Psalm 119:105-112

Psalm 119:105-112 (NRSV)

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.

¹⁰⁶ I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,

to observe your righteous ordinances.

¹⁰⁷ I am severely afflicted;

give me life, O Lord, according to your word.

¹⁰⁸ Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord,

and teach me your ordinances.

¹⁰⁹ I hold my life in my hand continually,

but I do not forget your law.

¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me,

but I do not stray from your precepts.

¹¹¹ Your decrees are my heritage forever;

they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹² I incline my heart to perform your statutes

forever, to the end.  

Psalm 119 is wisdom psalm. The date is around 625-600 BC.  For background, one can also read the Akkadian psalm, “Dialogue about Human Misery.” One could also read “The Babylonian Ecclesiastes.” The psalm is acrostic in form. Each eight verses begins with the same letter of the letter Hebrew alphabet, continuing in such form for 22 segments.  The psalm is the longest in the Hebrew Psalter. While Weiser thinks the psalm repeats similar thoughts in a wearisome way, Dahood sees a richness of expression. The central theme is that the word and law of God are decisive in every sphere of life. Weiser sees this psalm making a shift toward what we know later as Pharisaism. In any case, the psalm is remarkable example of Israelite devotion to the law. This psalm is an assertion of steadfast devotion to God’s law in the face of affliction. Come what may, the psalmist asserts, he will remain devoted to doing what God has instructed. The entire psalm is a paean to God’s law — torah, instruction or teaching — and bears many marks of having been influenced by the wisdom tradition in Israel. Barth[1] asks why the law is so glorious as described here. It cannot be because it makes God gracious to Israel. It gives Israel a direction that it gladly hears and obeys because of the mercy of God revealed in it. He[2] urges us not to despise the psalm, but carefully consider its guidance. I will limit myself to a few comments here.

In the fourteenth segment (verses 105-112), the stanza devoted to the Hebrew letter nun (from the first Hebrew word, ner, which means “light” or “lamp”), affirm the psalmist’s commitment to that instruction irrespective of hardship, risk or temptation. This Psalm refers to “your word” 20 times, referring to the totality of divine instruction found in written and oral instruction and commentary. Such a word is a lamp and light in the darkness of a human life. Our temptation is to orient ourselves in the darkness. In these matters, we need to receive and trust the light that comes from God.[3] The text naturally raises the question of what it is that we have taken to light our way in the journey of life. It raises the question of what principle, philosophy, or faith governs our thinking, planning, behavior, and relationships. It also raises the question of how that light is working for us. Has it led to the flourishing of our lives? After all, given the context, not just any light will do. For the faithful, such a word is powerful. When we are afraid and might think we have lost our way, the Word remains near as a guide. The heart of the faithful may wander. They need the Word to be present as a guide. For Christians, this Word is not only the written text, but the presence of the living Word.[4] The writer appears to have made an official oath to the Lord. He is finding it hard to honor the commitment. We have an example of such a public oath in Ruth 4:7, where confirming a transaction meant taking off a sandal and giving it to the other in public. We are not sure of the content of this oath. He experiences affliction, due either to the strain of adhering to the oath or because of reprisals for having done so. He brings an offering, desiring that the Lord will accept it. As he holds his life continually in his hands, a unique expression in the Bible, he could mean he offers his life along with his offerings or face coming danger. His concern for self-preservation will not cause him to forget the law or precepts of God. He has concern for the trap the wicked for him, the source of his troubles. In a unique expression, the divine instruction of this section is his heritage forever, so he inclines his heart to perform them. That which provides light for a human life is an ancient way that many have found reliable.

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[1] Church Dogmatics IV.2 [66.5] 591.

[2] Ibid, I.2 [16.2] 274.

[3] Church Dogmatics III.3 [48.2] 23-4.

[4] “Thy Word” is a song many of us as Christians will hear when we read this Psalm.