Psalm 119:1 – 88

With 176 verses, Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the whole Bible. Today we will be reading the first 88 verses. This Psalm is divided into 22 stanzas (with eight verses in each stanza), one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet: Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, He, Vau, Zayin, Cheth, Caph, Lamed, Samech, Ain, Pe, Tzaddi, Koph, Resh, Shin, and Tau. Each of the eight verses (in Hebrew) in the stanza begins with the Hebrew letter for which it is named. This was written in this way to encourage people to memorize it. Since we are not learning it in Hebrew, I guess we have to do it the old-fashioned way.

This Psalm celebrates God’s word:

Verse	God’s Word Expressed As:
Aleph 1	The instructions of the Lord
2	His laws
3	His paths
4	Your commandments
5	Your decrees
6	Your commands
7	Your righteous regulations
8	Your decrees
Beth 9	Your word
10	Your commands
11	Your word
12	Your decrees
13	All the regulations you have given us
14	Your laws
15	Your commandments; Your ways
16	Your decrees; Your word
Gimel 17	Your word
18	Your instructions
19	Your commands
20	Your regulations
21	Your commandments
22	Your laws
23	Your decrees
24	Your laws
Daleth 25	Your word
26	Your decrees
27	Your commandments; Your wonderful deeds
28	Your word
29	Your instructions
30	Your regulations
31	Your laws
32	Your commands
He 33	Your decrees
34	Your instructions
35	Your commands
36	Your laws
37	Your word
38	Your promise
39	Your regulations
40	Your commandments
Waw 41	Your unfailing love
42	Your word
43	Your word of truth; Your regulations
44	Your instructions
45	Your commandments
46	Your laws
47	Your commands
48	Your commands; Your decrees
Zayin 49	Your promise
50	Your promise
51	Your instructions
52	Your age-old regulations
53	Your instructions
54	Your decrees
55	Your instructions
56	Your commandments
Heth 57	Your words
58	Your blessings
59	Your laws
60	Your commands
61	Your instructions
62	Your regulations
63	Your commandments
64	Your decrees
Teth 65	You promised
66	Your commands
67	Your word
68	Your decrees
69	Your commandments
70	Your instructions
71	Your decrees
72	Your instructions
Yodh 73	Your commands
74	Your word
75	Your regulations
76	You promised
77	Your instructions
78	Your commandments
79	Your laws
80	Your decrees
Kaph 81	Your word
82	Your promises
83	Your decree
85	Your instructions
86	All your commands
87	Your commandments
88	Your laws

Isn’t that something? Would you have realized how many references to God’s Word were here without this chart? Every single verse except verse 84 references God’s word in one way or another. I won’t continue this for the last 88 verses, but wanted to graphically demonstrate what this chapter is about.

Psalm 119 is one of my favorites. Within these verses are prayers and praise, wisdom and joy, blessings and reflections. Take a moment to go down through these 88 verses and jot down how you will be blessed by following, obeying, walking in, keeping, reflecting, living, rejoicing in, teaching, remembering meditating on, being revived by God’s word. How about when we hide God’s word in our heart – so we might not sin against Him. It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it?

Tomorrow, it’s I Kings 3 – 4, II Chronicles 2 and Psalm 72.

Until next time…