Psalms 119:26-29

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!

[119:26]  ¹ tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”

[119:27]  ² tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”

[119:27]  ³ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:27]  ⁴ tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).

[119:28]  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.

[119:28]  ⁶ tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural “your words.”

[119:29]  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.

[119:29]  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.)