15
I will meditate on Your precepts
And regard Your ways.
My Thoughts
I once had a pastor that gave a visual example of Godly meditation, he used the description of a cow “chewing it’s cud”, if you’ve never seen this the cow will stand and chew over and over again, drawing all of the nutrients out of the grass or hay that it is eating. In the same way, we should meditate on God’s Word, taking a scripture and going over and over it, until we have broken it down bit by bit and drawing out of it all of the “nutrients” of His Word, and it becomes ingrained inside of us.
In this verse, David emphasizes the importance of meditating on God’s word. This practice enriches one’s spiritual life and forms a foundation for understanding and obeying God’s commandments. The commentaries below stress that true meditation leads to a heartfelt delight in God’s laws and encourages believers to reflect continually on His ways as a guide for their lives. Meditation in the scriptures is a source of wisdom and joy, bringing about a deeper connection with God.
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 15, which is in the 2nd section, 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:
Charles Spurgeon
“I will meditate in thy precepts.” He who has an inward delight in anything will not long withdraw his mind from it. As the miser often returns to look upon his treasure, so does the devout believer by frequent meditation turn over the priceless wealth which he has discovered in the book of the Lord. To some men, meditation is a task; to the man of cleansed way it is a joy. He who has meditated will meditate; he who saith, “I have rejoiced,” is the same who adds, “I will meditate.” No spiritual exercise is more profitable to the soul than that of devout meditation; why are many of us so exceedingly slack in it? It is worthy of observation that the preceptory part of God’s word was David’s special subject of meditation, and this was the more natural because the question was still upon his mind as to how a young man should cleanse his way. Practical godliness is vital godliness.
“And have respect unto thy ways,” that is to say, I will think much about them so as to know what thy ways are; and next, I will think much of them so as to have thy ways in great reverence and high esteem. I will see what thy ways are towards me that I may be filled with reverence, gratitude, and love; and then I will observe what are those ways which thou hast prescribed for me, thy ways in which thou wouldest have me follow thee; these I would watch carefully that I may become obedient, and prove myself to be a true servant of such a Master.
Note how the verses grow more inward as they proceed: from the speech of Psa 119:13 we advanced to the manifested joy of Psa 119:14), and now we come to the secret meditation of the happy spirit. The richest graces are those which dwell deepest.
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Enduring Word
I will meditate…and contemplate…I will delight…I will not forget Your word: The greatness of God’s word has led the psalmist to great resolution for his life. His life will be filled with God’s word, in his mind (meditate…contemplate), in his heart (delight), and in his habits (not forget). (Guzik)
i. “Meditation is recalling what we have committed to memory and then turning it over and over in our minds to see the fullest implications and applications of the truth.” (Boice)
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Albert Barnes
I will meditate in thy precepts – I will think of them; I will find my happiness in them. See the notes at Psalms 1:2.
And have respect unto thy ways – And look to thy ways – thy commands. I continually regard them, or refer to them in my mind, as the guide of my life. See the notes at Psalms 119:6.
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John Gill
I will meditate in thy precepts,…. In his own mind, revolve them in his thoughts; consider well the nature, excellency, usefulness, and importance of them, and the obligations he lay under to observe them. The Targum is, “I will speak of thy precepts,” in conversation to others, and recommend them to them; so the Arabic version:
and have respect unto thy ways; or “look” unto them; take heed unto them, and walk in them, and not wander from them; make them the rule of walk and conversation; as travelers look well to their ways, that they do not miss them, and go into wrong ways; they observe the directions that have been given them, and keep unto them; and so good men refer to the ways of the Lord, which the Scriptures point out unto them; see Jeremiah 6:16.
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Matthew Henry
He looks forward with a holy resolution never to cool in his affection to the word of God; what he does that he will do, 2 Co. 11:12. Those that have found pleasure in the ways of God are likely to proceed and persevere in them.
1. He will dwell much upon them in his thoughts (v. 15): I will meditate in thy precepts. He not only discoursed of them to others (many do that only to show their knowledge and authority), but he communed with his own heart about them, and took pains to digest in his own thoughts what he had declared, or had to declare, to others. Note, God’s words ought to be very much the subject of our thoughts.
