, 1198. The fruit of the womb is a reward- “It is not untypical of God's gifts that first they are liabilities, or at least responsibilities, before they become obvious assets” Kidner, 442. Gen. 15:1 God is our ultimate reward. 127:4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior- The word for warrior “is often used to describe military figures…II Sam. 23:8 names David's ‘mighty men' and in II Kings 24:16, the king of Babylon took captive all of the gibborim of Jerusalem, 7000” NICOT, 919. So are the children of one's youth- “. One might recall David's original power base was in part a kind of family militia, led by three nephews” Alter, 450. “Sons provide sufficient strength to enable the family to defend itself against marauders” Miller, 407. 127:5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them- “The larger the family, the greater the defense against the enemy” Miller, 407. “Children confer real advantage on a person in the battle of life. Indeed, the more the better” Longman, 426. 

A Song of Ascents“The community prayer is strikingly similar to the longer Psalm 85…Verses 1-3 reflect upon a past deliverance, probably return from Babylonian captivity. Verses 4-6 plead for the further restoration from present problems” Miller, 405. “The psalm starts out like a thanksgiving song, celebrating the restoration of the community's fortunes, but the second part leads us to understand that it is lament of the community” Longman, 423. 126:1 When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion- The phrase brought back the captive ones might also be rendered ‘turned the captivity of' (cf. the KJV and NASB).This clause, with slight variations, is frequently used by the psalmists (14:7 and 53:6; 85:1; 126:1, 4) and the prophets (Jer. 29:14; 30:3, 18; 31:23; 32:44; 33:7, 11, 26; 48:47; 49:6, 39; Lam. 2:14;  Ezek. 16:53; 29:14; 39:25; Hos. 6:11; Joel 3:1; Amos 9:14; Zeph. 2:7; 3:20)” Miller, 405. Deut. 30:3; Job 42:10.126:2 And our tongue with joyful shouting- The word translated joyful shouting is used only 33 times in the OT and three are in this short Psalm- 126:2, 5, 6.126:3 The LORD has done great things for us- Notice the transition from for them in vs. 2 and for us in vs. 3.126:4 Restore our captivity, O LORD- “Verse 1 rejoices that Yahweh has ‘restored' His people and verse 4 petitions that He restore them yet more fully” Isaiah 62:6-7. “It seems odd that the psalmist would first state that the community's fortune had been restored and then ask God to restore their fortunes, as he does in this stanza. But one only has to remember the return from Babylonian captivity for an example of these two are in tension” Longman, 424. “The early rapture of Ezra 1-6 and the erosion of enthusiasm by the harsh facts of life illustrate this psalm” Motyer, 574.  126:4-6 “The two images of renewal (4b, 5-6) are not only striking; they are complementary. The first of them is all suddenness, a sheer gift from heaven; the second is slow and arduous, with man allotted a crucial part to play in it” Kidner, 439. The great things of verse 2 have become a day of small things (Zech. 4:10). Jesus and Psalm 126“Psalm 126 reminds us that that we live in the hope of God's help, always remembering what God has done in the past (vv.1-3) and always anticipating what God will do in the future (vv. 4-6; see Isaiah 43:19; 65:17; Rev. 21:5)” McCann, 1195. 126:1-2 “Surprised by joy, they were scarcely able to believe their eyes- it was all too good to be true (cf. Lk. 24:41; Acts 12:9)” Laymen, 689. John 16:20-22“Matching this is the other picture of revival, in terms of farming at its most heart-breaking: all its joys hard-won (cf. II Cor. 9:6) and long-awaited (Gal. 6:7-10; James 5:7f.)” Kidner, 440. “There will be songs of joy but only when the toilsome task of sowing has been done and the crop has matured for harvest. That is where we find ourselves in God's perfect plan of things (cf. Phil. 1:9-11; Jas. 5:7-8; Rev. 14:14-16)” Motyer, 574. John 12:23-24Matthew 5:4 God will comfort our mourning. “The early church was urged to turn away from suffering to glory, with a conviction that the God who had begun a good work could faithfully bring it to completion (II Cor. 4:17-18; Phil. 1:6; I Thess. 5:24).  

This psalm “makes a proper distinction between the fate of righteous and the fate of the wicked, a favorite theme in Israel's wisdom poetry (cf. Ps. 1; Prov. 1-9). Those blessed are those who trust in the LORD (vs. 1), the righteous (vs. 3), the good (vs. 4a), those who are upright in heart (vs. 4b). Wicked kings (vs. 3a) and people (vs. 5) must be eliminated so that the righteous will not be encouraged to do wrong (vs. 4)” Miller, 404. 125:1 Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever- Ps.68:15-16 The verb moved is translated shaken in Ps. 13:4; 15:5; 16:8; 21:7; 55:22; 62:2, 6; 82:5; 112:6 or slips in Ps. 17:5; 38:16; 46:2; 94:18 or moved in Ps. 46:5; 93:1; 96:10. “The same word is translated in Ps. 121:3 as stumble”- NICOT, 911. “Mountains are often symbolic of stability and endurance, particularly in contrast to the waters of chaos (Ps. 46). And here, the psalmist names the most important mountain of all, Zion, the location of the temple” Longman, 422. “He draws upon the traditional picture of impregnable Zion (cf. Ps. 46; 48; 76; Isa. 28:16)” Laymen's, 689 125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem- “The second (simile) compares the LORD Himself and the mountains that surround Jerusalem” Broyles, 455. “Mount Zion is not the highest peak in the mountain range around Jerusalem. To the east lies the Mount of Olives, to its north Mount Scopas, to the west and the south are other hills, all of which are higher than Mount Zion” VanGemeren, 788. The same word for surrounds is used in both parts of the verse. “The mountains offered security to Jerusalem and became a symbol of divine protection” Miller, 404. So the LORD surrounds His people- “God is ‘around' and present with His people (Ps. 34:7; Zech. 2:1-5)” VanGemeren, 788. 125:3 “Prophets constantly rebuked Israelite leaders for adversely influencing the nation through their own wickedness (cf Is. 1:21-31; Jer. 5:1-6; 6:13-15; Hos. 4:4-10). The psalmists acknowledged the principle also (cf. 72:1-4; 78:67-72; 101:1-8)” Miller, 404. Neh. 9:36-37 depicts foreign rule over Jerusalem but may describe the situation the people were in. The word for scepter can mean rod and “the sense of punishing force may be the more relevant one here” Alter, 446. 125:4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good- Ps. 18:20-27 This petition is the only place in the psalm where God is directly addressed. “It seems deliberately nonspecific and so leaves the particular means to Yahweh's discretion” Broyles, 456. This also contains a warning to the congregation listening that they must do good. 125:5 But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways- This contrasts with those who will not be moved in vs. 1. “Nationality or ethnicity does not guarantee Yahweh's favor-one must maintain a relationship to Yahweh and a moral heart” Broyles, 456. The ‘evildoers' are apostates who have turned to ‘crooked ways' (vs. 5), i.e. paths that twist and turn away from the main road (cf. Judges 5:6)” VanGemeren, 789.Peace be upon Israel- Ps. 120:6,7; 122:6-8; 125:5; 128:6- “Israel is equated with those who trust, the righteous, the good and the upright” Laymen's, 689. Numbers 6:26; Israel stands for all God's faithful people- Galatians 6:16; Rom. 2:29; John 1:47.

Psalm 124The verses of the Psalm describe Israel's trouble- vs. 3-5- deliverance- vs. 1-2, 6b, 7- praise- vs. 6a, 8. The psalm shows us “how serious the threat was, and how little confidence David placed in his own power to survive it” Kidner, 436. 124:1 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side- 118:6; vs. 1-2 provide the protasis, the ifs clause to a conditional sentence, to the stanza and vs. 3-5 the apodosis, the then clause of the conditional sentence- Miller, 402. The word if actually begins both vss. 1 and 2 (Gen. 31:42; Deut. 32:37; I Sam. 25:34; II Kings 3:14; Psalm 94:17; 106:23; 119:92; 124:1, 2; Isaiah 1:9). Let Israel now say- 118:2-4; 129:1. This “indicates that this psalm aims to encourage the congregation to give voice to their gratitude” Broyles, 453. 124:2 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side- This psalm has “abundant use of incremental repetition” Alter, 443. “To dwell on what might have been is often an unrealistic, fruitless exercise. Here it is used to good effect” Laymen, 688. “His presence has protected Israel from destruction on many occasions” VanGemeren, 785.When men rose up against us- Ps. 2:1-3 124:3 Then they would have swallowed us alive- Swallowed is used in Num. 16:30; Ps. 55:15; Prov. 1:12; Isaiah 5:14; Jer. 51:34; Jonah 1:17. 124:4 Then the waters would have engulfed us- Verses 4-5 “are an especially effective use of the emphatic structure of incremental repetition. Verse 4 displays semantic parallelism with verbal repetition in its two halves (waters/ torrent, swept us us/ come up past our necks” Alter, 444. Psalms 18:4-5; 42:7; 69:1-2, 15; 88:3-7; Isaiah 8:7-8; 43:2; Lam. 3:54; Jonah 2:3, 5 124:5 Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul- Psalm 74:12-15; 89:9-10; 93:3-4 The LORD's sovereignty over the raging waters. 124:6 Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth- The enemy is compared to 3. “A hungry lion that would have seized them as prey (vs.6)” Willis, 64-65. 124:7 Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper- Ps. 91:3 The snare is broken, and we have escaped- 119:110; 140:5 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD- Ps. 20:7 The name of the LORD in I Sam. 17:45; Ps. 118:10, 11, 12; Prov. 18:10.  Who made heaven and earth- 115:15; 121:2; 134:3; 146:6 I Peter 4:19 Psalm 124 and Jesus124:1 The LORD is for us- Romans 8:31-39.124:3 The word swallowed as used in the LXX is used in I Peter 5:8 of Satan going about as a roaring lion seeking who he can devour (or swallow, same word). Death and Satan may be great monsters seeking to swallow us, but Jesus swallows up death- I Cor. 15:54; II Cor. 5:4. 124:6 Blessed in the LXX is the same word used in Eph. 1:3; I Peter 1:3 which Blessed God for the great salvation He accomplished in Christ. 124:7 The word translated escaped in the LXX is used in Col. 1:13; I Thess. 1:10; II Tim. 4:17-18 to speak of salvation in Christ. 124:8 The word help is used in Hebrews 4:16 of how we seek help for Jesus. 124:8 The name of Jesus is the name on which we must call- Acts 2:21, 38; 4:12.124:8 Jesus is Maker of heaven and earth- John 1:1-3, 10.

