Psalm 119:78. – The proud. The wicked, especially the persecutors of God’s people, are usually characterized by this term in this psalm, “the proud” (Psalm 119:51, 69, 122). Pride puts wicked men upon being troublesome and injurious to the people of God. But why are the persecutors and the injurious called “the proud”?

1. Because wicked men shake off the yoke of God, and will not be subject to their Maker, and therefore desist not from troubling His people: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israelgo”? (Exodus 5:2). What was in his tongue, is in all men’s hearts; they contemn God and His Laws. Every sin hath a degree of pride, and a deprecation of God included in it, (2 Samuel 12:9).
2. Because they are drunk with worldly felicity, and never think of changes. “Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud” (Psalm 123:4). When men go on prosperously, they are apt wrongfully to trouble others, and then to flout at them in their misery, and to despise the person and cause of God’s people, which is a sure effect of great arrogancy and pride. They think they may do what they please: “They have no changes; therefore they fear not God,” and put forth their hands against such as be at peace with them (Psalm 55:19): whilst they go on prosperously and undisturbed, they cannot abstain from violence and oppression.
3. Because they affect a life of pomp, and ease, and carnal greatness, and so despise the affliction, and meanness, and simplicity of God’s people. The false church hath usually the advantage of worldly power and external glory; and the true church is known by the Divine power, gifts and graces, and the lustre of holiness.
4. They are called “proud,” because of their insolent carriage towards the Lord’s people; partly in their laws and injunctions, requiring them to give them more honour, respect, and obedience, than in conscience can be afforded them; as Haman would have Mordecai to devote himself to him after the manner of the Persians (Esther 3:5). – Condensed from Manton.

Psalm 119:71. – It is good for me that I have been afflicted. In Miss E.J. Whately’s very interesting Life of her Father, the celebrated Archbishop of Dublin, a fact is recorded, as told by Dr. Whately, with reference to the introduction of the larch tree into England. When the plants were first brought, the gardener, hearing that they came from the south of Europe, and taking it for granted that they would require warmth, forgetting that they might grow near the snow line, put them into a hothouse. Day by day they withered, until the gardener in disgust threw them on a dung heap outside; there they began to revive and bud, and at last grew into trees. They needed the cold.

The great Husbandman often saves his plants by throwing them out into the cold. The nipping frosts of trial and affliction are ofttimes needed, if God’s larches are to grow. It is under such discipline that new thoughts and feelings appear. The heart becomes more dead to the world and self. From the night of sorrow rises the morning of joy. Winter is the harbinger of spring. From the crucifixion of the old man comes the resurrection of the new, as in nature life is the child of death. “The night is the mother of the day, and winter of the spring; And ever upon old decay, the greenest mosses spring.” – James Wareing Bardsicy, in Illustrated Texts and Texts Illustrated, 1876.

Psalm 119:62. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee because of Thy righteous judgments. He was not afraid of the robbers; he rose, not to watch his house, but to praise his God. Midnight is the hour for burglars, and there were bands of them around David, but they did not occupy his thoughts; these were all up and away with the Lord his God. He thought not of thieves, but of thanks; not of what they would steal, but of what he would give to his God. A thankful heart is such a blessing that it drives out fear and makes room for praise. Thanksgiving turns night into day, and consecrates all hours to the worship of God. Every hour is canonical to a saint.

The Psalmist observed posture; he did not lie in bed and praise. There is not much in the position of the body, but there is something, and that something is to be observed whenever it is helpful to devotion and expressive of our diligence or humility. Many kneel without praying, some pray without kneeling; but the best is to kneel and pray: so here, it would have been no virtue to rise without giving thanks, and it would have been no sin to give thanks without rising; but to rise and give thanks is a happy combination. As for the season, it was quiet, lonely, and such as proved his zeal. At midnight he would be unobserved and undisturbed; it was his own time which he saved from his sleep, and so he would be free from the charge of sacrificing public duties to private devotions. Midnight ends one day and begins another, it was therefore meet to give the solemn moments to communion with the Lord. At the turn of the night he turned to his God. He had thanks to give for mercies which God had given: he had on his mind the truth of Psalm 119:57, “Thou art my portion,” and if anything can make a man sing in the middle of the night that is it.

The righteous doings of the great Judge gladdened the heart of this godly man. His judgments are the terrible side of God, but they have no terror to the righteous; they admire them, and adore the Lord for them: they rise at night to bless God that he will avenge his own elect. Some hate the very notion of divine justice, and in this they are wide as the poles asunder from this man of God, who was filled with joyful gratitude at the memory of the sentences of the Judge of all the earth. Doubtless in the expression, “thy righteous judgments,” David refers also to the written judgments of God upon various points of moral conduct; indeed, all the divine precepts may be viewed in that light; they are all of them the legal decisions of the Supreme Arbiter of right and wrong. David was charmed with these judgments. Like Paul, he could say, “I delight in the Law of God after the inward man.” He could not find time enough by day to study the words of divine wisdom, or to bless God for them, and so he gave up his sleep that he might tell out his gratitude for such a law and such a Lawgiver.

