From Knowledge to Praise: The Journey in Psalm 119:7

Psalm 119:7 NKJV

I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.

My Thoughts

David emphasizes the importance of praising God with sincerity and integrity. He aims to praise God wholeheartedly, recognizing that true praise comes from learning and embodying His righteous judgments. The commentaries below highlight the transition from prayer to praise, the necessity of an upright heart, and the continuous pursuit of understanding God’s laws. The ultimate goal is not just knowledge, but a deeper relationship with God that fosters genuine gratitude and worship. David expresses a longing to learn more about divine righteousness, leading to a lifetime of elevated praise, as knowledge of God inspires admiration and worship.

Psalm 119 is an acrostic pattern. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet; each of the 22 sections is given a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each line in that section begins with that letter. Today, we’re looking at the 7th verse in the section of ALEPH, which describes the blessedness of those who walk in God’s word and their longing to do so.

…..Bill

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Commentaries:

Charles Spurgeon

“I will praise thee.” From prayer to praise is here, a long or a difficult journey. Be sure that he who prays for holiness will one day praise for happiness. Shame having vanished, silence is broken, and the formerly silent man declares, “I will praise thee.” He cannot but promise praise while he seeks sanctification. Mark how well he knows upon what head to set the crown. “I will praise thee.” He would himself be praiseworthy, but he counts God alone worthy of praise. By the sorrow and shame of sin, he measures his obligations to the Lord who would teach him the art of living so that he should clean escape from his former misery.

“With up righteous of heart.” His heart would be upright if the Lord would teach him, and then it should praise its teacher. There is such a thing as false and feigned praise, and this the Lord abhors; but there is no music like that which comes from a pure soul which standeth in its integrity. Heart praise is required, uprightness in that heart, and teaching to make the heart upright. An upright heart is sure to bless the Lord, for grateful adoration is a part of its uprightness; no man can be right unless he is upright towards God, and this involves the rendering to him the praise which is his due.

“When I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.” We must learn to praise, learn that we may praise, and praise when we have learned. If we are ever to learn, the Lord must teach us, and especially upon such a subject as his judgments, for they are a great deep. While these are passing before our eyes, and we are learning from them, we ought to praise God, for the original is not, “when I have learned,” but, “in my learning.” While yet I am a scholar, I will be a chorister: my upright heart shall praise thine uprightness, my purified judgment shall admire thy judgments. God’s providence is a book full of teaching, and to those whose hearts are right, it is a music book, out of which they chant to Jehovah’s praise. God’s word is full of the record of his righteous providence, and as we read it, we feel compelled to burst forth into expressions of holy delight and ardent praise. When we both read of God’s judgments and become joyful partakers in them, we are doubly moved to song—song in which there is neither formality, nor hypocrisy, nor lukewarmness, for the heart is upright in the presentation of its praise.

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Enduring Word

I will praise You with uprightness of heart: The psalmist found it not only important to praise God, but to do it with uprightness of heart. He did not want to offer God the image of praise or a moment of praise when the rest of his life was not upright. (Guzik)

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Albert Barnes

I will praise thee with uprightness of heart – With an upright and sincere heart.

When I shall have learned – Hebrew, “In my learning.” In the practice or act of learning them. His own experience of their nature, influence, and value would lead him to sincere praise. He had no doubt of finding that they were worthy of his praises, and of seeing in them more and more occasion to glorify and honor God. The more we know of God, the more shall we see in him to praise. The larger our acquaintance and experience, the more our hearts will be disposed to magnify his name. This remark must extend to all that there is in God to be learned; and as that is infinite, so there will be occasion for renewed and more elevated praise to all eternity.

Thy righteous judgments – Margin, as in Hebrew, “Judgments of thy righteousness.” The laws or statutes which God, as a righteous or just God, appoints to be the rule of conduct to his creatures.

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John Gill

I will praise thee with uprightness of heart,…. In the most sincere manner, in the most affectionate way, with the whole heart; sensible of great favors received, and great obligations laid under; see Psalm 9:1;

when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments; or, “the judgments of thy righteousness”: of the righteousness of God, declared in his righteous law; which is founded upon, and is according to, the strictest rules of justice and equity; and so are all the precepts of it: and of the righteousness of Christ, revealed in the Gospel; by which God appears to be just, while he is the justifier of him that believes in Jesus. Now the precepts of the one, and the doctrines of the other, are to be learned, and learned of God, in his word and by his Spirit. The psalmist had been learning them, but was desirous of learning more of them, not being a complete proficient in them; and of learning them, not merely in the theory, but in the practice and experience of them; which, when he had attained unto, as he hoped he should, it would be matter of the most sincere praise and thankfulness.

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Matthew Henry

David’s endeavor to perfect himself in his religion, and to make himself (as we say) master of his business. He hopes to learn God’s righteous judgments. He knew much, but he was still pressing forward and desired to know more, as knowing this, that he had not yet attained; but as far as perfection is attainable in this life, he reached towards it, and would not take up short of it. As long as we live, we must be scholars in Christ’s school, and sit at his feet; but we should aim to be head-scholars, and to get into the highest form. God’s judgments are all righteous, and therefore it is desirable not only to learn them, but to be learned in them, mighty in the scriptures.

The use he would make of his divine learning. He coveted to be learned in the laws of God, not that he might make himself a name and interest among men, or fill his own head with entertaining speculations, but,

That he might give God the glory of his learning: I will praise thee when I have learned thy judgments, intimating that he could not learn unless God taught him, and that divine instructions are special blessings, which we have reason to be thankful for. Though Christ keeps a free school, and teaches without money and without price, yet he expects his scholars should give him thanks both for his word and for his Spirit; surely it is a mercy worth thanks to be taught so gainful a calling as religion is. Those have learned a good lesson who have learned to praise God, for that is the work of angels, the work of heaven. It is an easy thing to praise God in word and tongue; but those only are well learned in this mystery who have learned to praise him with uprightness of heart, that is, are inward with him in praising him, and sincerely aim at his glory in the course of their conversation as well as in the exercises of devotion. God accepts only the praises of the upright.

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Miscellaneous Quotes

“I will praise thee.” What is the matter for which he praises God? It is that he has been taught something of him and by him amongst men. To have learned any tongue or science, from some school of philosophy, bindeth us to our alma mater. We praise those who can teach a dog, a horse, this or that; but for us ass colts to learn the will of God, how to walk pleasing before him, this should be acknowledged of us as a great mercy from God.

—Paul Bayne.

“Praise thee… when I shall have learned,” etc. But when doth David say that he will be thankful? Even when God shall teach him. Both the matter and the grace of thankfulness are from God. As he did with Abraham, he commanded him to worship by sacrifice, and at the same time gave him the sacrifice: so doth he with all his children; for he gives not only good things, for which they should thank him, but in like manner grace by which they are able to thank him.

—William Cowper.

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Cross-References

Psalm 119:62 (KJV )

⁶² At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee

Because of thy righteous judgments.

Psalm 119:160 (KJV )

¹⁶⁰ Thy word is true from the beginning:

And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Psalm 119:164 (KJV )

¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day do I praise thee

Because of thy righteous judgments.

Psalm 119:34 (KJV )

³⁴ Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law;

Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Psalm 19:9 (KJV )

⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever:

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

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Closing Thoughts

My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin, Proverbs 7:1-4 NKJV

Meditations on the Excellencies of the Word of God

א ALEPH

119

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!

Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!

They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.

You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.

Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!

Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.

I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.

I will keep Your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!