Psalm 123 A Song of Ascents“Verses 1-2 are written in the tone of a psalm of trust, but 3-4 are in the form of a community lament.123:1 To You I lift up my eyes- 121:1; Lifting up eyes can indicate arrogance- II Kings 19:22; Ps. 131:1 but here they are lifted up to God and not against Him. “To phrase ‘to You' is in the emphatic position, suggesting the psalmist's complete orientation to God” McCann, 1187. O You who are enthroned in the heavens- Pss. 2:4; 11:4; 115:3, 16; 135:15 “His faithful love and wisdom are equally beyond our calculating (Ps. 36:5; Is. 55:9)” Kidner, 435. “The Lord whose heavenly throne (1) speaks of His endless resources as well as His worldwide sovereignty” Motyer, 573.123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master- “The eye symbolizes longing, need, expectancy” Motyer, 573.“They await some provision for their own benefit.As the eyes of the maid to the hand of her mistress- “Everyone in this community, man and woman, looks urgently to God for a sign of grace” Alter, 441.  So our eyes look to the LORD our God- “God's people are in the position of ‘servants' (see Pss. 34:22; 69:35-46; 113:1; 116:16)” McCann, 1187. This shows their humility before God. Israel looks for the good hand of the LORD- Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31. “The simile certainly emphasizes the psalmist's utter dependence on God, like that of slaves on their master” Longman, 419. “The repetition of ‘eyes' which occurs in each of the four poetic lines in vv. 1-2, is another instance of the steplike pattern that characterizes the Songs of Ascents (see Pss. 120:5-7; 121:1-4, 7-8; 122:2-5)” McCann, 1187. Until He shall be gracious to us- This is another example of the steplike parallel pattern (climactic parallelism).123:3 Be gracious to us- Pss. 4:1; 6:2; 9:13; 25:16; 26:11; 27:7.For we are greatly filled with contempt- We are not told who gives the scorn, the actual things said, nor the reason for it. “Superlatives are used here and in vs. 4 to indicate the overabundance of scorn and contempt they have received” Miller, 402. 123:4 Our soul is greatly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease- Lam. 3:30ff., 33.And with the contempt of the proud- Proud are enemies of the psalmists in Pss. 94:2; 140:5. There is a strong contrast in the Psalm. It begins with “to You” and ends with “the arrogant”- VanGemeren, 783. Jesus and Psalm 123123:2, 3 Lord- The term used in the LXX is κυριος and it is used of Jesus in many NT passages including Matt. 7:21, 21, 22, 22; Luke 6:46, 46. The word is used over 700 times in the NT and many of them are of Jesus. He is LORD and we are utterly dependent upon Him for salvation and all blessings. 123:2 Servant- in the LXX is the term δουλος and it is used of the NT writers in Rom. 1:1; James 1:1; II Peter 1:1; and Jude 1. It is used of all Christians in Romans 6:16-23. It is used of Jesus in Philippians 2:7. Jesus, who is addressed as Lord, is also a servant. The LORD became a servant to show us mercy. We are totally dependent upon His mercy for salvation.  123:2, 3 Have mercy upon us- The word used was addressed to Jesus in Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30-31; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 17:13; 18:39. As these begged for Jesus to have mercy upon them, we are beggars who fall before Him totally dependent upon His mercy.When God takes flesh in the person of Christ, Jesus, who was God became a servant- John 13:1-17; Phil. 2:5-8. 

Psalm 122 A Song of Ascents, of DavidThe phrase “of David” is omitted in most mss. of the LXX and the Vulgate- Miller, 399. “The psalm gives more evidence of having been written as a pilgrim psalm than any among the Psalms of Ascents (120-134), with the possible exception of the last one” Miller, 399. Psalms of Zion are Pss. 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 132.122:1-2 Journey to Jerusalem122:1 I was glad when they said to me- “The idea did not originate with him, but he joined with a group of pilgrims to go to the city” Longman, 416.  Vss. 1, 8-9 use first person singular words.“We hear the voice of an individual singer who is part of a larger group of pilgrims going up to Jerusalem” NICOT, 899. The words I was glad or I rejoiced set “the tone for the remainder of the psalm” NICOT, 900.  ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD'- Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:3; Ps. 84:10; Jer. 31:6; Zech. 8:21. “The verbal phrase is not a cohortative but an imperfect and should be rendered ‘we will go'” VanGemeren, 775.  122:2 Our feet are standing within Your gates, O Jerusalem- Notice that the I shifts to our. “At last Jerusalem and the house of the LORD come into sight, and we have arrived” Kidner, 433. The city is personified and addressed in the second person” Longman, 416.The OT believer rightly regarded Jerusalem as the center of the whole earth- Ps. 48:2; Ezek. 5:5.122:3-5 He celebrates the city122:3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city compact together- Ps. 48:1-2, 13; 147:2. “The word ‘Jerusalem' ends (v. 2) and begins v. 3” McCann, 1184. “True brotherhood was realized at this center of the community” Allen, 159. The word translated compact is used in Ex. 26:3, 3, 6, 9, 11; 36:10, 10, 13, 16, 18 for the curtains of the tabernacle joined together. The word compact is also used of military alliances- II Chron. 20:35, 36, 37; Dan. 11:6, 23. 122:4 To which the tribes go up- Ex. 23:17; Deut. 16:16; Ps. 48:9; 84:5- “Go up is the technical verb for pilgrimage” Alter, 439 and it is also used for going up the temple mount- Ps. 24:3. 122:5 For there thrones were set for judgment- Deut. 17:8; II Sam. 8:15; 15:1-6; I Kings 3:16-28; 10:9; II Chron. 19:8; Ps. 72:1-4; 89:29; Isaiah 2:4; 9:7; 11:2-5; 16:5; Jer. 21:10-11 Kings were to administer just and right judgment. “Other songs of Zion show the integral connection between the city and the king (Pss. 84:9; 132, esp. vss. 11-12)” Broyles, 451.122:6-9 He prays for the peace of the city122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem- Jer. 15:5 There is a wordplay between peace and Jerusalem- Heb. 7:2. Peace is the key word in vss. 6-8 and continues the stairstep parallelism of this psalm. “It was customary to offer greetings of peace on entering a home or community (cf. I Sam. 25:6; Matt. 10:12-13)” Allen, 159.May they prosper who love you- “The ‘your' is feminine singular in the Hebrew, clearly addressing Jerusalem” Alter, 440. Contrast 129:5. . 122:7 May peace be within Your walls- 125:5; 128:6. The word within is used in both portions of this verse and is the Hebrew preposition ב.Compare Pss. 48:13. 122:8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends- He is motivated to pray this prayer because of his love for his fellow-man. 122:9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God- This prayer is also motivated by his love for God. 

Psalm 121There are some connections with Psalm 91. The idea of shade or shadow in 121:5; 91:1. The word keep in 121:3, 4, 5, 7, 7, 8 is also in 91:11. The word foot is used in 121:3 and 91:12 McCann, 1181. The name LORD appears in vs. 2, 5, 5, 7, 8.121:1 From whence shall my help come?- The word help is m.s. and is used of God in Exodus 18:4; Deut. 33:7, 26, 29; Ps. 20:2; 33:20; 115:9, 10, 11; 121; 1, 2; 124:8; 146:5. The f.s. form is used in Ps. 40:13, 17; 44:26; 46:1; 108:12. “The question exposes his anxiety and sense of inadequacy” Laymen, 687. 121:2 My help comes from the LORD,Who made heaven and earth- Ps. 115:15; 124:8; 134:3; Jer. 32:17 The verb made is used 12 times in Gen. 1-2 to speak of God's creation of all things. “The thought of this verse leaps beyond the hills to the universe; beyond the universe to its Maker. Here is living help: primary, personal, wise, immeasurable” Kidner, 431. 121:4 Behold, He who keeps Israel- “Protection is a burning issue for a pilgrim who is travelling arduously and through lonely country” Kidner, 431. will neither slumber not sleep- contrast I Kings 18:27. The word slumber is repeated from vs. 3. “God is ever vigilant” Longman, 414. “This sentry never dozes on duty!” Laymen, 687. “In all paths of life, he is promised the ever-vigilant protection of God” Allen, 154. 121:6 The sun will not smite you by day- Gen. 1:16 The word smite is a word that often indicates to strike with violence- Gen. 4:15; Ex. 2:11, 12; 12:12. Sunstroke is “a real danger in the semi-desert climate of the Land of Israel” Alter, 438. “By day and by night are frequently used to mean ‘always' or ‘constantly' (cf. Pss. 22:2; 88:1)” Miller, 398. Ps. 91:5-6; II Kings 4:18-19; Isa. 49:10; Jonah 4:8; Rev. 7:16.121:7 The LORD will protect you for all evil- Ps. 41:2; 91:10-12 “In light of other scriptures, to be kept from all evil does not imply a cushioned life, but a well-armed one. Cf. Psalm 23:4, which expects the dark valley but can face it” Kidner, 432.  121:8 The LORD will guard your going out and coming in- Num. 27:17; Deut. 28:6; 31:2 This “is not only a way of saying ‘everything': in closer detail it draws attention to one's ventures and enterprises (cf. Ps. 126:6). Jesus and Psalm 121121:2 Jesus is Creator of Heaven and earth- John 1:1-3, 10; Col 1:16121:1, 2 This particular form of the word help is only used twice in the NT- Acts 27:17 for the supporting cables under the boat. Heb. 4:16 He gives grace to help in time of need.121:3 The One who not let Israel's feet slumber has His feet nailed to the cross- Luke 24:39-40.121:3-4 Matt. 8:24; Mk. 4:38; Lk. 8:23 Jesus sleeping on the boat though not the same Greek word. 121:3, 5, 7, 7, 8 The word for God guarding or keeping His people is the word from the LXX for Jesus guarding His disciples- John 17:12; Gal. 6:13; II Thess. 3:3; II Tim. 1:12; Jude 24.

