Psalm 119:49-72

Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 119:49-56
119:53 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.
119:65-72

119:67 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