What happensPermalink
The psalmist sings in rich, overlapping detail of his love for the gift of God’s instruction as the ultimate guide for living. He urges study, obedience, and prayer so that God’s word shapes the worshiper’s character and conduct, aligning them to reflect God’s own revealed character.
Why it mattersPermalink
Psalm 119 is an elaborate acrostic with 22 stanzas—one for each Hebrew letter—where each line of a stanza begins with the same letter. It uses eight different terms for God’s law, showing its depth and richess. This psalm’s love for God’s instruction echoes Psalm 1, Psalm, 19, and Deuteronomy 6:4–9, and anticipates Jesus’s rebuke of the devil in Matthew 4:4.
Key versePermalink
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!