120:1-2 Words of Trust and Petition120:1 In my trouble I cried to the LORD- 102:2 The word order in Hebrew is “To the LORD in distress to me I cried/called and He answered me.” The point is the emphasis falls on the LORD to whom He called. Who are we calling on or looking to in times of distress? The author “expresses the sole dependence on God in the hour of distress” VanGemeren, 769. The Hebrew word for trouble or distress was used in Pss. 34:6, 7; 46:1; 50:15; 86:7; 91:15; 116:3.  While he has suffered from “lying lips” (vs. 2), a “deceitful tongue” (vs. 2, 3), and people who “hate peace” (vs. 6), and “are for war” (vs. 7), “instead of answering back, this man has looked in a better direction” Kidner, 430. And He answered me- Pss. 3:4; 18:6; 22:21; 66:14; 118:21; Jonah 2:2 God answered. “The most natural translation of verse 1 points to a past event” Kidner, 430.  120:2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips-“He was the victim of lying and misrepresentation” Allen, 149.  “He refers to these liars by a synecdoche, whereby body parts represent the person” Longman, 411. “He has proved by bitter experience the untruth of the adage, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me'” Laymen's, 686. From a deceitful tongue- The word for deceitful is a relatively rare OT word used but is used both in 120:2, 3. It is used in Ps. 78:57 of a treacherous bow and in Prov. 10:4 of a negligent hand and in Prov. 19:15 of a lazy man. Contrast the tongue of 119:172 with this tongue. 120:3-4 Words of vengeance 120:3 What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you- “These verses turn to address these liars” Broyles, 446. The question What is asked twice. “The form of the question involves a frequent Hebrew idiom, ‘God do so to you, and more also' (cf. I Sam. 3:17; I Kings 2:23; Ruth 1:17). The thought is that God will do something worse to these insolent liars than they have done to the psalmist” Miller, 396.You deceitful tongue?- “Ps. 64:3f, 7f, where God's arrows turn the slanderers' verbal arrows against them” Kidner, 430.120:4 Sharp arrows of the warrior- “The reference to weapons presupposes their metaphorical usage for slander, as in 52:2; 57:4; Jer. 9:3, 8” Allen, 146. Sometimes the word arrow is used of the judgment God brings upon the wicked.With the burning coals of the broom tree- Do the images of the sharp arrows and burning coals describe the words hurled against the psalmist (Alter, 436) or the weapons God turns against the deceitful tongue (Kidner, 430)?“In short, the answer is that the liar, wounding though his weapons are, will be destroyed with far more potent shafts than lies. God's arrows or truth and coals of judgment” Kidner, 430. “The broom tree has a low combustion point and thus blazes up immediately with intense heat” Miller, 396. “The roots of the broom tree apparently burn well and yield notable charcoal. On coals as a symbol of judgment cf.., Ps. 140:10” Kidner, 430. 120:5-7 Words of Woe 120:5 Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech “This lament ends on a sad note, as the psalmist bemoans his present wretched condition. The section begins with a strong exclamation of sadness (woe), often heard in funeral processions (I Kings 13:30; Jer. 22:18; Amos 5:16)  “Now the singer's special situation as an alien comes to light, and with the motivation of these slander”" Kidner, 430. The word sojourn is the Hebrew גור which describes the wanderings of Abraham (Gen. 12:10; 20:1; 21:23, 34), Isaac (Gen. 26:3), Jacob (Gen. 32:4; 35:27), and hi

Jesus Fulfills Psalm 119 Psalm 119 and Jesus General Pictures: Jesus as the Word- While there are 177 synonyms for God's law, word found in Psalm 119. Jesus is the ultimate embodiment of Word. The Word has become flesh and dwelt among us- John 1:1-14He does things Psalm 119 attributes to the Word. The Word gives light in 119:105, 130 and Jesus is the Light- John 8:12; 9:5.Jesus fulfills the picture of the Psalmist trusting God, His word, and seeking to follow Him.See the comments below about the Servant beginning with Psalm 119:17. Jesus fulfills the picture of the God in whom the Psalmist trusts. See the comments about God teaching in 119:12. Jesus is Creator and Sustainer of our world as God is said to be in 119:89-91 (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17).The Ministry of Jesus and His fulfillment of Psalm 119Most of these passages and their fulfillment in Jesus are described more completely in the passages below. In the temple at 12- Luke 2:47 and context when Jesus was in the temple at 12 and all were amazed at His understanding fulfills Psalm 119:99-100. In the temptation- Matt. 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 Jesus resisted temptation by appealing to the Word of God and fulfills Psalm 119:11, 101.  In prayer- Mark 1:35 Jesus rose a great while before day and prayed like we read in Psalm 119:147. Luke 6:12 Jesus prayed all night before choosing the apostles and that type of thing is mentioned in Psalm 119:62. In His miracles- In Psalm 119:29, 58, 132 the psalmist's cry to God be gracious to Me. In Jesus' miracles He is often met with the cry to have mercy on me in Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30-31. In His teaching- Compare Matt. 11:30 to Psalm 119:39 and how its ties with the teaching of Jesus. In His crucifixion- The cross of Jesus is foreshadowed in the psalmist's persecution- see Psalm 119:23.109:8 forsaken is the same word in Psalm 22:1; 16:10119:39, 42 The reproach of the Cross- Rom. 15:3; Heb. 11:26; 13:13119:108 Jesus the sacrifice- Heb. 10:5-10119:141 despised- Isaiah 53:3 In His resurrection- See 119:25 and the word revive or made alive.please send a facebook message including your email and I can send you more notes. 

119:153-160 רGod's mercy- vs. 156, lovingkindness- vs. 159, truth- vs. 160, and righteousness- vs. 160 are all mentioned here. 119:153 Look upon my affliction and rescue me- This word for look will begin vs. 153, 158, 159. This plea for rescue from affliction ties canonically to Exodus 3:7-8- Hermenia, 282. He begs “for deliverance from affliction (vs. 153) and from his persecutors and adversaries (vs. 157a), who are faithless with God (vs. 158)” Miller, 394. Only God can rescue (vs. 153) and redeem (vs. 154). For I do not forget Your law- “He obeys God's law, but they don't, and this again is the basis of his call to God to help him” Longman, 408. “The plea is based on the psalmist's remembrance of God's law (vs. 153b) and diligence in keeping it (vs. 157b, 159a). But he still recognizes his need of God's mercy (vs. 156a)” Miller, 395. “The protestation of innocence is not to be understood as an expression of pride but rather as an appeal to God's fatherly heart” VanGemeren, 761.119:154 Plead my cause and redeem me- Ps. 35:1; 43:1; 74:22; Hos. 4:1 uses plead my cause and Ps. 69:18 the cry for redemption. “The language used is that of a lawsuit, for God will champion his cause. The effect of God's pleading his case is that he will be redeemed from bondage. The word ‘redeem' is well-known for it use in kinsman-redeemer passages” Ross, 581.Revive me according to Your word- revive is used in vs. 25, 37, 50, 93, 107, 116, 144, 149. “There is a mounting urgency, if repetition is any sign of it, in the plea for life, heard three times in this stanza is an identical exclamation (a single word in Hebrew) to end verses 154, 156, 159” Kidner, 428. 119:155 Salvation is far from the wicked- The wicked are far from God's law in vs. 150 and salvation is far from them. Vs. 150 is a verb while the word far here in vs. 155 is an adjective. For they do not seek Your statues- The psalmist sought God with all His heart in vs. 2, 10, but the wicked did not seek God's statutes.119:156 Great are Your mercies, O LORD- Mercies is used elsewhere in this Psalm in vs. 77.119:157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries- The word many in vs. 157 is the same word as great in vs. 156. “His love runs to meet us and is equal to every threat” Motyer, 571. 119:158 I behold the treacherous and loathe them- This verb translated loathe is only used 6 times, the others are Psalms 95:10; 139:21; Ezekiel 6:9; 20:43; 36:31. Because they do not keep Your word- “The psalmist not only follows this way, but also he is grieved to see those who do not” Ross, 583.119:159 Consider how I love Your precepts- In vs. 153 he begs God to see his affliction and in vs. 158 to see the treacherous, and in vs. 159 to see his love for God. Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness- Loving-kindness is found in Psalm 119:41, 64, 76, 88, 124, 149, 159. “YHWH's righteous ordinances will give him not death, but life” Hermenia, 282. 119:160 The sum of Your word is truth- “The sum is literally ‘the head'; hence AV, ‘from the beginning.'…Here it only means ‘the head of Thy word.' In this kind of phrase it means, as in the RSV, the sum (cf., e.g. 139:17); and its use as an equivalent to ‘a census in Exodus 30:12; Numbers 1:2, etc., shows that ‘the sum of' is not a way of saying ‘by and large,' but rather, ‘every part of'” Kidner, 428-429.

119:129-136 פ“His own appreciation of the supernatural quality of the Lord's word (129) is bracketed with his grief over the flouted word (136)” Motyer, 570. “YHWH's Torah will be presented in the פ strophe as a wonder-working power” Hermenia, 279.119:129 Your testimonies are wonderful- The same root for wonders is in vs. 18, 27. The word wonderful is used in Exodus 15:11; Psalm 77:11, 14; 78:12; 88:10, 12; 89:5; 139:5; Isaiah 9:6: 25:1; 29:14. This word is especially used of “YHWH's deeds in the exodus (cf. Exod. 15:11; Ps. 77:11, 14; 78:12)” Hermenia, 279. They “inspire awe and reverence” Miller, 393. “The word is used most often in Biblical Hebrew to describe ‘extraordinary phenomena, transcending the power of human knowledge and imagination” NICOT, 884. Therefore, my soul observes them- The word observes could be translated treasures. It is found 61 times in the OT and 10 times in Psalm 119. Psalm 119:137-144 צ119:137 Righteous are You, O LORD- Ezra 9:15; Neh. 9:33; Ps. 116:5; 129:4; 145:17; Jer. 12:1; Lam. 1:18; Dan. 9:7, 14. “Since God is righteous, so His judgments are right (vss. 137-138)” Miller, 393. This word righteous in Greek versions is used for Jesus as Righteous in Matt. 27:19; Acts 3:14; 7:52. Righteous is used in vs. 137, 138, 142, 142, 144.And upright are Your judgments- NASB Your laws are right- NIV119:138 You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness- The law expresses the character of the lawgiver. “Because the Lord perfectly and eternally expresses and conveys Himself in His word” Motyer, 571. “Trust in the reliability of God's word is directly proportionate to one's trust in the Lord Himself” VanGemeren, 759. And exceeding faithfulness- The word for faithfulness is found in vs. 30, 75, 86, 90, 142. This is used to describe God in Deut. 32:4. “God's commandments, then, are an expression of His absolute righteousness and His faithfulness to His covenant that is an inseparable element of His righteousness” Ross, 572. Psalm 119:145-152 ק“After the pair of strophes in vv. 129-136 and 137-144, which emphasized the torments of the petitioner at the hands of attackers who have forgotten the Torah, the pair of strophes that follow (Vv. 145-152 and 153-160) is dominated by pleas for YHWH for rescue from these attacks” Hermenia, 281. 

