Psalms 119:38

119:38 Confirm to your servant your promise, ¹ 

which you made to the one who honors you. ² 

Psalms 119:50

119:50 This ³  is what comforts me in my trouble,

for your promise revives me. ⁴ 

Psalms 119:103

119:103 Your words are sweeter

in my mouth than honey! ⁵ 

Psalms 119:140

119:140 Your word is absolutely pure,

and your servant loves it!

Psalms 119:11

119:11 In my heart I store up ⁶  your words, ⁷ 

so I might not sin against you.

Psalms 119:67

119:67 Before I was afflicted I used to stray off, ⁸ 

but now I keep your instructions. ⁹ 

Psalms 119:158

119:158 I take note of the treacherous and despise them,

because they do not keep your instructions. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 119:162

119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,

like one who finds much plunder. ¹¹ 

Psalms 119:172

119:172 May my tongue sing about your instructions, ¹² 

for all your commands are just.

Psalms 138:2

138:2 I will bow down toward your holy temple,

and give thanks to your name,

because of your loyal love and faithfulness,

for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky. ¹³ 

[119:38]  ¹ tn Heb “word.”

[119:38]  ² tn Heb “which [is] for your fear,” that is, the promise made to those who exhibit fear of God.

[119:50]  ³ tn The demonstrative “this” refers back to the hope just mentioned or forward to the statement in the second line concerning the promise’s power to revive. See the note on the word “me” at the end of the verse for further discussion.

[119:50]  ⁴ tn The hope generated by the promise (see v. 49b) brings comfort because (note “for” at the beginning of the line) the promise revives the psalmist’s spirits. Another option is to take כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the second line in the sense of “that,” in which case “this” refers to the promise’s power to revive.

[119:103]  ⁵ tn Heb “How smooth they are to my palate, your word, more than honey to my mouth.” A few medieval Hebrew mss, as well as several other ancient witnesses, read the plural “your words,” which can then be understood as the subject of the plural verb “they are smooth.”

[119:11]  ⁷ tn Or “hide.”

[119:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”

[119:67]  ⁹ tn Heb “before I suffered, I was straying off.”

[119:67]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “your word.”

[119:158]  ¹¹ tn Heb “your word.”

[119:162]  ¹³ 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.

[119:172]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “your word.”

[138:2]  ¹⁷ tc The MT reads, “for you have made great over all your name your word.” If retained, this must mean that God's mighty intervention, in fulfillment of his word of promise, surpassed anything he had done prior to this. However, the statement is odd and several emendations have been proposed. Some read, “for you have exalted over everything your name and your word,” while others suggest, “for you have exalted over all the heavens your name and your word.” The translation assumes an emendation of “your name” to “your heavens” (a construction that appears in Pss 8:3 and 144:5). The point is that God has been faithful to his promise and the reliability of that promise is apparent to all. For a fuller discussion of these options, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 244.