13
With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
My Thoughts
Albert Barnes noted, “We have here an example of what a man who does not claim to be a public teacher may do, and should do, in making known and defending divine truth.” So while we are not all ministers or professors of religion, we all should be prepared to let people know and to defend our faith, which is in Christ Jesus, and to do what we need to do to be prepared by reading and studying the Word of God.
In Psalm 119:13, David emphasizes the importance of verbally declaring the Word of God, as highlighted by Albert Barnes and David expresses how his understanding of God’s laws motivates him to teach others, aligning with notions from notable commentators like Matthew Henry and Charles Spurgeon, who advocate for proclaiming revealed judgments rather than hidden aspects of God’s will.
Note: 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 verse 13, which is in the 2nd section, which is called Beth ב, which also means “a house.” Some have suggested that this section tells us how to make our heart a home for the word of God.
……Bill
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Commentaries:
Matthew Henry
That he had edified others with what he had been taught out of the word of God (v. 13): With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. This he did, not only as a king in making orders, and giving judgment, according to the word of God, nor only as a prophet by his psalms, but in his common discourse. Thus he showed how full he was of the word of God, and what a holy delight he took in his acquaintance with it; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. Thus he did good with his knowledge; he did not hide God’s word from others, but hid it for them; and, out of that good treasure in his heart, brought forth good things, as the householder out of his store things new and old. Those whose hearts are fed with the bread of life should with their lips feed many. He had prayed (v. 12) that God would teach him; and here he pleads, “Lord, I have endeavored to make a good use of the knowledge thou hast given me, therefore increase it;” for to him that has shall be given.
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Charles Spurgeon
“With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.” The taught one of Psa 119:12 is here a teacher himself. What we learn in secret, we are to proclaim upon the housetops. So had the Psalmist done. As much as he had known, he had spoken. God has revealed many of his judgments by his mouth, that is to say, by a plain and open revelation; these it is our duty to repeat, becoming, as it were, so many exact echoes of his one infallible voice. There are judgments of God which are a great deep, which he does not reveal, and with these it will be wise for us not to intermeddle. What the Lord has veiled it would be presumption for us to uncover; but, on the other hand, what the Lord has revealed it would be shameful for us to conceal. It is a great comfort to a Christian in time of trouble when, in looking back upon his past life, he can claim to have done his duty by the word of God. To have been, like Noah, a preacher of righteousness, is a great joy when the floods are rising, and the ungodly world is about to be destroyed. Lips which have been used in proclaiming God’s statutes are sure to be acceptable when pleading God’s promises. If we have had such regard to that which cometh out of God’s mouth that we have published it far and wide, we may rest quite as assured that God will have respect unto the prayers which come out of our mouths.
It will be an effectual method of cleansing a young man’s way if he addicts himself continually to preaching the gospel. He cannot go far wrong in judgment whose whole soul is occupied in setting forth the judgments of the Lord. By teaching we learn; by training the tongue to holy speech we master the whole body; by familiarity with the divine procedure we are made to delight in righteousness; and thus in a threefold manner our way is cleansed by our proclaiming the way of the Lord.
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Enduring Word
With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth: The psalmist understood the importance of not only silently reading or hearing the word of God, but also the importance in saying it. To declare God’s word (all the judgments of Your mouth) with his lips was another part of his relationship with and love for God. (Guzik)
i. We may confidently conclude that there is not enough – never enough – of this among the people of God. God’s people should have His word not only in their minds and hearts, but also upon their lips. Saying it is powerful and must not be neglected. (Guzik)
ii. “When we make the Scriptures the subject of our conversation, we glorify God, we edify our neighbors, and we improve ourselves.” (Horne)
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Albert Barnes
With my lips have I declared – That is, I have openly and publicly made thy words known to others; I have defended and vindicated them.
All the judgments – The word judgments here means the same as statutes or laws, and the idea is that he had been on the side of those laws, and had endeavored by argument and persuasion to bring others under their influence. How he had done it we are not informed; but we have no reason to suppose that the author of the psalm was a minister of religion, and if not, then we have here an example of what a man who does not claim to be a public teacher may do, and should do, in making known and defending divine truth. Every man is as much bound to do this in his sphere as the minister of religion is in his; and private members of the church have often an opportunity of doing this to more advantage than the ministers of the gospel possess.
Of thy mouth – With my mouth I speak those things which have proceeded from thine. I speak in thy name; I declare thy truth. It is not my own; it is thine.
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John Gill
With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. Not the judgments of his hand, what he executes on an ungodly world; nor the intricate dispensations of his providence; those judgments of his now unsearchable, though before long will be manifest; these the psalmist could not declare: but the revelation of the will of God, what his mouth has uttered, doctrines and precepts of righteousness and truth; these, though David had them in his heart, he did not conceal them from men; but out of the abundant experience he had of them in his heart, his lips spake of them, of their nature and excellency, and usefulness unto others: and whereas he desired to be instructed more and more in them, it was in order to teach them, and declare them to others; even all of them, in the most sincere and impartial manner; see Acts 20:27.
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The Pulpit Commentaries
With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” The “word” hid in the psalmist’s heart (Psalms 119:11) could not but rise to his lips on fit occasion, and be set forth before the people for their edification—more especially as there was an express command binding upon all Israelites to teach the Law to their children and dependents (see particularly Deuteronomy 6:7).
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Miscellaneous Quotes
“Declared all the judgments.” He says in another place (Psa 36:6), “Thy judgments are like a great deep.” As the apostle says (Rom 11:33-34), “O the depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord?” If the judgments are unsearchable, how then says the prophet, “I have declared all the judgments of thy mouth?” We answer,—peradventure there are judgments of God which are not the judgments of his mouth, but of his heart and hand only.
We make a distinction, for we have no fear that the sacred Scripture weakens itself by contradictions. It has not said, The judgments of his mouth are a great deep; but “Thy judgments.” Neither has the apostle said, The unsearchable judgments of his mouth: but “His unsearchable judgments.” We may regard the judgments of God, then, as those hidden ones which he has not revealed to us; but the judgments of his mouth, those which he has made known, and has spoken by the mouth of the prophets.
—Ambrose, 340-397.
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Cross-References
Deuteronomy 6:7 (KJV 1900)
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Psalm 34:11 (KJV 1900)
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me:
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Matthew 12:35 (KJV 1900)
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Psalm 1:2 (KJV 1900)
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
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Closing Thoughts
SHEMA – Declaration of Faith
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NKJV
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NKJV
Beth ב: Purity of life and meditation on God’s word.
9
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
10
With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
12
Blessed are You, O Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
13
With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
14
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15
I will meditate on Your precepts
And regard Your ways.
16
I shall delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.
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