119:89-96 ל“From its nadir, Psalm 119 moves to its zenith. Complaint has given way to a profession of faith in God's sovereignty for all time (vv. 89a, 90a), in all places (vv. 89b, 90a), and over ‘all things' (v. 91). The profession is highlighted by the uniqueness of vs. 90, which does not contain one of the eight synonyms” McCann, 1171. 119:97-104 מ“The mem strophe is a quiet interlude without petition” Allen, 143. The eight verses begin either with the word מה in vs. 97, 103 and מן in vs. 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104. While this last word can indicate a preposition meaning “from, out of” like in vs. 101, 102, 104, it also can be used as a comparison in vs. 98, 99, 100.119:105-112 נ119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet- “The psalmist thinks of the person traveling by foot at night with a lamp attached to his ankles or feet to show him the way (Prov. 6:23)” Miller, 391.The MT actually has foot instead of feet but a manuscript along with the LXX and Syriac have feet- Ross, 549. This language reminds us of “what Scripture elsewhere calls the believer's walk” Ross, 551. In contrast the lamp of the wicked goes out- Prov. 13:9; 20:20; 24:20.The LORD is a lamp in Ps. 22:28; II Sam. 22:29.119:113-120 ס“The psalmist stands in contrast to the undecided (113), the evildoers (115), the wanderers (118), and the wicked (119)” Motyer, 570.119:113 I hate those who are double minded- vs. 104 “Double-minded is akin to the word in Elijah's taunt at those who hobbled ‘first on one leg then on the other' (I Kings 18:21)” Kidner, 427. These are people “who appear to be following God, but really they aren't” Longman, 407. But I love Your law- vs. 97 His love for God's law is a strong contrast to the hate earlier in the verse. These verbs are antithetical. 119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield- The You is emphatic. Hiding place is found of God in Psalm 32:7; 61:4; 91:1. Shield appears of God in Psalm 3:3; 28:7; 33:20; 84:9, 11; 115:9, 10, 11.I wait for Your word- vs. 74, 81119:121-128 ע“The flow of thought is more awkward than in most of the other stanzas of this psalm, being hindered by the sparsity of words beginning with the letter ‘ayin” Miller, 392. “The key term of the ‘ayin strophe is עבדך ‘your servant,' vv. 122, 124, 125. It is used to claim Yahweh's patronage (v. 125)” Allen, 144. “The petitioner presents himself as a good and faithful servant of YHWH and appeals to YHWH to care for his servant” Hermenia, 279.

119:89-96 ל“From its nadir, Psalm 119 moves to its zenith. Complaint has given way to a profession of faith in God's sovereignty for all time (vv. 89a, 90a), in all places (vv. 89b, 90a), and over ‘all things' (v. 91). The profession is highlighted by the uniqueness of vs. 90, which does not contain one of the eight synonyms” McCann, 1171. 119:89 Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven- God's word is eternally relevant. Just as the stars in the heavens provide fixed points of navigation, God's word gives us something certain to adjust our lives to and by. Allen, 137, states that word here is “an expression of God's all-embracing purpose which is not only embodied in the Torah but reflected in the created universe (cf. vs. 91).” “The whole creation is evidence of God's powerful, eternal word” Ross, 540. 119:90 Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations- Faithfulness (vs. 86 with commandments) “is often paired with ‘steadfast love' (Pss. 25:10; 57:3; 85:10; 98:3), it communicates the way in which God exercises sovereignty- with faithful love that issues in forgiveness (see Exod. 34:6-7)” McCann, 1171. To all generations is parallel to forever in vs. 89. You established the earth, and it stands- Ps. 33:6-9 “The stable universe is a visible token of Yahweh's faithfulness. The results of the divine word in its creative and sustaining role are seen in the ordered world, whose order is homage to its Master” Allen, 143.  “The order of creation reveals the love, care, and fidelity of the Lord” VanGemeren, 752. 119:91 They stand this day according to Your ordinances- This is the same verb translated stands in vs. 90. This emphasizes “what God created is fixed and permanent. This is confirmed in the second colon: ‘for all things are your servants'” Ross, 541. For all things are Your servants- “The switch to the plural is slightly distorting, but the implied antecedent is probably ‘all created things' or ‘heaven and earth.'” Alter, 427. “A striking feature of these verses is the coupling of God's creative, world-sustaining word with His law for man. Both are the product of the same ordering mind; and not only men but ‘all things' are His ‘servants' (91)” Kidner, 426. 119:92 If Your law had not been my delight- 119:16, 24, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, 174.Then I would have perished in my affliction- Would he have perished because he lost hope or because the law prevented him from doing things self-destructive?119:93 I will never forget Your precepts- This phrase actually begins with the word forever like vs. 89. For by them You have revived me119:94 I am Yours, save me- The I is emphatic. He knows he belongs to God.  For I have sought Your precepts119:95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me- The word destroy is the same word translated perished in vs. 92. I shall diligently consider Your testimonies- “As violence increases, the psalmists seeks refuge in a diligent study” VanGemeren, 752. 119:96 I have seen a limit to all perfection- This may be “a contrast between limited human understanding and divine Torah-wisdom” Allen, 137. “The feebleness of human potential (apart from God) is blatant” Allen, 143.  God's limitless knowledge is shown in Job 11:7-9; 28:3.Your commandment is exceedingly broad- vs. 32 “On the other hand, the commands of God are not limited but boundless (spacious). All earthly perfection is limited- God's word is not. His commands no limits, because His word is eternal and esta

Psalm 119:49-56119:53 Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked- The word translated “burning indignation” is a rare word used only in Ps. 11:6 and Lam. 5:10. In Ps. 11:6 the word speaks of the divine judgment on the wicked. “The psalmist's commitment to the Lord and His word dictates what He loves and what He hates. He cannot be neutral when it comes to wicked behavior by those who refuse to live by God's law” Estes, 413-414. “The truly devout naturally have a moral outrage over the ungodly who forsake God's laws” Ross, 512. 119:57-64 119:57 The LORD is my portion- This line is two words in Hebrew. Portion is use in Ps. 16:5; 73:26; 142:5. “Portion is from a root which can mean to divide into shares. The noun, in this context, means God's sharing Himself with man, hence fellowship” Miller, 388.  The word portion is used “frequently in the book of Joshua for the allotments of land designated for the tribes of Israel in Canaan- Josh. 15:13; 18:7; 19:9. The tribe of Levi was granted no territorial allotment because the Lord was their portion and inheritance among the Israelites (Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9; Josh. 13:14). Kraus notes that this special relationship between the tribe of Levi and the Lord ‘later is transferred to the mouth of the pious. Yahweh alone is their livelihood” Estes, 415. 119:63 I am a companion of all those who fear You- “The psalmist's loyalty to the LORD also finds expression in his association with other believers” Ross, 519. This word for companion is used 12 times in the OT, including Prov. 28:24; Isaiah 1:23. Bad companions say much about who the person is in these two verses, but so do the good companions of this verse. He is “finding his sense of community with those who like him honor the Lord by the obedience to his word” Estes, 416. 119:65-72119:67 Before I was afflicted, I went astray- The psalmist “gratitude for bitter medicine cf. 75” Kidner, 426. He has described affliction, hardship, and persecution before but here is “the psalmist's acknowledgment that his affliction was a result of going astray (v. 67)” Longman, 406. The verb for going astray is used only four times but it is sometimes used of unintentional sin- Lev. 5:18; Num. 15:28 and used in Job 12:16 of those misled. But now I keep Your word- vs. 71, 75. “Affliction has brought him back forth a wayward life (vss. 67, 71), God has dealt well with him (vs. 65)” Miller, 389. 119:71 It was good for me that I was afflicted- Deut. 8:16 “When there is opposition to the faith, God uses such times of affliction as a means of developing our faith (James 1:2), even if it an affliction we brought on ourselves” Ross, 525. That I may learn Your statutes- “The suffering impels reflection, which in turn leads the sufferer to embrace God's teaching as the guide to turning life around” Alter, 425. “We are pupils in His school of affliction (67, 70), He is principal of the school, and the graduation award is the treasure of His word” Motyer, 568. 119:72 The law of Your mouth is better to me- “In v. 72, it forms a better than structure typical of wisdom literature” NICOT, 883. That thousands of gold and silver pieces- vs. 127; Ps. 19:10; Prov. 3:14-15; 8:10, 11, 19; 16:16; Luke 12:15

119:33-40ה  The alphabetic arrangement lends itself to these hiphil verb forms, but the rest of the psalm reveals a studied effort to demonstrate reliance upon the God of the word as well as the word of God” Miller, 387. These hiphel verbs are in the imperative but, “in these petitions a tone of humility and dependence comes through” VanGemeren, 744. 119:33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes- vs. 12, 26. “God is the teacher (v. 33); the Hebrew verb ‘to teach' ( ׳רה) underlines the noun torah, which occurs in v. 34.” McCann, 1169. And I shall observe it to the end- vs. 112 “To the end is one sense of a word which also means ‘consequence' or ‘reward,' as in Psalm 19:11 (12, Heb.). Hence NEB here has ‘I shall find my reward'; and in verse 112 ‘they are a reward that never fails'” Kidner, 425. “For the psalmist the road of obedience has no off ramp” Estes, 410. 119:34 Give me understanding- “He recognizes that the ability to observe the law depends on understanding it correctly” Longman, 405. That I have observe You law and keep it with all my heart- With all my heart in vs. 2, 10. Just like he sought the LORD with all his heart and here he keeps God's law with all my heart.  119:35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments- Ps. 23:3For I delight in it- True happiness is found in walking in God's path. To him this path is a path of sheer delight- Estes, 410. 119:36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies- The verb is used in 119:36, 51, 112, 157; 141:4; I Kings 8:58. While he prays for God to incline his heart to Him, the other passages the psalmist inclines his heart toward God. Ps. 51:10. Often our hearts default to evil- Jer. 17:9. While Solomon prayed the prayer of I Kings 8:58, his heart turned to evil in I Kings 11:2-4, 9.And not to dishonest gain- Ex. 18:21; Jer. 6:13; 8:10; Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13.119:37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity- Ps. 31:6 uses the word vanity for idols.The problem in this section is “the wayward heart that wants to obey (34), but can so easily be drawn away to selfish ends (36) and follow the enticements of the eyes (37)” Motyer, 567.  And revive me in Your ways119:38 Establish Your word to Your word to Your servant,As that which produces reverence for You- The word produces reverence or fear of God- Deut. 17:19.119:39 Turn away my reproach which I dread- vs. 22.For Your ordinances are good.119:40 Behold, I long for Your precepts Revive me through Your righteousness-Revive is used in vs. 17, 25, 37, 40, 50, 77, 88, 93, 107, 116, 144, 149, 154, 156, 159, 175. Only God can give Him life.119:41-48119:41 May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O LORD- “The occurrence of ‘steadfast love' in vv. 41 is the first of seven (see vv. 64, 76, 88, 124, 149, 159)” McCann, 1170. Your salvation according to Your word- 119:42 So I shall have an answer for him who reproaches me- God's lovingkindness and salvation seem to the be the answers to the insults hurled his way.  Reproaches is the same word used in vs. 22 and 39. For I trust in Your word- “Through constant meditation upon them (vs. 45b, 48b), he has learned to trust them (vs. 42b) and to hope in them (vs. 43b)” Miller, 388. “To trust God's word (vs. 42) is to trust God's very self, the essence of which God revealed to be steadfast love (see

