Psalms 119:138

Psa 119:138 Thy testimonies [that] thou hast commanded [are] righteous and very faithful.

Ver. 138. Thy testimonies which thou hast commanded] i.e. The gospel, as Isa 8:20. And the commandment thereof to hear Christ, Mat 17:5, and to believe in his name, 1Jn 3:23; this is a faithful and true saying, 1Ti 1:15, not avengelaion, as the Jews blasphemously call it, or fabula de Christo, a fable about Christ, as that blackmouthed pope.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

138. (Psa 119:138) Thou hast commanded righteousness thy testimonies, and faithfulness—exceedingly. This is another elliptical construction, wholly foreign from our idiom. Some resolve it by supplying to or to be: thou hast commanded thy testimonies to (or to be) righteousness, i.e. hast made them righteous. It is simpler, however, and more like the syntax of the verse preceding, to supply in or with thou hast commanded (in) righteousness thy testimonies, etc. The very or exceedingly may belong to faithfulness alone, or to the whole proposition. The mention of faithfulness shews that the idea of God's promise is included in his testimony. With this verse compare Psa 119:86, and Psa 93:5.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

We cannot confess God to be righteous, except we live uprightly and truly, as he hath commanded.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 138. Thy testimonies] Every thing that proceeds from thee partakes of the perfections of thy nature.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(138) Thy testimonies.—Better, Thou hast commanded Thy testimonies in righteousness and very faithfulness. But unquestionably another arrangement of the text of these two verses is correct. It takes the verb commandest with Psa_119:137, and gets the simple and obvious “righteous art Thou, O Lord, and upright in the judgments which Thou hast commanded. Thy testimonies are righteous, and faithful to the uttermost” (Burgess). (See Psa_7:6 and Psa_119:144.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

138. Thou hast commanded thy testimonies in righteousness

And faithfulness to the uttermost.

Cp. Psa_119:86; Psa_119:90; Psa_119:144; Psa_119:151; Deu_4:8. God’s commandments which bear witness to His Will and man’s duty are the expression of His absolute righteousness and of that faithfulness to His covenant which is an inalienable element of that righteousness. Cp. 2Ti_2:13.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,.... Or, "is for ever" (z). The rectitude of his nature, his faithfulness in his promises, and his kindness and beneficence to his people; and particularly the righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel; the righteousness of his Son, which he approves and accepts of, and imputes to him that believes. This is a righteousness that will last for ever, will never be abolished; it will answer for them that have it in a time to come; it is of use throughout the whole of life, at death, in the day of judgment, and to all eternity; see Dan 9:24;

and thy law is the truth; or "thy doctrine"; or "thy word", as the Arabic version. The Scriptures are called the Scriptures of truth, Dan 10:21 they come from the God of truth, and all that is contained in them is truth; the legal part of them is truth, and so is the Gospel; that is called the word of truth, and truth itself: it is concerning Christ, who is the truth; and it is directed into and made effectual by the Spirit of truth, and contains in it many excellent truths; and is therefore deservedly valued and esteemed by all good men; see Joh 17:17.

(z) "in seculum", Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus; "in aeternum", V. L. Michaelis.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded - Thy law, considered as a testimony as to what is right and best.

Are righteous and very faithful - Margin, as in Hebrew, “righteousness and faithfulness.” They are “so” righteous, and so deserving of confidence - so certain to be accomplished, and so worthy to be trusted in - that they may be spoken of as “righteousness” and “fidelity” of the most perfect kind; the very essence of that which is right.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

But this verse is otherwise rendered by all the ancient interpreters, and by divers others, and that more agreeably to the order of the words in the Hebrew text, Thou hast commanded righteousness, even

thy testimonies (or, the righteousness of thy testimonies; or, thy righteous testimonies, by a common Hebraism; or rather, righteousness in or by thy testimonies; nothing being more frequent than the ellipsis of the prefix beth, which signifies in or by) and truth, (or, and true, thy righteous and true testimonies; although the other seems to be the better translation,) earnestly. So the sense is, Thou hast strictly and severely, under the highest obligations and penalties, commanded in thy word that men should be just and true in all their actions. And this agrees very well with the next foregoing verse, wherein he affirmed that God is righteous, and doth righteous things; and then here he adds that he requires righteousness and truth from all men.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 138. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. All that which God hath testified in his word is right and truthful. It is righteous, and may be relied upon for the present; it is faithful, and may be trusted in for the future. About every portion of the inspired testimonies there is a divine authority, they are issued and published by God's command, and they bear the impress of the royal style which carries omnipotence about it. Not only the precepts but the promises also are commanded of the Lord, and so are all the teachings of Scripture. It is not left to our choice whether we will accept them or no; they are issued by royal command, and are not to be questioned. Their characteristic is that they are like the Lord who has proclaimed them, they are the essence of justice and the soul of truth. God's word is righteous and cannot be impeached; it is faithful and cannot be questioned it is true from the beginning, and it will be true unto the end.

Dwell upon that "sweet word" "very faithful." What a mercy that we have a God to deal with who is scrupulously faithful, true to all the items and details of his promises, punctual to time, steadfast during all time. Well may we risk all upon a word which is" ever faithful, ever sure."

Ver. 138. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. The force of this expression is much feebler than that of the original, which literally may be rendered, "Thou hast commanded righteousness thy testimonies, and truth exceedingly. "So the Septuagint hath it. Righteousness and truth were his testimonies; the testimonies were one with his righteousness and truth. The English translation gives the quality of the testimonies; the Hebrew gives that which is commanded; as if we might say, Thou hast enjoined righteousness to be thy testimonies, and truth exceedingly. John Stephen.

Ver. 138. Thy testimonies. The word of God is called his testimony, both because it testifies his will, which he will have us to do; as also because it testifies unto men truly what shall become of them, whether good or evil. Men by nature are curious to know their end, rather than careful to mend their life; and for this cause seek answers where they never get good: but if they would know, let them go to the word and testimony; they need not to seek any other oracle. If the word of God testify good things unto them, they have cause to rejoice; if otherwise it witnesseth evil unto them, let them haste to prevent it, or else it will assuredly overtake them. William Cowper.

Ver. 138. Righteous and very faithful. Literally, "faithfulness exceedingly." Harsh and severe as they may seem, they are all thoroughly for man's highest good. William Kay.

Ver. 138. Very faithful. Based on a faithful covenant; confirmed by faithful promises; carried out by a faithful Redeemer; enjoyed hitherto; relied on for the future. "Though we believe not, yet he abideth faithful."

Psalms 119:139*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful; literally, righteousness and very faithfulness (see the Revised Version). "Harsh and severe as thy testimonies may seem, they are all thoroughly for man"s highest good" (Kay).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.