What does Psalm 119:17 mean?
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 119; verse-level content coming soon!Psalm 119:17–24 begins each verse with the Hebrew letter gimel. The psalmist recognizes that his ultimate home is not earth (Hebrews 11:14–16). He prays for the ability to understand God's Word and to obey it. Those who reject the Lord's commands suffer many consequences. Even if powerful people try to persecute God's people, the psalmist plans to continue exploring the Word of God. These ideas harmonize with 2 Timothy 3:15–17.
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.