“vv. 25-28 describe his internal distress (I-lament), that is, that is the threat of physical and spiritual destruction” Hermenia, 268. 119:25 My soul cleaves to the dust- “Clinging to the dust is a graphic depiction of being in a life-threatening condition (see Ps. 44:25)” Ross, 490.Revive me according to Your word- revive is used in vs. 25, 37, 40, 88, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159. This “is a prayer for God to renew his vitality” Ross, 490. Lev. 18:5 connects life with keeping God's law.The Psalms refer “to YHWH as the God who can give life to the dead (Pss. 30:4; 116:3-4, 8-9)” Hermenia, 269.119:26 I have told of my ways, and you have answered me- “More than anything else, the time of trouble is to be a time of prayer. These eight verses contain seven prayers” Motyer, 567. “The word (drk), ‘way' appears five times (vs. 26, 27, 29, 30, 32). Teach me Your statues- vs. 12 119:27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts- vs. 18. This same word translated make me understand is used in vs. 34, 73, 125, 144, 169. He asks for understanding “that I may learn Your commandments” (73), that “I may know Your testimonies” (125), that “I may observe Your law” (34). God's enlightening helps the psalmist do all of this. At the same time, God's enlightening comes from the word itself (104, 130). So I will meditate on Your wonders- meditate- vs. 15. Wonders connects with vs. 18. “The time of trouble is also a time of special commitment, to fix the mind on His wonderful word” Motyer, 567. Wonders are connected with God's mighty acts throughout history.119:28 Strengthen me according to Your word- God revives us (25) and strengthens us (28) by His word.” Ross, 269. The word strengthen “is literally ‘cause me to stand,' which is reminiscent of the literal meaning ‘resurrection'” McCann, 1169.119:29 Remove the false way from me- 139:24; Prov. 14:12; 16:25 “The word ‘deceit' may be ‘falsehood' or ‘deception.'And graciously grant me Your law- “Graciously teach is a single word, ‘be gracious.'” Kidner, 424. “The word of God. Is also a means of grace, as it keeps one away from the ways of the world'' VanGemeren, 865. “It is a happy reminder that God's law is a good gift and is only the antithesis of grace when it is used to earn salvation” Kidner, 424. 119:30 I have chosen the faithful way- It is a time “to choose and set the heart on his truth” Motyer, 567. The faithful way or way of truth is a stark contrast with the false way of vs. 29. While he has chosen God's way, he asks for God's blessing in removing the false way. 119:31 I cleave to Your testimonies- In vs. 25 the author cleaves to dust but here it is God's testimonies they cleave to. This verb is used of our relationship to the LORD in Deut. 10:20; 11:22; 13:4; 30:20.O LORD, do not put me to shame!- vs. 6; Ps. 31:1119:32 I shall run the way of Your commandments- This expresses his eagerness to please God. Running “is another way of suggesting not mere compliance with YHWH's expectations but living by them enthusiastically and energetically” Estes, 409. For You will enlarge my heart- Maybe God has deepened his understanding or his happiness. “The motif of ‘widening' the heart (v. 32b)…is a contrast to the image of ‘distress' and ‘confinement' or ‘narrowness' that, in the lament psalms, describe  the external and internal troubles of the petitioner (Cf., for example, Pss. 31:8-9; 118:5)” Hermenia, 269.

Psalm 119This “is the longest psalm in the collection and the longest chapter in the Hebrew Bible, 176 verses or lines of poetry” Alter, 419. Its size has oft times discouraged serious study. Weiser in the Old Testament Library series views it as wearisome in its repetition of motifs and says it opens the door for legalism, but he offers no commentary on the text- Weiser, 739-741.“It is recited at the Feast of the Pentecost, the spring festival observed fifty days after Passover, which celebrates the giving of the Torah to Moses at Sinai during the wilderness wanderings” NICOT, 870. “The psalm is composed of twenty-two stanzas of eight verses. Each of the eight verses of a stanza start with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet, as the poet works his way from the beginning (aleph) to the end (taw). The acrostic form gives a sense of completion and totality, and to be sure, by the end of the psalm, one feels that the poet has indeed fully covered his subject” Longman, 403. The Torah “applies to everything at every moment, and apart from it, there is nothing worthy be called life” McCann, 1166.“He refers to God's law with eight different Hebrew words" Longman, 403. Here are the transliteration of the Hebrew words and the translation of these terms in the New American Standard Bible. 1. tora- law2. eda-statue3. piqqud-precept4. hoq-decree, 5. miswa- command6. mispat-judgment7. dabar-word8. imra-word, promise"Perhaps these eight words explain why there are eight lines in each stanza, although only five of the stanzas employ all eight words. No stanza uses fewer than six of them” Longman, 403. The writer of the Psalm is diligently seeking God with all His heart (119:2, 10).Because he loves God, he loves every word out of His mouth. He loves God's words, delights in His statues (119:14, 16, 47).  He covets God's words more than great riches (119:14, 72, 127).He seeks to keep, obey God's words (119:1, 2). He wants to keep God's precepts diligently, fully (119:4). This careful obedience to God leads to praising and thanking God (119:7). It leads to him bursting forth in praise (119:12). Jesus is the Word made flesh- John 1:1, 14.Even Jesus used the word of God to resist sin- Ps. 119:11; Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13.

“The psalm (may have) originated in victory celebrations of Israel's king and people (cf. II Chron. 20:27). Later it was probably used in periodic commemoration of God's past goodness to the Davidic dynasty” Laymen, 684. “The ‘I' standing collectively for Israel, verses 5-14, 17-19, 21, and 28 seem to portray a great deliverance which has come to a king, possibly David himself. There are similar sentiments in Psalm 18” Miller, 381. “It is best to see this as a corporate thanksgiving, although an individual leads in expressing gratitude on behalf of himself and the whole congregation” Longman, 399.  “The psalm uniquely combines corporate hymnic praise (vv. 1-4, 22-24, 29), individual thanksgiving (vv. 5-18, 21, 28); processional liturgy of entering the temple gates and processing to the altar (vv. 19-20, 26-27). It alternates between referring to Yahweh in the third person and addressing him in the second person” Broyles, 438. This was “perhaps as an entrance liturgy into the temple in Jerusalem, in much the same way that Psalms 15 and 24 may have been used” NICOT, 864. 118:1-4 Give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness is good118:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good- I Chron. 16:34; II Chron. 5:13; 7:3; 20:21; Ps. 106:1; 107:1; 136:1; Jer. 33:11; Ezra 3:11 These same three groups, Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the LORD, were mentioned in 115:9-13. See a similar list in 135:19-20 118:5-9 The Speaker's (the King's) testimony of being rescued by God118:10 All nations surrounded me- Verses 10-12 all begin with the same thought. The nations surround God's people. The word surround is used 4 times in these 3 verses. The image of all the nations gathering against God's people appears in Psalms 2, 46, 48; Isaiah 29:1-8; Ezekiel 38-39; Zech 14:1-9. “We are reminded of the world's furious hostility to the city of God” Kidner, 413-414.In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off- “The Hb. verb here is elsewhere translated ‘I circumcised them'!” Broyles, 441. 118:15-18 The right hand of the LORD does valiantly 118:19-21 He enters God's gates with thanksgiving118:22-29  God made the rejected stone the chief corner stone. Psalm 118 and the Exodus118:14, 21 Quote Exodus 15:2118:15-16 right hand of the LORD- Exodus 15:6, 6, 12118:23 marvelous- wonders in Exodus 15:11118:24 The day- Exodus 14:13118:28 I will extol You- Exodus 15:2Psalm 118 and Jesus118:26 Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:9; Luke 19:38; John 12:13118:22 Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; I Peter 2:7118:17-18 were some of Jesus' last words ever and they anticipate HIs resurrection. 

“It is not only the shortest psalm in the collection but also the shortest chapter in the Bible” Alter, 414; Longman, 398.  It is 27 words in the NASB and 28 in the ESV. In Hebrew it is only 17 words. “Many Hebrew mss.attach it to Ps. 116….Other Hebrew mss. join the psalm to Ps. 118” Allen, 117.The basic structure of a song of praise is simple. It begins with a call to praise (vs. 1). Then the word translated for or because introduces the reason for praise (lines 1 and 2 of vs. 2). Last, there is a final call to praise (line 3 of vs. 2).“Underlying this invitation is the conviction that the God of Israel is the God who rules the world” McCann, 1150.117:1 Praise the LORD, all nations- Other psalms, like Psalm 96:3, speak of praising God among the nations, but here all the nations and all peoples are called to praise God- Alter, 414. Laud Him, all peoples!- “This verb appears to be an Aramaic word for ‘praise, laud'; and unless it was also Hebrew but not used much in the psalms, it may indicate that the Psalmist chose it to address the nations since Aramaic was spoken in the non-Israelite world and became the dominant language at the time of captivity” Ross, 435. The word is used 11 times in the OT: I Chron. 16:35; Pss. 63:3; 65:7; 89:9; 106:47; 117:1; 145:4; 147:12; Prov. 29:11; Ecc.  4:2; 8:15.117:2 God's lovingkindness is described as ‘great.' The word ‘great' can refer to victory on the battlefield. For example, it is used twice in Exodus 17:11 in the description of Israel's battle with Amalek. Also see the word in military contexts in I Sam. 2:9; II Sam. 1:23; 11:23. The word is used for the flood waters prevailing- Gen. 7:18-20 – our iniquities prevailing- Ps. 65:3- God's blessings- Gen. 49:26- His lovingkindness- Ps. 103:11. “The Hebrew root is often used to indicate the power of a military conquer. Here it also affirms that God conquers the world, but that God does so by the power of His faithful love” McCann, 1150. God's lovingkindness has triumphed; it has prevailed.  Lovingkindness and truth are accompanied by each other in Ex. 34:6; Ps. 25:10; 36:5; 40:10; 57:10; 85:10; 86:15; 89:14; 92:2; 98:3; 100:5; 108:4; 115:1; 138:2 And the truth of the LORD is everlasting- The emphasis of the second line can be summed up by saying that God's plans and promises are as fresh and intact now as on the day that they were made; and they will remain so” Kidner, 412. His love and truth know ‘neither measure nor end” Allen, 118.God's lovingkindness and truth were dramatically demonstrated in the exodus and the events surrounding it. God revealed Himself to Moses as “abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). “Their history was a monument to the greatness of His loyal love, for it was full of instances of loving, protecting, delivering, pardoning grace” Allen, 118. As Israel sang Psalm 117 at Passover, they remembered God's lovingkindness and truth in the exodus. God's dealing with Israel are a cause for universal praise among all nations and an attraction to all nations to worship such a God. Psalm 117 and JesusThe crucifixion/resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate display of the LORD's lovinkindness and truth. In the cross, God's lovingkindness and truth have triumphed, prevailed, and conquered the ruthless enemies of sin and death. The cross serves as a call for all nations to worship Him (John 12:32; Phil. 2:5-11; Rev. 5:8-14). Interestingly, as brief as Psalm 117 is, it is quoted in the New Testament. In Romans 15:8-12 Paul quotes from several OT passages (Rom. 15:9/ Psalm 18:49; Rom. 15:10/ Deut. 32:43; Rom. 15:11/Psalm 117:1; Rom. 15:12/Isaiah 11:10) to show God's desire has always

