Psalms 119:33
in Psalms 119Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep them to the end.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of thy statutes; And I shall keep it unto the end.
KJV
Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
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This verse in Psalms 119
Commentary
9 notes on this verseWherefore the Psalm reads: Happy are they whose way is blameless. And: Instruct me, O Lord, in the way of Your statutes, etc. In every verse there is a reference to commands, indicated as law, or witnessing, or declarations, or some other equivalent name. Also, …
This site's exposition
Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes
on Psalms 119:33-40
Every verse here is a request put to God: teach, give understanding, direct, turn, establish, revive. The asking runs both ways, toward the commandments and away from covetous gain and worthless things. The verbs are all God's to do.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
In this great Psalm there cometh next in order that which, with the Lord's help, we must consider and treat of. "Set a law for me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall seek it alway" (ver. 33). ... Why doth this man still pray for a law to be laid down for him; which, if it had not been laid down for him, he could not have run the way of God's commandments in the breadth of his heart? But since one speaketh who is growing in grace, and who knoweth that it is God's gift that he profiteth in grace; what else doth he pray, when he prayeth that a law may be laid down for him, save that he may profit more and more? As, if thou holdest a full cup, and givest it to a thirsty man; he both exhausts it by drinking it, and prayeth for it by still longing for it. ... But what meaneth, "Evermore"? ...Doth "evermore" mean as long as we live here, because we progress in grace so long; but after this life, he who was in a good course of improvement here, is made perfect there? Here the law of God is examined into, as long as we progress in it, both by knowing it and by loving it: but there its fulness abideth for our enjoyment, not for our examination. Thus also is this spoken, "Seek His face evermore." Where, evermore, save here? For we shall not there also seek the face of God, when "we shall see face to face." Or if that which is loved without a change of affection is rightly said to be sought after, and our only object is, that it be not lost, we shall indeed evermore seek the law of God, that is, the truth of God: for in this very Psalm it is said, "And Thy law is the truth." It is now sought, that it may be held fast; it will then be held fast that it may not be lost. ...
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
ה, HE.--The Fifth Part. HE. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes,.... Which they point unto, and direct to walk in; not only the statutes and ordinances themselves, the theory of them, but the practice of them.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
To encourage us in prayer for divine aid in adhering to His truth, we are permitted to believe that by His help we shall succeed. the way of thy statutes--that is, the way or manner of life prescribed by them. The help we hope to obtain by prayer is to be the basis on which our resolutions should rest.
A sense of dependence and a consciousness of extreme need pervade this section, which is all made up of prayer and plea. The former eight verses trembled with a sense of sin, quivering with a childlike sense of weakness and folly, which caused the man of God to cry out for the help by which alone his soul could be preserved from falling back into sin. "Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes." Child like, blessed words, from the lips of an old, experienced believer, and he a king, and a man inspired of God.
A sense of dependence and a consciousness of extreme need pervade this section, which is all made up of prayer and plea. The former eight verses trembled with a sense of sin, quivering with a childlike sense of weakness and folly, which caused the man of God to cry out for the help by which alone his soul could be preserved from falling back into sin. "Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes." Child like, blessed words, from the lips of an old, experienced believer, and he a king, and a man inspired of God. Alas, for those who will never be taught. They dote upon their own wisdom; but their folly is apparent to all who rightly judge. The Psalmist will have the Lord for his teacher; for he feels that his heart will not learn of any less effectual instructor. A sense of great slowness to learn drives us to seek a great teacher. What condescension it is on our great Jehovah's part that he deigns to teach those who seek him. The lesson which is desired is thoroughly practical; the holy man would not only learn the statutes, but the way of them, the daily use of them, their tenor, spirit, direction, habit, tendency. He would know that path of holiness which is hedged in by divine law, along which the commands of the Lord stand as sign posts of direction and mile stones of information, guiding and marking our progress. The very desire to learn this way is in itself an assurance that we shall be taught therein, for he who made us long to learn will be sure to gratify the desire. "And I shall keep it unto the end." Those who are taught of God never forget their lessons. When divine grace sets a man in the true way he will be true to it. Mere human wit and will have no such enduring influence: there is an end to all perfection of the flesh, but there is no end to heavenly grace except its own end, which is the perfecting of holiness in the fear of the Lord.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes - To understand the spiritual reference of all the statutes, etc, under the law, required a teaching which could only come from God. I shall keep it unto the end - Here is a good thing asked for a good end. He wishes for heavenly teaching; not to make a parade of it, but to enable him to discern his duty, that he might act accordingly.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes - This begins a new division of the psalm, indicated by the letter He (ה h, or “h”). The word rendered “teach” means properly to throw, to cast, to hurl; and then, to teach - as if truth were thrown and scattered abroad. The sentiment is the same as in Psa 119:12. And I shall keep it unto the end - Always. To the end of life. His keeping it depended on grace given to him continually to dispose and enable him to do it.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הוֹרֵ֣נִי | horeni | teach me | H3384 → | 80 times |
| יְ֭הוָה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| דֶּ֥רֶךְ | derekh | [the] way of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| חֻקֶּ֗יךָ | chukeicha | decrees your | H2706 → | 127 times |
| וְאֶצְּרֶ֥נָּה | veetzerenah | so I may observe it | H5341 → | 63 times |
| עֵֽקֶב׃ | ʾekev | end | H6118 → | 15 times |
הוֹרֵ֣נִיteach me
horeniH3384 →80 times
יְ֭הוָהO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
דֶּ֥רֶךְ[the] way of
derekhH1870 →707 times
חֻקֶּ֗יךָdecrees your
chukeichaH2706 →127 times
וְאֶצְּרֶ֥נָּהso I may observe it
veetzerenahH5341 →63 times
עֵֽקֶב׃end
ʾekevH6118 →15 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 1:6being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- Ephesians 4:12
to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
- Hebrews 13:20–21
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
- Psalms 138:8
The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever— do not abandon the works of Your hands.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24
Through
1 John 2:27And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all…
it leads to
- John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
- 1 John 2:20–21
You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
- John 14:26
Through
Isaiah 54:13Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.
it leads to
- John 6:45
It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—
- John 6:45
Where this verse is studied
About Psalms
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 119; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 17; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 6; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.