1-- A Psalm 119 Study Tool

A Psalm 119 Study Tool (by Bill Stevenson) Introduction I first read this 176 verse psalm in January '75 and ended-up underlining every word. While "flying" through it when sharing it for a March '77 week of Christian day school teacher devotions, I decided to do a detailed word study of Psalm 119 using the 1967 Scofield Reference Bible. The results are as follows in this unusual paper. Any one of the topic areas could be used for discussion and easily linked with many other Bible passages. I hope that you will be blessed as much as I have been with this word and subject study tool. Psalm 119 was titled by Scofleld “In Praise of God's Word”. It was ordered in relation to the Hebrew alphabet as an acrostic with 22 sections. The eight verses in each section began with the same letter in the proper sequence of the alphabet as was designated at the head of each section. Therefore, this Psalm was not ordered by the subject areas of the verses. That is why I grouped the key words onto index cards. As I was looking at the results, a special outline came to my mind for grouping the words into subject areas instead of alphabetizing. To God be the glory. Also, the 1967 Scofield Reference Bible has the following important notes: “This Psalm, born of love for the Law of God, extols the beauties and excellences of the written Word of God in a way found nowhere else in the Bible. God's Word is treated under these designations: (1) law, (2) word or words, (3) ordinances, (4) commandments, (5) precepts' (6) testimonies, (7) statutes, and (8) judgments. 'judgments' and 'ordinances' are translations of the same Hebrew word. Only verses 90, 121, 122, and 132 do not give a synonym for the Word of God. The shades of meaning in the words employed are as follows: 'Law' is primarily instruction or teaching, then all of God's revelation for life. 'Word' is speech or utterance, a general word for the disclosure of God's Will. 'Ordinances' (also 'judgments') refer to legal pronouncements, rules of divine administration. 'Commandments' are authoritative orders used as religious principles. 'Precepts' relate to man's moral obligations as enjoined by God. 'Testimonies' indicate God's own declarations concerning His nature and purpose. 'Statutes' refer elsewhere to civil and religious appointment of the Mosaic law. The word 'way' is used as a synonym for all of these terms.” While reading Psalm 119 carefully, I was surprised by the concepts of faith and commitment. Even though this psalm's writer was under the law of Moses and had less than one half of God's revelation of His Word, I didn't find any verse that I could not relate to. Today, believers of Jesus Christ are under the law of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the third part of the divine Trinity works in the yielded Christian the very righteousness in action that God's Law requires and in thinking which Jesus expects (Matthew 5:17-36). As you study Psalm 119, may God give you more understanding of the commitment He desires of you. I.

God and Believers A. God has... 1.established the Earth: 90 2.made me and fashioned me: 73 3.founded purpose: 152 4.delighted and counselled me: 24 5.directed my ways: 5 6.taught me: 102 7.made me wiser: 98 B. ____________________________ of God or His Word 1.Wonder: 18, 27, 129 2.Greatness: 156, 162, 165 3.Goodness: 39, 68, 71, 122 4.Richness or Sweetness: 14, 72, 103, 127 5.Perfection and Purity: 96, 140 6.Truthfulness: 30, 43, 142, 151, 160 7.Righteousness and Justice: 7, 21, 40, 62, 75, 106, 121, 123, 128, 137, 138, 142, 144, 149, 160, 164, 172 1

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C. Believers' _____________for God or His Word 1. respect or fear: 6, (13), 15, (18), (24), (27), 38, (40), (42), (47), (48), (50), (54), (55), (57-62), 63, (64-66), (68-73), 74, (75-77), 79, (86), (90), 117, 120, 128, (151), (161) [Notes: The numbers in parenthesis indicate the verses in which the study word or/and words are implied. Scofield states that “'the fear of the LORD' is an Old Testament expression meaning reverential trust, including the hatred of evil.”] 2. praise: 12, 48, 54, 65, 72, 89-93, 96, 103, 105, 137, 138, 142, 162-164, 171, 175 3. delight: 24, 77, 92, 143, 174 Believers' Commitments A. Thy servant: 17, 25, 38, 49, 65, 76, 84, 94, 122, 124 125, 135, 140, 176 B. Body parts-1. soul: 20, 25, 28, 81, 109, 129, 167, 175 2. heart: 2, 10, 34, 58, 145; 7, 11, 32, 36, 80, 111, 112, 161 3. feet: 59, 101, 105 4. hands: 48, 109 5. mouth: 43, 103, 108, 131 6. lips: 13, 171 7. tongue: 172 C. Body part verbs— 1.walk: 1, 3, (105), 45 (133) 2.run: 32 3.cried: 145-147, 169 4.taste: 103 5.talk: 27 6.speak: 46, 172 7.declared: 13, 26 D. Believers’ No’s and Not’s 1. might not sin: 11 2. not wander: 10, 101 3. not declined from Thy Law: 51, 157 4. not departed from Thy judgments: 102 5. not forget Thy Law: 16, 61, 83, 93, 109, 141, 153, 176 6. not beholding vanity: 37 7. not covetousness: 36 8. not lying: 29 9. not erred: 110 10. undefiled: 1 11. no iniquity: 3 12. not ashamed: 6, 31, 46, 80, 116 E. Promising verbs-[Note: Some of the following verse numbers are arranged in order to indicate the verb tenses (past, present, & future) divided by semi-colons.] 1. hoped and hope: 43, 74, 147, 166; 49, 81, 114 2. shall observe: 34 3. meditate: 23; (97); 15, 48, 78, 148 4. consider: 95 5. learn: 71, 73 6. sought and seek: 10, 94; 2, 45 7. longed and longing: 40, 131, (139), 174; 20 8. take heed: 9 9. chosen: 30, 173 10. taken: 111 11. laid before: 30 2