A few notes“The Septuagint and Vulgate treat this as two psalms, the second of them beginning at verse 10 (but some Heb. MSS make a similar break after verse 11).” Kidner, 407. “He has come now to the temple to tell the whole assembly what has happened, and to offer God what he had vowed to Him in his extremity” Kidner, 407. “The situation was one of deadly threat (3, 8, 15), brought about by human deceitfulness (11) and personal lack of discernment (6)” Motyer, 563. “Either the psalmist has been delivered from what appeared to be a fatal illness (vss. 2, 8) or from false accusers (vss. 10-11) who plotted his death. Out of gratitude for his deliverance, he thanks God publicly so that others may share in his joy and faith” Miller, 378. The Psalm is “far from wallowing in personal details, (and) focus(es) attention on what God has done” Laymen, 683.  “Such psalms as this, once written down, would help many another person to find words for his own public thanksgiving” Kidner, 407. 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD- “Precious could mean either ‘highly valued' or, in a less happy sense, ‘costly'” Kidner, 410. “Precious here means costly (cf. Ps. 72:14; I Kings 5:17; 7:9-11)” Miller, 380. II Kings 1:13-14; Prov. 20:15. Is the death of His godly ones- “The death of the devout costs Yahweh dear” (cf. Mt. 10:29-31; and in ultimate terms, Jn. 10:28f.)” Kidner, 411. “The death of a saint is not something the LORD considers as cheap” BK, 877.  “Verse 15 has puzzled commentators for millennia. Most versions follow closely the translation of the 1611 Authorized Version: ‘Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.'” NICOT, 861. What does this verse mean? “The death of his saints, ‘his beloved,' is like a precious jewel which he bestows- precious to him and them because at death he receives them home. In this sense, death is the final and greatest earthy blessing of God on His people” Motyer, 564. Phil. 1:20-23; Rev. 14:13.On the other hand, this passage can be understood another way. The NET translation has “The LORD values the lives of his faithful followers.” “The word usually translated as ‘precious' is from the Hebrew root yaqar, which means ‘be dignified, honorable, heavy, valuable.' It occurs nine times in the book of Psalms (36:7; 37:20; 45:9; 49:8, 12, 20; 72:14; 116:15; 139:17)” NICOT, 861. “He has learned by experience that the premature death of God's people ‘costs Yahweh dear' (JB; cf. 72:14) and that He is quick to avert such a tragedy” Laymen, 684. “As translated by the NIV, verse 15 seems strange and out of context, appearing to say that God delights in the death of His faithful servants....The psalmist is one of God's faithful servants, and God had just saved him from death” Longman, 397. “The NIV and the NRSV make v. 15 sound as if God welcomes the death of the faithful, but the whole point of the psalm is that God will life and works to make life a reality” McCann, 1149. God “does not lightly permit adversity (‘death'' vs. 3, 8) or an early death (cf. 79:11; 102:20). They are ‘precious' (cf. 72:14) to Him” VanGemeren, 728. On the same page, VanGemeren, 728, refers to a study by John A. Emerton “The death of His beloved creates sadness to our Lord.” “The psalmist has learned by experience how reluctant Yahweh is to allow the premature death of those united to Him in a covenant relationship, and how quickly He rushes to avert such a tragedy (cf. Ps. 72:14)” Allen, 115. 

115:2 Why should the nations say, Where, now, is their God?- 42:3, 10; 79:10; Joel 2:17; Micah 7:10 This question may be “motivated by the fact that the Lord had no idol who represented His presence” Longman, 393. 115:4 the work of man's hands- Psalm 135:15-18. The word work in vs. 4 is the noun from the verb translated do in vs. 3. The participle is used in vs. 8 to those who make idols. In vs. 15 God is Maker of heaven and earth. “There is no spiritual force or reality behind the idol; it did not represent an invisible ‘god'; it had no more reality than its material craftsmanship (4-7; Is. 40:18-25; 41:5-7)” Motyer, 563. 115:8 Those who make them will become like them- II Kings 17:15; Jer. 2:5; Rom. 1:18-32. “This is truly ‘their end', as Psalm 73:17 puts it, in contrast to that of the righteous, whose God is theirs ‘for ever' (73:26)” Kidner, 405. “False worship is not innocent but demoralizing, and ultimately the worshipers will perish with their perishable idols” VanGemeren, 721.  Everyone who trusts in them- Similar sections of Scripture appear in Isaiah 40:18-20; 41:14-29; 44:9-20; 45:14-17; 46:1-7; Jer. 10:1-16; Hab. 2:18-19. Calling of such lifeless gods does not work- Deut. 32:37-38; Judges 10:11-14; Jer. 2:27-28.115:18 But as for us, we will bless the LORD- “The ‘we' in v. 18 is emphatic, as if the community of God's people wants to distinguish itself as sharply as possible from those who make and trust in other gods” McCann, 1145. “To bless the LORD is natural response to His blessing (Eph. 1:3)” Laymen's, 683. How does this relate to the Exodus?115:4-8 The Exodus was God's judgment on the gods of Egypt- Ex. 12:12; Num. 33:4.115:1 The Exodus was not to promote the people but to glorify God- Exodus 9:16; Ezek. 20:7-9.115:1 God's lovingkindness and truth demonstrated in the Exodus- Exodus 34:6-7.How is this fulfilled in Jesus?115:1 God saves us in a way that brings Him glory- Galatians 6:14115:1 The cross is the ultimate display of God's lovingkindness and faithfulness.115:2 Where is your God? On the cross. Yancey illustration.115:17 Think of this as being a song that Jesus would have sung with the disciples in the upper room- Mt. 26:30; Mk 14:26.

“This psalm celebrates the deliverance of God's people at the exodus- a fitting song to be sung at Passover which was instituted at that time (Ex. 12)” BK, 876. “This is a hymn, but a unique one. It contains no imperative call for worship.” Broyles, 426. This psalm is “a fierce delight and pride in the great march of God gleams through every line of this poem” Kidner, 402-403.“The psalm celebrates God's deliverance from bondage in Egypt- vs. 1, 3, 5, His provision during the wilderness wanderings- vs. 8, and Israel's entry into the promised land- vs. 3, 5” Longman, 392. Psalm 114 and its place among Psalm 113-118. “Psalm 114 is somewhat unique in this collection of psalms. First, it does not contain the words hallelujah that are characteristic of this group of psalms. Since Psalm 113 both begins and ends with the words, and Psalm 115-117 end with them, some suggest that the final hallelujah of Psalm 113 should be transposed to the beginning of Psalm 114. The final psalm in this collection, however, Psalm 118, also does not have the expression, either at its beginning or end, so the missing hallelujah in Psalm 114 should not be viewed as problematic” NICOT, 850. “Psalm 114 is classified as a community hymn, but it lacks the usual words of invitation to worshippers to join in reciting the hymn” NICOT, 850. How does the Psalm look back at the Exodus?114:1 Egypt, strange language114:2 His sanctuary- Exodus 15:13, 17114:3, 5 Crossing the Red sea- Exodus 14:21-31The Jordan River divided- Joshua 3-4114:4, 6 Mountains and hills skipped- Exodus 19:18; 20:18-21114:8 Water from a rock- Exodus 17:1-7; Num. 20:2-13; Deut. 8:15How does the Psalm look forward to Jesus'?114:1 “Out of Egypt I have called My Son” in Hosea 11:1; Matt. 2:14-15. The OT Exodus foreshadows a greater exodus in Jesus. 114:2 His sanctuary- Jesus is in John 1:1, 14, but God's people His dwelling place in I Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:19-22.114:4, 6 Word used for lambs in Greek translation used in Revelation over 20 times of Jesus.114:4, 6, 7 Earth quaked Matt. 27:51; 28:2 at the death and resurrection of Jesus114:8 Jesus placed in rock- Matt. 27:60; Mark 15:46- but the living water came out from the rock. Jesus was the Rock I Cor. 10:4.“The New Testament frequently applies this concept to God's people, the church (see I Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20; II Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21)” Willis, 70.“That Jesus' life and ministry follow the pattern of the exodus, wilderness wanderings, and conquest reminds us that, just as Israel looked to their past for hope, we are to look to the death and resurrection of our Passover Lamb, for the confidence to live in an uncertain present” Longman, 392.                    

