Psalms 19:8

19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair ¹ 

and make one joyful. ² 

The Lord’s commands ³  are pure ⁴ 

and give insight for life. ⁵ 

Psalms 119:98

119:98 Your commandments ⁶  make me wiser than my enemies,

for I am always aware of them.

[19:8]  ¹ tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.

[19:8]  ² tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.

[19:8]  ³ tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.

[19:8]  ⁴ tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.

[19:8]  ⁵ tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.

[119:98]  ⁶ tn The plural form needs to be revocalized as a singular in order to agree with the preceding singular verb and the singular pronoun in the next line. The Lord’s “command” refers here to the law (see Ps 19:8).