This verse is an advance upon the sense of Psalm 119:52, and contains in addition the essence of Psalm 119:55. Our author never repeats himself: though he runs up and down the same scale, his music has an infinite variety. The permutations and combinations which may be formed in connection with a few vital truths are innumerable.

Psalm 119:41-48. This whole section consists of petitions and promises. The petitions are two; Psalm 119:41, 43. The promises are six. This, among many, is a difference between godly men and others: all men seek good things from God, but the wicked so seek that they give Him nothing back again, nor yet will promise any sort of return. Their prayers must be unprofitable, because they proceed from love of themselves, and not of the Lord. If so be they obtain that which is for their necessity, they care not to give to the Lord that which is for His glory: but the godly, as they seek good things, so they give praise to God when they have gotten them, and return the use of things received, to the glory of God who gave them. They love not themselves for themselves, but for the Lord; what they seek from Him they seek it for this end, that they may be the more able to serve Him. Let us take heed unto this; because it is a clear token whereby such as are truly religious are distinguished from counterfeit dissemblers. William Cowper.

Psalm 119:38. Stablish Thy Word unto Thy servant. Make me sure of Thy sure Word: make it sure to me and make me sure of it. If we possess the spirit of service, and yet are troubled with sceptical thoughts we cannot do better than pray to be established in the truth. Times will arise when every doctrine and promise seems to be shaken, and our mind gets no rest: then we must appeal to God for establishment in the faith, for He would have all His servants to be well instructed and confirmed in His Word. But we must mind that we are the Lord’s servants, for else we shall not long be sound in His Truth. Practical holiness is a great help towards doctrinal certainty: if we are God’s servants He will confirm His Word in our experience. “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine”; and so know it as to be fully assured of it. Atheism in the heart is a horrible plague to a God fearing man, it brings more torment with it than can well be described; and nothing but a visitation of grace can settle the soul after it has been violently assailed thereby. Vanity or falsehood is bad for the eyes, but it is even worse when it defiles the understanding and casts a doubt upon the Word of the living God.

Who is devoted to Thy fear, or simply “to Thy fear.” That is, make good Thy Word to godly fear: wherever it exists; strengthen the whole body of reverent men. Stablish Thy Word, not only to me, but to all the godly ones under the sun. Or, again, it may mean – “Stablish Thy Word to Thy fear,” namely, that men may be led to fear Thee; since a sure faith in the divine promise is the fountain and foundation of godly fear. Men will never worship a God in whom they do not believe. More faith will lead to more godly fear. We cannot look for the fulfilment of promises in our experience unless we live under the influence of the fear of the Lord: establishment in grace is the result of holy watchfulness and prayerful energy. We shall never be rooted and grounded in our belief unless we daily practise what we profess to believe. Full assurance is the reward of obedience. Answers to prayer are given to those whose hearts answer to the Lord’s command. If we are devoted to God’s fear we shall be delivered from all other fear. He has no fear as to the truth of the Word who is filled with fear of the Author of the Word. Scepticism is both the parent and the child of impiety; but strong faith both begets piety and is begotten of it. We commend this whole verse to any devout man whose tendency is to scepticism: it will be an admirable prayer for use in seasons of unusually strong misgivings.

Psalm 119:29. Grant me Thy Law graciously. He opposes the Law of God to the way of lying.

1. First, because it is the only rule of all truth, both in religion and manners: that which is not agreeable to it is but a lie which shall deceive men.
2. Secondly, it destroys and shall at length utterly destroy all contrary errors. As the rod of Aaron devoured the rods of the enchanters: so the Word, which is the rod of the mouth of God, shall, in the end, eat up and consume all untruths whatsoever.
3. Thirdly, according to the sentence of this Word, so shall it be unto every man; it deceives none. Men shall find by experience it is true: he who walks in a way condemned by the Word, shall come to a miserable end. And, on the contrary, it cannot but be well with them who live according to this rule. William Cowper.

Psalm 119:29. Grant me Thy Law graciously. David had ever the book of the Law; for every king of Israel was to have it always by him, and the Rabbis say, written with his own hand. But, “Grant me Thy Law graciously;” that is, he desires he might have it not only written by him, but upon him, to have it imprinted upon his heart, that he might have a heart to observe and keep it. That is the blessing he begs for, “the Law”; and this is begged “graciously,” or upon terms of grace, merely according to Thine own favour, and good pleasure. Here is,

1. The sin deprecated, “Remove from me the way of lying.”
2. The good supplicated and asked, “Grant me Thy Law graciously.”

