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Sunday, September 22nd, 2024
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Psalms 119:144

Thy testimonies are righteous for ever; give me understanding, and I shall live.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Righteousness of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Law;   Letters;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Commentary;   Love to God;   Union to Christ;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Judgments of God;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   Ain;   Aleph;   Beth;   Joy;   Pharisees;   Prayer;   Psalms;   Regeneration;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Testimony;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Lamentations of jeremiah;   Psalms the book of;   Scripture;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Everlasting;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
Righteous are Your testimonies forever;Give me understanding that I may live.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Your testimonies are righteous forever; Give me understanding that I may live.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is euerlastyng: make me to vnderstande [them] and I shall lyue.
Darby Translation
The righteousness of thy testimonies is for ever: give me understanding, and I shall live.
New King James Version
The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live.
Literal Translation
The righteousness of Your Testimonies is everlasting; make me understand and I will live.
Easy-to-Read Version
Your rules are always right. Help me understand them so that I can live.
World English Bible
Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live.
King James Version (1611)
The righteousnesse of thy Testimonies is euerlasting: giue me vnderstanding, and I shall liue.
King James Version
The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The rightuousnes of thy testimonies is euerlastinge, o graunte me vnderstondinge, and I shal lyue.
Amplified Bible
Your righteous testimonies are everlasting; Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] that I may live.
American Standard Version
Thy testimonies are righteous for ever: Give me understanding, and I shall live.
Bible in Basic English
The righteousness of your unchanging word is eternal; give me wisdom so that I may have life.
Update Bible Version
Your testimonies are righteous forever: Give me understanding, and I shall live.
Webster's Bible Translation
The righteousness of thy testimonies [is] everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.
New English Translation
Your rules remain just. Give me insight so that I can live.
Contemporary English Version
Your rules are always fair. Help me to understand them and live.
Complete Jewish Bible
Your instruction is righteous forever; give me understanding, and I will live.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The righteousnes of thy testimonies is euerlasting: graunt me vnderstanding, and I shal liue.
George Lamsa Translation
The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live.
Hebrew Names Version
Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live.
New Living Translation
Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live.
New Life Bible
Your Law is right forever. Give me understanding and I will live.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thy testimonies are an everlasting righteousness: instruct me, and I shall live.
English Revised Version
Thy testimonies are righteous for ever: give me understanding, and I shall live.
Berean Standard Bible
Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live.
New Revised Standard
Your decrees are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Righteous are thy testimonies, unto times age-abiding, Give me understanding, that I may live.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(118-144) Thy testimonies are justice for ever: give me understanding, and I shall live.
Lexham English Bible
The righteousness of your testimonies is forever; give me understanding that I may live.
English Standard Version
Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.
New American Standard Bible
Your testimonies are righteous forever; Give me understanding that I may live.
New Century Version
Your rules are always good. Help me understand so I can live.
Good News Translation
Your instructions are always just; give me understanding, and I shall live.
Christian Standard Bible®
Your decrees are righteous forever. Give me understanding, and I will live.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thi witnessyngis is equite with outen ende; yyue thou vndirstondyng to me, and Y schal lyue.
Revised Standard Version
Thy testimonies are righteous for ever; give me understanding that I may live.
Young's Literal Translation
The righteousness of Thy testimonies [is] to Cause me to understand, and I live!

Contextual Overview

143 Trouble and anguish have overtaken me; yet Thy commandments are my delight. 144 Thy testimonies are righteous for ever; give me understanding, and I shall live.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

righteousness: Psalms 119:138, Psalms 119:152, Matthew 5:18, 1 Peter 1:23-25

give me: Psalms 119:34, Psalms 119:66, Psalms 119:73, Psalms 119:169, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 1 John 5:20, 1 John 5:21

understanding: Proverbs 10:21, Isaiah 6:9, Isaiah 6:10, Isaiah 27:11, Jeremiah 4:22, Daniel 12:10, Hosea 4:6, Matthew 13:19, John 17:3