12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

thought and turned my feet: 59 run the way: 32 done: 166 perform: 106, 112 hate: 104, 113, 128, 163 trust: 42 believed and seen: 66, 96 loved and love: 47, 48; 97, 113, 119, 127, 140, 163, 165, 167; 132, 159 esteem: 128 delight: 35, 70; 16, 47 rejoiced, rejoicing, and rejoice: 14, 111, 162 praise: 7 kept and keep: 5, (11), 55, 56, 60, 67, 167, 168; 2, 63, 100, 101, 129; 4, 8, 17, 33, 34, 44, 57, 88, 106, 115, 134, 145, 146 25. refrained my feet: 101 26. clung or stuck: 31 27. not forgotten and not forget: 61; 83, 109, 141, 153, 176; 16, 93 F. Promising verses-1. past: 13, 14, 23, 30, 51, 52, 54-56, 59-61, 87, 102, 110-112, 152, 158 2. past with future request: 10, 11, 22, 26, 31, 40, 43, 66, 74, 101, 121, 131, 147, 166-168, 173, 174 3. future: 6-8, 15, 16, 27, 32-34, 44, 46-48, 57, 62, 69, 78, 88, 93, 95, 106, 115, 117, 134, 145, 146, 148, 171, 172, 175 4. present with future request: 19, 35, 38, 42, 45, 77, 81, 94, 119, 132, 153, 159, 176 5. unconditional present: 20, 24, 63, 67, 70, 72, 97, 99, 100, 104, 105, 109, 113, 114, 120, 127129, 140, 141, 143, 157, 161-164 III. Believers' Earthly Stay A. As a sojourner or stranger: 19, 54 B. Relationships with non-believers-1. evildoers: 115, (118), (126), (136), (150), (158) 2. wicked: 53, 61, 95, 110, 119, 155 3. proud: 21-23, 46, 51, 69, 70, 78, 85, 122 4. enemies: (42), 98, (134), 139, 157 C. Having to endure affliction: 22, 23, 29, 37, 39, 50, 51, 53, 61, 67, 69, 71, 75, 83-88, 92, 107, (133), (141), (143), 153, (161) D. God's help-1. protection: 22, 36, 37, 39, 114, 117 2. sufficiency: 57, 111, 114, 151 3. faithfulness: 86, 90, 91, 138, (151) 4. comfort: 49, 50, 52, 57, 76, 77, 82, 165 5. grace: 8, 17, 19. 22, 25, 27-29, 37, 38, 40, 41-43, 49, 50, 58, 64, 76, 77, 122, 123, 132-136, 149, 153-156, 159, 166, 169, 170, 173-176 E. Unity of believers-- 1-4, 63, 79 F. Confidence and understanding-- 7, 75, 79, 89, 90, 98-100, 104, 119, 125, 130, 142, 144, 152, 160 G. Timing for seeking and obeying God-1.Clock-wise: 97, 164, 147, 55, 148, 62 2.Consistency: 1-4, 9-18, 20, 22-24, 30, 31, 44, 51, 52, 55, 61, 80, 97, 109, 112, 117 3.Eternity: 20, 33, 44, 98, 111, 112 H. Relationship to God's Word 1.Principles: 1-4, 9, 21, 64, 90, 91, 96, 99, 100, 105, 119, 142, 144, 155, 160, 165 2.Way or ways: 1, 3, 5, 9, 14, 15, 26, 27, 32, 33, 37, 101, 104, 128, 168 3.According to Thy Word: 9, 25, 28, 41, 58, 65, 76, 91, 107, 116, (124), 154, 156, 169, 170

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IV. Requests to God A. Key words-1.Consider...: 153, 159 2.Hear me: 145, 149 3.Seek me: 176 4.Look upon me: 132 5.Be merciful unto me: 132 6.... that I may live: 17, 77, 116, 144 7.Revive me: 25, 37, 88, 107, 149, 154, 159 8.Give me life: 40, 50, 93 9.Deliver me...: 134, 153, 154, 170 10.Remove from me: 22, 29 11.Turn away: 37, 39 12.Deal with thy servant: 17, 124, (135) 13.Make me: 27, 35 14.Grant me thy law: 29 15.Order my steps: 133 16.Teach me: 12, 26, 33, 64, 66, 68, 108, 124, 135, (171) 17.Give me understanding or make me understand: 34, 73, 125, 144, 169, (18), 27 18.Establish Thy Word: 38 19.Remember the word unto thy servant: 49 20.Incline my heart: 36, 112 21.Enlarge my heart: 32 22.Strengthen me: 28 23.Uphold me: 116 24.Hold me up: 117 25.Help me: 86, 173, 175 26.Hide not: 19 27.Leave me not: 121 28.Forsake me not: 8 29.Let not: 122, 133 30.Let: 10, 41, 76-80, 169, 170, 173, 175 31.Be surety for Thy servant: 122 32.Plead my cause: 154 33.Accept: 108 B.Verses-- 5, 10, 12, 17-19, 22, 25-29, 31-41, 43, 49, 58, 64, 66, 68, 71, 73, 74, 76-80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 107, 108, 116, 117, 122, 124-126, 132-135, 144-146, 149, 153, 154, 156, 159, 169, 170, 173, 175, 176

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