119:26 I told you about my ways 1 and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
119:27 Help me to understand what your precepts mean! 2
Then I can meditate 3 on your marvelous teachings. 4
119:28 I collapse 5 from grief.
Sustain me by your word! 6
119:29 Remove me from the path of deceit! 7
Graciously give me 8 your law!
1 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
2 tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”
3 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
4 tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).
5 tn Some translate “my soul weeps,” taking the verb דָלַף (dalaf) from a root meaning “to drip; to drop” (BDB 196 s.v. דֶּלַף). On the basis of cognate evidence from Arabic and Akkadian, HALOT 223 s.v. II דלף proposes a homonymic root here, meaning “be sleepless.” Following L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 127, 135) the translation assumes that the verb is cognate with Ugaritic dlp, “to collapse; to crumple” in CTA 2 iv. 17, 26. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 44, 144.
6 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
7 tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.
8 tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)