What does Psalm 119:156 mean?
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 119; verse-level content coming soon!Psalm 119:153–160 begins each verse with the Hebrew letter resh. Enemies surround the psalmist in great numbers. He expects them to never find salvation because they ignore God's commands. Despite this, the psalmist is dedicated to the Word of God and the Lord's instructions. The appeal for rescue is based, in part, on a proclamation of obedience to those rules.
This song is composed of twenty-two stanzas, each corresponding to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each line in the stanza is an individual verse and each begins with the corresponding letter. The psalmist emphasizes study of God's Word in a variety of circumstances, including persecution, sadness, and rescue. Benefits of taking in the Word include a moral life, joy, wisdom, hope, peace, strength, and freedom. Those who interact with the Word of the Lord should respond with delight, careful study, and obedience.