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 3:9 - Give therefore Psalms 93:5 - Thy Psalms 111:3 - righteousness Psalms 119:142 - an everlasting Psalms 119:160 - and every one John 17:17 - word 2 Timothy 2:7 - and

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The righteousness of thy testimonies [is] everlasting,.... Or, "for ever" b. The righteousness which they require, or which they publish; the righteousness revealed in the Gospel, which is the righteousness of Christ; :-;

give me understanding, and I shall live; an understanding of the testimonies of the Lord, of the word of God, the law of God, and Gospel of Christ; an understanding of divine and spiritual things; a clearer and larger understanding of them, which is the gift of God; both that itself at first, and an increase of it here prayed for, the end, issue, and effect of which is life. Such live spiritually, and by faith; they live cheerfully and comfortably, and "for ever", as Aben Ezra and Kimchi repeat from the former clause: for "this is life eternal know the only true God and Jesus Christ"; or to have spiritual understanding of them, and of those things which relate to spiritual peace and comfort here, and eternal happiness hereafter, John 17:3.

b לעולם "in seculum", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius "in aeternum", V. L.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The righteousness of thy testimonies - The principles of righteousness on which they are founded. Those testimonies - those laws - are not arbitrary, or the mere expressions of will. They are founded on right and justice as seen by God, and his laws are his testimony as to what truth and justice are.

Is everlasting - See the notes at Psalms 119:142.

Give me understanding, and I shall live - Give me a right view of thy law, and thy truth, and I shall have real life. See the notes at Psalms 119:34.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 119:144. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting — Thy moral law was not made for one people, or for one particular time; it is as imperishable as thy nature, and of endless obligation. It is that law by which all the children of Adam shall be judged.

Give me understanding — To know and practise it.

And I shall live. — Shall glorify thee, and live eternally; not for the merit of having done it, but because thou didst fulfil the work of the law in my heart, having saved me from condemnation by it.

ANALYSIS OF LETTER TSADDI. - Eighteenth Division

In this division the psalmist -

I. Commends the law of God, from its Author, its equity, its purity, and its perpetuity.

II. A consideration of which led him to love and delight in it, though opposed by many enemies.

I. 1. "Righteous art thou." Thou alterest not with times, thou changest not with persons, thou art ever the same.

2. Thy judgments, in giving rewards and dispensing punishments, are upright.

3. Thy testimonies, that declare this, are righteous and faithful.

He consequently felt an ardent zeal for God's glory.

1. This "zeal consumed him," and he expresses the cause.

2. Men "forgot God's words." He pined away for grief on this account. He turns to another character of God's law.

"Thy word is very pure."

1. It is pure in itself, and the purifier of the heart.

2. On this account he loved it; and we know that "love is the fulfilling of the law."

A third effect was a careful remembrance of it, though tried by his enemies.

1. "I am small." Of no weight nor authority; have no secular power.

2. "Despised." Have no credit nor respect.

3. "Yet do I not forget thy precepts." Nothing can move me while upheld by thee; and thou wilt uphold me while I cleave unto thee.

A fourth commendation of God's law is its immutability.

1. It is immutable, and can never be dispensed with. It is a righteousness that is everlasting.

2. It is the truth: 1. It has priority of all laws; 2. Contains no falsehood.

3. Its promises and threatenings shall all be punctually fulfilled.

II. He loved and delighted in it, notwithstanding he had trouble and anguish.

1. Trouble and anguish. The righteous are often under the cross.

2. Yet "thy commandments are my delights." While faithful to thee, all my afflictions are sanctified to me, so that I can rejoice while I suffer.

He speaks again about the immutability of God's word.

1. "The righteousness of thy testimonies," Thy word is like thyself, for it comes from thee.

2. "Give me understanding." I always stand in need of teaching.

3. "And I shall live." All is death without thee. Live in me, that I may live by thee.


 
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