“This is the first of six psalms collectively known as the hallel that are recited in synagogues during the festival service” Alter, 403. Psalms 113-118 are the Egyptian Hallel. “Psalms 113-114 are sung before the Passover meal and Psalms 115-118 after it.  These psalms are also sung at the feast of Pentecost, Tabernacles, and Dedication (Hanakuah, or Lights)” Miller, 373. These psalms were “used at all major festivals but especially the beginning and conclusion of the Passover” McCann, 1138. Sometimes we stress Passover for that was the time at which Jesus sang these songs: Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26.It is “also an appropriate culmination to Psalms 111-112. Like Psalm 111, it articulates God's sovereignty (see below on vv. 1-4; see also 111:2-6, esp. v. 4, which recalls the exodus) and it offers an especially appropriate response to the exclamation of 111:9c (See ‘name' in 111:9c; 113:1-3). Furthermore, like Psalms 111-112, Psalm 113 asserts that God's power is manifested in gracious, compassionate provision for the poor (See Ps. 111:4-5a, 112:9a; 113:7-9)” McCann, 1138. Psalm 113 is an appropriate introduction to Psalms 113-118. Of the Psalms known as the Egyptian Hallel only the second one, Psalm 114, “speaks directly of the Exodus” Kidner, 401.  113:1-3 Praise the LORD- all places and at all times113:4-6 The LORD is exalted above all113:7-9 The LORD lifts the needy to sit  with princesJesus and Psalm 113“There was more relevance in these psalms to the Exodus- the greater Exodus- than could be guessed in Old Testament times” Kidner, 401. “Verses 7 and 8 anticipate the great downward and upward sweep of the gospel, which was to go even deeper and higher than the dust and the throne of princes: from the grave to the throne of God (Eph. 2:5f)” Kidner, 402. Psalm 113 speaks only of lifting the poor but Luke 1:52 also speaks of God bringing down the mighty.“The psalm gives hope to the socially vulnerable, the poor and childless woman. In terms of the latter, the Old Testament narratives are full of stories of God opening the wombs of barren women: Sarah (Gen. 11:30; 21:1-5), Rebekah (25:21), Rachel (30:22), Samson's mother (Judges 13:2-3), Hannah (I Sam. 1:2), the Shunnamite (II Kings 4:16), Elizabeth (Luke 1:7). Of these, the story of Hannah deserves special mention, because, after she gives birth to Samuel, she praises God in a song that shares a number of elements with Psalm 113 (I Sam. 2:1-10)” Longman, 390. Mary's song celebrates God lifting up the humble- Luke 1:46-56. “Hannah's joy became all Israel's; Sarah's become the world's. And the song of Hannah was to be outshone one day by the Magnificat” Kinder, 402. “The story of God's care for Hannah becomes a model for God's care for Israel, memorialized in the Passover celebration” NICOT, 849.Jesus sang the Egyptian Hallel in Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26. Vs. 6 anticipate Philippians 2:6-8 “What amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from heaven to earth, and take our nature upon him, that He might seek and save those that are lost” Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary, 547. A noun is used in the LXX of Psalm 113:6 but the corresponding verb in Greek is used in Philippians 2:8.I Corinthians 1:18-31 God humbles the mighty and exalts the lowly through the gospel.Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14 Humble himself will be exalted and exalt himself will be humbled. Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Luke 13:30 The first will be last and the last first.Ephesians 1:20; 2:6 God raised

This "is a wisdom poem based on the nature of God set forth in Psalm 111” Miller, 372. It is an acrostic as Psalm 111. “Like the preceding psalm, this one is also an acrostic in which every colon begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, again indicating order and complete coverage of the topic” Longman, 387. This psalm “anticipates the exaltation of the righteous and the grievous destruction of the wicked” BK, 875. “Psalm 111 celebrates God's grace, this one commends the good works which are its intended corollary” Laymen's, 681.The same vocabulary that appear in Psalms 111 and 112 show how linked these Psalms are. Upright- 111:1, 8; 112:2Delights- 111:2; 112:1Righteous- 111:3; 112:3, 9Gracious and Compassionate- 111:4; 112:4Remembered- 111:4; 112:6Give- 111:5; 112:9Forever- 111:5, 8, 9; 112:6Fear- 111:5, 10; 112:1, 7, 8Justice- 111:7 or judgment- 112:5Upheld- 111:8; 112:8Psalm 112 also has similarities to Psalm 1. It “begins and ends with exactly the same words that open and close Psalm 1, ‘happy' and ‘perish'” McCann, 1136. “They are vivid reminders that faithfulness to God and to God's purpose is not a guarantee of success and security as the world defines these concepts. Happiness and security are derived not by conformity to the standards of the world but by transforming ourselves to be like God” McCann, 1137. Jesus and Psalm 112The righteous man gives and lends- 112:5, 9 and Jesus gave the greatest gift of all- John 3:16; I John 3:16; 4:9-10.Jesus' giving is because He is gracious and compassionate. The cross reflects this more clearly than any other event- 112:4, 5His righteousness endures forever. His sacrifice on the cross is always remembered- 112:3, 9He is the Light of the world- 112:4; John 8:12He will Never be shaken- 112:6; Acts 2:25-28 and its quotation of Psalm 16:8-11.

Psalms 111 and 112 are connected in their subject matter and vocabulary. “Both are acrostic containing twenty-two lines, each succeeding line beginning with the following letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 111 describes God as reflected in His works, and Psalm 112 the man who fears God and properly responds to Him. Some of the phraseology used in Psalm 111 to describe God is repeated in Psalm 112 to describe the God-fearing man” Miller, 370. “Psalm 111 focuses primarily on God's work, Psalm 112 focuses on human response and consists of a description of the happiness of those who fear the Lord” McCann, 1133.  “Each half line or verset begins with a different letter of the alphabet in sequence. Most of the lines begin with either a noun or an adjective exhibiting the appropriate alphabetic character in the initial letter.” There are eight (8) acrostic Psalms in the Psalms- Alter, 399.111:1 Praise the LORD!!- 112:1; 113:1 will begin the same way. Only Ps. 111 and 112 begin with Praise the LORD but do not end with it- VanGemeren, 702. “The initial Hallelujah stands outside this acrostic schemes” Laymen's, 681. The Psalm begins and ends with praise .111:2 “This verse was well-chosen to grace the entrance of the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, the scene of some fundamental physical discoveries. But while this verse is God's charter for the scientist and artist, verse 10 must be it partner, lest ‘professing to be wise' we become fools, like the men of Romans 1:18-23” Kidner, 397. 111:3 Splendid and majestic is His work- Ps. 21:5; Job 40:10 work is singular. And His righteousness endures forever- “The next psalm boldly reproduces part of this verse and of the next two in its portrait of a godly man (see on 112:3, 9)111:4 The LORD is gracious and compassionate- Exodus 34:6-7; Num. 14:18; Ps. 86:5, 15; 103:8; 145:8 111:5 He has given food to those who fear Him- Ps. 132:15; 136:25; 145:15; 146:7; Matt. 6:31-33. 111:6 In giving them the heritage of the nations- This seems like a specific reference to God giving Israel the land of Canaan. 111:7 The ‘precepts' also reveal the nature of the covenant God. The word of God was not a burden. It was to give order to God's people, that they might reflect the nature of their King in their national existence” VanGemeren, 704. 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom- Prov. 1:7; 9:10; Ecc. 12:13; Job 28:28. “True reverence is in fact the starting point for an ability to cope with life's meaning and problems” Laymen's, 681. 

“In the second century, Jewish teachers applied it to Hezekiah (Justin Martry, Dialogue with Trypho, 33, 83)” Lewis, Matthew 14-28; 108.110:1 seems quoted or alluded to in Matt. 26:63-64; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:34-35; 5:30-32; 7:55-56; Rom. 8:34; I Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2; I Peter 3:22.Lessons from this section Mark 12:35-37 paralleled by Matthew 21:41-46; Luke 20:41-44“Psalm 110 is the psalm most frequently quoted and alluded to in the New Testament. See also Matt. 22:44; 26:64; Mark 14:62; (16:19); Luke 20:42-43; 22:69; Acts 2:34-45; Romans 2:5; 8:34; 11:29; I Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:3, 11, 15, 17, 21; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2” Brooks, Mark, 200. Psalm 110:1 is quoted 14 times in the NT- NICOT, Psalms, 838.What are we told about Psalm 110, from Mark 12:35-37; Matt. 22:41-46; Luke 20:41-44?1. David is the author of Psalm 110- Jesus affirms this in Mark 12:36, 37- αυτος Δανιδ- David himself. The same point is made in Matt. 22:43 and Luke 20:42. “Jesus first affirmed the Davidic authorship of Ps. 110, something that is usually denied by modern scholarship” Brooks, Mark, 200. 2. David speaks by inspiration- In Mark 12:36 εν τω πνευματι τω αγιω- in the Holy Spirit. Matt 22:43 says, “in the Spirit.”These are not simply David's words but God's words. The same point is made about David and the Psalms in Acts 1:16; 4:25-26. “Jesus attributes a statement of Psalm 110:1 to David, inspired by the Spirit (cf. II Sam. 23:2)” Lewis, Matthew, 107.3. Psalm 110 speaks of the Messiah- David himself calls Him- Mark 12:37; also see Matt. 22:43; Luke 20:44.This interpretation of Psalm 110 is assumed as common ground between Jesus and the scribes- Mark 12:35; and Pharisees- Matt. 22:41. Acts 2:33-35 quotes Psalm 110:1 and stresses that is not David who ascended into heaven but that this is fulfilled in the Messiah/ the Christ. 4. The Messiah is David's Lord- David himself calls Him “Lord”- Mark 12:37; see also Matt. 22:44; Luke 20:44.The OT gives abundant evidence that the Messiah will be of the line of David- II Sam. 7:11-16; 22:51; Psalm 18:50; Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-9; 16:5; Jer. 23:5-6; 30:8-9; 33:15, 17, 22; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11. The gospel of Matthew especially emphasizes Jesus as the Son of David- Matthew 1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9, 15. The point is not to deny that the Messiah is the “son of David” but to state that answer is incomplete. He is both David's son and David's Lord. “The startling fact that David spoke of a king as ‘my lord' was pointed out by Christ, who left His hearers to think out its implications, and His apostles to spell them out” Kidner, 393. “The first Lord is God; the second is the Messiah. In Greek speech the slave described his master as my lord: the underling described his superior in the same way. The king, however, is at the top of the ladder. Whom could he describe in the phrase? A father does not address his son as ‘my Lord.' The figure David addressed must be his superior; how then is He David's son? None could answer. Nor is there an answer short of a knowledge of the divine nature of the Messiah of which they know nothing” Lewis, 107-108. 5. Psalm 110 expresses the relationship between the LORD/God and the Messiah/Christ The Messiah is a distinct “person” from the LORD- Mark 12:36; Psalm 110:1 “The LORD- YHWH- said to m

The Psalm is based on the two decrees in vs. 1 and vs. 4.Every word of vs. 1 will prove important and two different words for Lord are used. Notice the use of "right hand" in vs. 1 and vs. 5. Melchizedek only appears in the OT elsewhere in Genesis 14:18-20. Melchizedek is king and priest. He blessed Abram.Abram paid tithes to him.The psalm gives different words to refer to the foes or enemies.It shows us the victory over these foes is complete.The victory is because of the LORD. 

