Psalms 119:16

119:16 I find delight ¹  in your statutes;

I do not forget your instructions. ² 

Psalms 119:24

119:24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;

they give me guidance. ³ 

Psalms 119:47

119:47 I will find delight in your commands,

which I love.

Psalms 119:77

119:77 May I experience your compassion, ⁴  so I might live!

For I find delight in your law.

Psalms 119:111

119:111 I claim your rules as my permanent possession,

for they give me joy. ⁵ 

Psalms 119:162

119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,

like one who finds much plunder. ⁶ 

Psalms 119:167

119:167 I keep your rules;

I love them greatly.

Psalms 1:2

1:2 Instead ⁷  he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; ⁸ 

he meditates on ⁹  his commands ¹⁰  day and night.

¹ tn The imperfects in this verse emphasize the attitude the psalmist maintains toward God’s law. Another option is to translate with the future tense, “I will find delight…I will not forget.”

² tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural here.

³ tn Heb “men of my counsel.” That is, God’s rules are like advisers to the psalmist, for they teach him how to live in a godly manner that refutes the accusations of his enemies.

⁴ tn Heb “and may your compassion come to me.”

⁵ tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”

⁶ tn Heb “like one who finds great plunder.” See Judg 5:30. The image is that of a victorious warrior who finds a large amount of plunder on the field of battle.

⁷ tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead”) introduces a contrast between the sinful behavior depicted in v. 1 and the godly lifestyle described in v. 2.

⁸ tn Heb “his delight [is] in the law of the Lord.” In light of the following line, which focuses on studying the Lord’s law, one might translate, “he finds pleasure in studying the Lord’s commands.” However, even if one translates the line this way, it is important to recognize that mere study and intellectual awareness are not ultimately what bring divine favor. Study of the law is metonymic here for the correct attitudes and behavior that should result from an awareness of and commitment to God’s moral will; thus “obeying” has been used in the translation rather than “studying.”

⁹ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the characteristic behavior described here and lends support to the hyperbolic adverbial phrase “day and night.” The verb הָגָה (hagag) means “to recite quietly; to meditate” and refers metonymically to intense study and reflection.

¹⁰ tn Or “his law.”