What does Psalms 119:4 Mean?

Context Summary

This long and noble psalm is devoted to the praise of God's Word, which is mentioned in every verse but one, Psalms 119:122. Probably if we were to substitute Will for Word we should not be far wrong. The earnest desire of the writer was that his will should be brought into blessed and unbroken union with the divine purpose in his life.

In its structure the psalm is an elaborate acrostic. In the original, each verse in a given section begins with the same letter, so that the twenty-two sections present the complete Hebrew alphabet.

It needs to be often used to be understood and valued. Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine, and Luther have left on record high tributes to its worth. There are several key expressions, which recur again and again, such as quicken and teach me thy statutes. It is interesting, also, to construct the psalmist's biography from his confessions. He had gone astray like a lost sheep, was small and despised, had many adversaries, was like a bottle in the smoke; but he accounted God's will and service more than food or gold, and his one desire was to be taught to do that will. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 119

¹  This psalm contains various prayers, praises, and professions of obedience
²  Aleph
⁹  Beth
¹⁷  Gimel
²⁵  Daleth
³³  He
⁴¹  Waw
⁴⁹  Zayin
⁵⁷  Heth
⁶⁵  Teth
⁷³  Yodh
⁸¹  Kaph
⁸⁹  Lamedh
⁹⁷  Mem
¹⁰⁵  Nun
¹¹³  Samekh
¹²¹  Ayin
¹²⁹  Pe
¹³⁷  Tsadhe
¹⁴⁵  Qoph
¹⁵³  Resh
¹⁶¹  Sin and Shin
¹⁶⁹  Taw