Some have described this as the longest sustained imprecatory prayer.A Psalm of David109:1-5 He describes his mistreatment at the hands of othersThey spoke against him constantly- vs. 2, 3, 4. They lied about him- vs. 2. They spoke words of hatred- vs. 3. He did good to them, but they did evil to him- vs. 5.109:6-20 He prays that judgment may fall on them. Notice how many of these judgments he requests tie to the concept of lex talionis, the punishment fitting the crime. vs. 6 accuser- They acted as his accusers (vs. 4) so may an accuser stand at his right hand. vs. 7 guilty- This word is translated wicked (vs. 2, 6). Since they are wicked, may they be found to be wicked (guilty).  vs. 9 prays for his death but he has put others to death (vs. 16). This is what God warned would happen in Exodus 22:22-24; Prov. 22:22-23.vs. 12 Let none show lovingkindness to him because he did not remember to show it to others (vs. 16).vs. 17 "He also loved cursing, so it came to him; and he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him."The fact we see so many instances of this, lead us to think that the curses called down upon this wicked are the same things he inflicted upon others. 109:21-31 God's intervention changes everythingvs. 21 But You, O God, the LORDvs. 22 David acknowledges he is afflicted and needy and desperately in need of God's help. vs. 27 He prays for God to deliver him in such a way that all know that it is God's work.vs. 30-31 He promises to praise God, who stands at the right hand of the needy. See right hand in Pss. 109:6 and 110:1.

This Psalm combines sections of Psalm 57:7-11 and Psalm 60:5-12.Psalm 57 and Psalm 60 are in their titles tied to specific circumstances in the life of David. There are some 13 Psalms that do this and these are two of them. This Psalm stresses108:3 Giving thanks to the LORD108:4 God's lovingkindness and faithfulness108:7-9 God's complete sovereignty over Israel and their neighbors108:11-13 God alone is responsible for victory. Trust in men is vain- Jer. 17:5-8.The Psalm foreshadows the salvation Jesus gives108:8 Judah the leader- Heb. 7:14108:5 Be exalted- John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32-33108:4 The cross is the ultimate display of His lovingkindness and faithfulness.

Give thanks to the LORD for He is good for HIs lovingkindness is everlasting. 107:1-3 is an answer to Ps. 106:47107:4-32 Four stanzas that follow a standard procedure. The 2 and 4 lines are refrains in this Psalm. 1. There is a statement of a specific problem (107:4-5, 10-12, 17-18, 23-27).2.Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, He delivered them out of their distress (107:6, 13, 19, 28).3. A specific act of deliverance from the specific problem mentioned (107:7, 14, 20, 29-30).4. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindnesses and for His wonders to the sons of man (107:8, 15, 21, 31).The congregation is called to thank and praise God for His deliverances (107:9, 16, 22, 32).“Jesus does the same kind of things that God does in the four narrative illustrations: feeding the hungry  in the wilderness (Mark 6:30-44; 8:1-10; Luke 1:53), liberating those bound by demonic powers (Mark 1:21-28; 3:20-27; Luke 4:16-21), healing and forgiving the sick (Mark 2:1-12), stilling storms at sea (Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41)” McCann, 1119. 107:4-9 “Lostness, hunger, thirst and exhaustion are all figures which our Lord was to employ in relation to His self-offer as the Way, the Bread and Water of life and Giver of rest. The scene in this stanza unites all aspects of salvation and crown them with that of a city to dwell in; a climax without which the rescue, at either level of meaning, would be little more than first aid. The New Testament is full of it: cf., e.g., Eph. 2:11ff; Heb. 12:22ff; Revelation 21 and 22” Kidner, 384Vs. 9 satisfied in the Greek is used in the feeding of the 5000 (Mark 6:42; Luke 9:17; John 6:26) and the feeding of the 4000 (Matt. 15:33, 37; Mark 8:4, 8) with John 6:35Filled in vs. 9 is used in John 6:12 in the feeding of the 5000. 107:10-16 “Jesus applies the Isaianic passages to the his own role of setting men free from the prison house of sin (Lk. 4:18-21; Isa. 61:1-2)” Miller, 362. Prisoners released in Acts (5:17-26; 12:1-11; 16:25-34) are a picture of those who are freed from the prison of sin. 107:10, 14 shadow of death- Lk. 1:79107:17-22 Raising up the sick from their bed107:20 He sent His word- Matt. 8:8Vs. 29 with Mark 4:35-41; Matt. 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25107:23-32 Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41107:30 brought to their desired haven- John 6:21 107:33-38 The God of reversals107:43 The psalm ends on a note of wisdom

This episode of Psalm 106 begins with verse 24.Nine portions of Israel's history and Israel's Scriptures  are used to stress Israel's unfaithfulness and God's mercy in spite of their sin.106:6-12 The events in Egypt and at the Red Sea- Exodus 14-15106:13-15 The lusting or craving for quail in the wilderness- Numbers 11106:16-18 The rebellion of Dathan and Abiram- Numbers 16106:19-23 The worship of the calf at Mt. Horeb- Exodus 32106:24-27 The spies discourage the  people from taking the land- Num. 13-14106:28-31 The idols of Baal-peor- Num. 25106:32-33 The rebellion at the waters of Meribah- Num. 20:2-13106:34-39 The failure of Israel to drive out the Canaanites- Josh. 15:63; 16:10; 17:12-13; Judges 1:27-36106:40-46 The time of the Judges where the people sink down into sin yet God deliveres them time after time- Judges 3:7-16:31.

This psalm is a twin to Psalm 105 but a fraternal twin and not an identical one. The emphasis on Psalm 105 is on God's goodness and mercy to Israel. The emphasis in Psalm 106 is on the wickedness and sinfulness of Israel.  God's grace is even more amazing in light of Israel's sin and Israel's sin looks even more hideous against the background of God's lovinigkindness. Praise the LORD is an inclusion in vs. 1 and vs. 48.  How can a psalm that stresses Israel's sin be a reason for praise. The thought of the gracious and merciful God  underlines every section whether it is mentioned specifically or not because it is the reason that God does not give up on the people. Nine portions of Israel's history and Israel's Scriptures  are used to stress Israel's unfaithfulness and God's mercy in spite of their sin. 106:6-12 The events in Egypt and at the Red Sea- Exodus 14-15106:13-15 The lusting or craving for quail in the wilderness- Numbers 11106:16-18 The rebellion of Dathan and Abiram- Numbers 16106:19-23 The worship of the calf at Mt. Horeb- Exodus 32106:24-27 The spies discourage the  people from taking the land- Num. 13-14106:28-31 The idols of Baal-peor- Num. 25106:32-33 The rebellion at the waters of Meribah- Num. 20:2-13106:34-39 The failure of Israel to drive out the Canaanites- Josh. 15:63; 16:10; 17:12-13; Judges 1:27-36106:40-46 The time of the Judges where the people sink down into sin yet God deliveres them time after time- Judges 3:7-16:31.

This is a historical Psalm. We studied Psalm 78 previously and it has two points. God's goodness to Israel and Israel's sin against God. This psalm emphasizes only God's goodness to Israel.  Psalm 106 will emphasize Israel's sin against God. Israel's sin looks all the more evil in contrast to God's goodness and God's grace to Israel looks all the more amazing against Israel's sin.105:1-7 A call to Israel to praise God.vs. 5 calls Israel to remember God's miracles or marvels. This is little to ask since God remembers Israel in vs. 8, 42. 105:8-15 God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob105:16-22 God sent Joseph ahead to prepare for the famine105:23-25 From Joseph's death until Israel's slavery105:26-38 God sending Moses and Aaron and the plagues on Egypt as acts of God's mercy to Israel.105:39-45 God guides Israel throughout the wilderness to the promised land.God kept His covenant and gave Israel the land (105:11, 44).vs. 45 All of this should lead Israel to obey God and praise His name. God's promises to Abraham have their ultimate fulfillment in Abraham- Matt. 1:1; Acts 3:25-26; Gal. 3:26-29.

The Psalm, as the one before it, begins and ends with "Bless the LORD,  O my soul!" 104:1, 35.The Psalm speaks of God's work in creation and nature. All of this is to motivate us to praise God. The idea of pantheism is that God is to be equated with the forces of nature.  This psalm speaks of a God who is transcendent, who is far greater than the world He has made.He is clothed in "splendor and majesty" in 104:1. He is covered in light- 104:2; I Tim. 6:15. He created the moon and the sun- 104:19. The sun and moon are not worthy of worship, but are held in the hand of the God who made them. The idea of deism is that God created the world but is not intimately involved with man and the rest of Creation. This psalm presents a God who is deeply involved in creation. He sends forth springs in the valleys (104:10); He causes the grass to grow (104:14); He plants the trees (104:16). Even the mightiest of beasts depends upon Him for sustenance  (104:21, 26-27). All of this leads us to praise God- 104:1, 24, 33, 34, 35

This psalm is an inclusio, beginning and ending with the same words- 103:1, 22. It is a David's call to himself to bless the LORD with all that is within Him.Vs. 3-5 describes God's benefits1. He forgives all your sins2. He heals all your diseases3. He redeems your life from the pit4. He crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion5. He satisfies you with good thingsvs. 9-10 Tell us what His love means by telling us what it will not do1. He will not always contend2. He will not keep His anger forever3. He does not deal with us according to our sins4. He does not reward us according to our iniquities.vs. 11-13 Three ways to describe the richness of God's love and forgiveness1. Veritical- as high as heavens are above the earth2. Horizontal- as far as the East is from the West3, Relational- Just as a father has compassion on His childrenHow does Jesus fulfill Psalm 103?1. He forgives our sins and heals our diseases- 103;3; Mark 2:1-122. He redeems our life from the pit- 103:4 resurrection3. The cross is the ultimate illustration of the love of God described in vs. 8-134. The LORD's love is from everlasting (Eph. 1:4) to everlasting (I Thess. 4:17).

The heading for this is unique. It describes a specific situation in which the psalm can be prayed. It mentions no individual or group generally associated with the psalm nor any musical terms. 102:1-2 An urgent call for God to hear his prayer102:3-11 His crisis. He is overwhelmed by life's brevity, pain, his suffering and loneliness. God's anger seems behind it all.102:12-22 But You... God's eternity (12, 24, 25, 26, 27) is an answer to man's brevity. 102:23-24 He once again focuses on his individual crisis.102:25-27 The LORD's eternity will outlast the heavens and earth. Hebrews 1:10-12 will quote these verses as being fulfilled in Jesus.