In the first clause you have his malady; David had been enticed to a course of lying. In the second we have his remedy, and that is the Law of God. Thomas Manton.

My soul is consumed with longing for Your rules at all times. Psalm 119:20 (ESV)

Psalm 119:20. My soul breaketh for the longing. For the earnest desire. “That it hath unto Thy judgments at all times.” Thy Law; Thy Commands. This was a constant feeling. It was not fitful, or spasmodic. It was the steady, habitual state of the soul on the subject. He had never seen enough of the beauty and glory of the Law of God to feel that all the wants of his nature were satisfied, or that he could see and know no more; he had seen and felt enough to excite in him an ardent desire to be made fully acquainted with all that there is in the Law of God. Albert Barnes.

My soul is consumed with longing for Your rules at all times - Psalm 119:20 (ESV)

Our greatest desires and longing by design is that for God and His Word yet we constantly attempt to satisfy this longing with other things.

May He grant us grace to long for Him and His Word and to discover the greatest joy and satisfaction that only He can bring because only when we find this joy and satisfaction in Him is He most glorified in our lives (www.desiringgod.org).

Meditating on this verse not only speaks of our longing for God and His Word, but also of the duration and extent of this  longing – at all times.

Psalm 119:20. My soul breaketh for the longing, etc. The desire after God’s appointments becomes painfully intense. A longing – an intense longing – for the Judgments of the Lord – at all times. These are the particulars of his breaking soul. His whole mind is toward the things of God. He prays that he may behold the wondrous things of Jehovah’s Law, and that he may not hide His Commandments from him; and here his soul breaks for longing towards His Judgments at all times. The state of the Psalmist’s mind would not lead us here to suppose that he was awaiting the manifestation of the Lord’s Judgments in vindicating his cause against ungodly men, or that he was longing for opportunity of fulfilling all the deeds of righteousness towards his fellow men; for this he was doing to the utmost. Evidently he is intent upon the ordinances of religion, which were called “Judgments” in reference to the solemn sanctions with which they were enjoined. The man of God so longed to join with the Lord’s people in these, that his heart was ready to break with desire, as he was forced from place to place in the wilderness. The renewed heart is here. Another might long to be delivered from persecution, to be at rest, to be restored to home, relations, and comfort. The man of God could not but desire those natural enjoyments; but, over all, his holy mind longed with ardour for the celebration of Jehovah’s worship. John Stephen.

Psalm 119:15-16. I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your Ways. I will delight in Your Statutes; I will not forget Your Word.

The two last verses of this section present to us a threefold internal action of David’s soul toward the Word of God; first, meditation; secondly, consideration; thirdly, delectation: every one of these proceeds from another, and they mutually strengthen one another. Meditation brings the Word to the mind; consideration views it and looks at length into it, whereof is bred delectation. That which comes into the mind, were it never so good, if it be not considered, goes as it came, leaving neither instruction nor joy; but being once presented by meditation, if it be pondered by consideration, then it breeds delectation, which is the perfection of godliness, in regard of the internal action. William Cowper.

Fairest Lord Jesus, LORD of all creation, Jesus, of God and Mary the Son; Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honour, O Thou my soul’s delight and crown.

Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands, Robed in the verdure and bloom of spring. Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, He makes the saddest heart to sing.

Fair are the flowers, Fairer still the sons of men In all the freshness of youth arrayed; Yet is their beauty Fading and fleeting; My Jesus, Thine will never fade.

Fair is the moonlight, Fairer still the sunshine, Fair is the shimmering starry sky: Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shine clearer Than all the heavenly host on high.

All fairest beauty Heavenly and earthly, Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee; None can be nearer, Fairer or dearer, Than Thou, my Saviour, art to me.

When I lay dying, still on Thee relying, Suffer me not from Thine arms to fall: At my last hour Be Thou my power, For Thou, LORD Jesus, art my all.

Psalm 119:112. – I have inclined my heart to perform, etc. Observe. In Psalm 119:36 he prayed to God, saying, “Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies.” And here he speaks about himself, saying, “I have inclined mine heart to perform Thy statutes alway even unto the end.” What need, then, was there to ask from God that which he in another place glories to have done himself? I answer: These things are not contrary the one to the other. God inclines, and the godly man inclines. Man inclines by striving; God inclines by effecting. Neither is that which the man attempts, nor that which he by striving achieves good works, from the man, but from God, who gives, “both to will and to do of His good pleasure:” Philippians 2:13. – Wolfgang Musculus.