2. He will have them always in his eye: I will have respect unto thy ways, as the traveler has to his road, which he is in care not to miss and always aims and endeavors to hit. We do not meditate on God’s precepts to good purpose unless we have respect to them as our rule, and our good thoughts produce good works and good intentions in them.
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Adam Clarke
I will meditate —
He should encourage self-examination and reflection, and meditate frequently on God’s words, works, and ways, and especially on his gracious dealings towards him.
He should keep his eye upon God’s steps; setting the example of his Savior before his eyes, going where he would go, and nowhere else; doing what he would do, and nothing else; keeping the company that he would keep, and none else; and doing every thing in reference to the final judgment.
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The Pulpit Commentaries
I will meditate in thy precepts. The full force of the Divine precepts is not to be grasped except by prolonged meditation on them. God’s commandments are “exceeding broad” (Psalms 119:96). And have respect unto thy ways; or, “consider them,” “reflect upon them.”
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Miscellaneous Quotes
“I will meditate in thy precepts.” Not only of thy precepts or concerning them, but in them, while engaged in doing them.
—Joseph Addison Alexander.
“I will.” See this “I will“ repeated again and again (Psa 119:48, 78). In meditation it is hard (sometimes at least) to take off our thoughts from the pre-engagements of other subjects, and apply them to the duty. But it is harder to become duly serious in acting in it, harder yet to dive and ponder; and hardest of all to continue in an abode of thoughts, and dwell long enough, and after views to make reviews, to react the same thinking, to taste things over and over, when the freshness and newness is past, when by long thinking the things before us seem old. We are ready to grow dead and flat in a performance except we stir up ourselves often in it. It is hard to hold on and hold up, unless we hold up a wakeful eye, a warm affection, a strong and quick repeated resolution; yea, and without often lifting up the soul to Christ for fresh recruits of strength to hold on. David, that so excellent artist in this way, saith he will meditate, he often saith he will. Doubtless, he not only said “I will“ when he was to make his entrance into this hard work; but likewise for continuance in it, to keep up his heart from flagging, till he well ended his work. It is not the digging into the golden mine, but the digging long, that finds and fetches up the treasure. It is not the diving into the sea, but staying longer, that gets the greater quantity of pearls. To draw out the golden thread of meditation to its due length till the spiritual ends be attained, this is a rare and happy attainment.
—Nathanael Ranew, 1670.
“I will meditate.” How much our “rejoicing in the testimonies“ of God would be increased by a more habitual meditation upon them! This is, however, a resolution which the carnal mind can never be brought to make, and to which the renewed mind through remaining depravity is often sadly reluctant. But it is a blessed employment, and will repay a thousand fold the difficulty of engaging the too backward heart in the duty.
—Charles Bridges.
“Meditate in, thy precepts.” Study the Scriptures. If a famous man does but write an excellent book, O how we do long to see it! Or suppose I could tell you that there is in France or Germany a book that God himself wrote, I am confident men may draw all the money out of your purses to get that book. You have it by you: O that you would study it! When the eunuch was riding in his chariot, he was studying the prophet Isaiah. He was not angry when Philip came and, as we would have thought, asked him a bold question: “Understandest thou what thou readest?” (Act 8:27-30); he was glad of it. One great end of the year of release was that the law might be read (Deu 31:9-13). It is the wisdom of God that speaks in the Scripture (Luk 11:49); therefore, whatever else you mind, really and carefully study the Bible.
—Samuel Jacomb (1629-1659), in “The Morning Exercises.“
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Cross-References
Psalm 119:6 (KJV )
6 Then shall I not be ashamed,
When I have respect unto all thy commandments.
Psalm 1:2 (KJV )
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psalm 119:78 (KJV )
78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause:
But I will meditate in thy precepts.
Psalm 25:4 (KJV )
4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
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Closing Thoughts
Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Jeremiah 6:16 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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