Known - Loved and practised them.
Sound - That I may love and obey them sincerely, constantly, and universally.
Fainteth - With long desire and earnest expectation.
Bottle - A leathern bottle. My natural moisture is dryed and burnt up.
The days - The days of my life. I have but a little while to live; give me some respite before I die.
Who - Who have no respect to thy law.
Faithful - Just and true.
In heaven - With thee in thy heavenly habitation.
They - The heaven and the earth. Ordinances - As thou hast appointed. For - All things are subject to thy power and pleasure.
Perfection - Of the greatest and most perfect enjoyments in this world. Commandment - Thy word; one part of it being put for the whole. Broad - Or, large, both for extent, and for continuance: it is useful to all persons: it is of everlasting truth and efficacy; it will never deceive those who trust to it, as all worldly things will, but will make men happy both here and for ever.
Because - The practice of religion is the best way to understand it.
Taught me - By thy blessed spirit, illuminating my mind, and working upon my heart.
Offerings - The sacrifices of prayer and praise.
Is - Exposed to perpetual danger.
Deceit - Their deceitful devices, shall bring that destruction upon themselves which they design for others.
Judgment, &c. - Just judgment.
Surety - Do thou undertake and plead my cause.
The word - For the performance of thy faithful or merciful promise.
To work - To put forth thy power for the restraint of evil - doers. They - The wicked. Made void - Or, abrogated thy law, have openly cast off its authority.
Therefore - Because the general apostacy of others makes this duty more necessary.
Wonderful - In regard of the deep mysteries, the most excellent directions, and the exceeding great and precious promises of God contained in them.
Panted - I thirst after thy precepts, and pursue them eagerly.
Steps - My motions and actions.
Rivers - Plentiful tears, witness of my deep sorrow for God's dishonour, and for the miseries which sinners bring upon themselves.
Pure - Without the least mixture of falsehood.
Everlasting - The same in all ages and places.
Trouble - Outward troubles and anguish of spirit.
Watches - The middle watch, which was set in the middle of the night; and the morning watch, which was set some hours before the dawning of the day.
Judgment - According to thy word.
Nigh - To me, they are at hand and ready to seize upon me. Are far - They cast away from them all thoughts of thy law.
Of old - By long experience. Founded - Thou hast established them upon everlasting foundations.
The beginning - From the beginning of the world.
But - But I feared thine offence and displeasure more than their wrath.
Seven times - Many times; a certain number being put for an uncertain.
Offend - Heb. they shall have no stumbling - block, at which they shall stumble and fall into mischief.
Judgments - Thy word or testimonies, which are the only ground of my hope in thy help.
Arrows - The wrath and vengeance of the mighty God, which in scripture is often compared to arrows, and here to coals of juniper, which burn very fiercely and retain their heat for a long time.
Mesech - Mesech and Kedar are two sorts of people often mentioned in scripture, and reckoned amongst the barbarous nations. But their names are here to be understood metaphorically. And so he explains himself in the next verse.
Hills - To Sion and Moriah, which are called the holy mountains.
Shade - To keep thee from the burning heat of the sun.
Smite - With excessive heat. Moon - With that cold and moisture which come into the air by it. Intemperate heats and colds are the springs of many diseases.
The tribes - Whom God has chosen to be his people. Unto - Unto the ark, called the testimony, because of the tables of the covenant laid up in it, which are called God's testimony, and the tables of the testimony. And this is called the testimony of, or to Israel, because it was given by God to them. Give thanks - To worship God; this one eminent part thereof being put for all the rest.
Judgment - The supreme courts of justice for ecclesiastical and civil affairs. Thrones - The royal throne allotted by God to David and to his posterity, and the inferior seats of justice under his authority.
Look - For supply of their wants, and for help and defence against their oppressors. Until - Until he help and save us.
The proud - Our enemies, compared to proud waters, for their great multitude and swelling rage.