Psa 19:9, 119:30, 39 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 9. The fear of the Lord ] yirah , from yara, to fear , to venerate ; often put for the whole of Divine worship. The reverence we owe to the Supreme Being. Is clean ] tehorah , from tahar , to be pure, clean ; not differing much from barah , (see above,) to be clean and bright as the heavens ; as purified SILVER. Its object is to purge away all defilement , to make a spotless character . Enduring for ever ] omedeth laad, standing up to PERPETUITY. The fear that prevents us from offending God, that causes us to reverence him, and is the beginning as it is the safeguard of wisdom , must be carried all through life. No soul is safe for a moment without it. It prevents departure from God, and keeps that clean which God has purified. This is ITS use . The judgments of the Lord ] mishpatim , from shaphat , he judged, regulated, disposed , All God's regulations , all his decisions ; what he has pronounced to be right and proper. Are true ] emeth, truth , from am , to support, confirm, make stable , and certain . This is the character of God's judgments . They shall all stand . All dispensations in providence and grace confirm them; they are certain , and have a fixed character . And righteous altogether. ] They are not only according to truth ; but they are righteous , tsadeku , they give to all their due . They show what belongs to God , to man , and to ourselves . And hence the word altogether , yachdav, equally , is added; or truth and righteousness united .

‏ Psalms 19:9

Verse 9. The fear of the Lord] yirah, from yara, to fear, to venerate; often put for the whole of Divine worship. The reverence we owe to the Supreme Being.

Is clean] tehorah, from tahar, to be pure, clean; not differing much from barah, (see above,) to be clean and bright as the heavens; as purified SILVER. Its object is to purge away all defilement, to make a spotless character.

Enduring for ever] omedeth laad, standing up to PERPETUITY. The fear that prevents us from offending God, that causes us to reverence him, and is the beginning as it is the safeguard of wisdom, must be carried all through life. No soul is safe for a moment without it. It prevents departure from God, and keeps that clean which God has purified. This is ITS use.

The judgments of the Lord] mishpatim, from shaphat, he judged, regulated, disposed, All God's regulations, all his decisions; what he has pronounced to be right and proper.

Are true] emeth, truth, from am, to support, confirm, make stable, and certain. This is the character of God's judgments. They shall all stand. All dispensations in providence and grace confirm them; they are certain, and have a fixed character.

And righteous altogether.] They are not only according to truth; but they are righteous, tsadeku, they give to all their due. They show what belongs to God, to man, and to ourselves. And hence the word altogether, yachdav, equally, is added; or truth and righteousness united.

‏ Psalms 119:30

Verse 30. I have chosen the way of truth] And that I may continue in its "remove from me the way of lying." See above.

‏ Psalms 119:39

Verse 39. Turn away my reproach, which I fear] This may be understood of the reproach which a man may meet with in consequence of living a godly life, for such a life was never fashionable in any time or country. But I have found the following note on the passage: "I have done a secret evil; my soul is sorry for it: if it become public, it will be a heavy reproach to me. O God, turn it away, and let it never meet the eye of man!"-Anon.