NKJV
40
Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.
KJV
40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
Reviving the Spirit
My Thoughts
The Hebrew word for precept that is used here is “piqqûḏîm” which is translated from Strongs H6490 as:
פִּקּוּד piqqûwd, pik-kood’; or פִּקֻּד piqqud; from H6485; properly, appointed, i.e. a mandate (of God; plural only, collectively, for the Law):—commandment, precept, statute
Psalm 119:40 expresses David’s intense longing for God’s precepts, showing a desire not only to love and understand them but also to live righteously according to God’s will. Various commentators, including Matthew Henry and Charles Spurgeon, emphasize the sincerity of this yearning and the necessity for God’s grace to fulfill it.
David seeks revival through God’s righteousness, recognizing the need for spiritual renewal and strength to pursue a righteous life. Ultimately, this longing serves as an example of genuine conversion and the ongoing struggle for spiritual growth and understanding in accordance with God’s word.
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 40, which is in the 5th section, which is called “He ה”. According to the hebrews4christians.com website, the letter Hey (“He” in several versions of the Bible) is the 5th letter of the Aleph-Bet, having the numeric value of five. The pictograph for Hey looks like a man with his arms raised. The meaning of the name “Hey” is “look” or “behold”. “Hey” is considered to be formed from the Hebrew letters Dalet and Yod, which can be a picture of returning to God by means of the transforming power of the Spirit. Another description is opening the door of the heart, and the picture is of the Spirit of God indwelling the believer.
………Bill
Commentaries:
Matthew Henry
David professes the ardent affection he had for the word of God: “I have longed after thy precepts, not only loved them, and delighted in what I have already attained, but I have earnestly desired to know them more and do them better, and am still pressing forward towards perfection.” Tastes of the sweetness of God’s precepts will but set us a longing after a more intimate acquaintance with them. He appeals to God concerning this passionate desire after his precepts: “Behold, I have thus loved, thus longed; thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I am thus affected.”
He prays for grace to enable him to answer this profession. “Thou hast wrought in me this languishing desire, put life into me, that I may prosecute it; quicken me in thy righteousness, in thy righteous ways, according to thy righteous promise.” Where God has wrought to will he will work to do, and where he has wrought to desire he will satisfy the desire.
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Charles Spurgeon
“Behold, I have longed after thy precepts.” He can at least claim sincerity. He is deeply bowed down by a sense of his weakness and need of grace, but he does desire to be in all things conformed to the divine will. Where our longings are, there are we in the sight of God. If we have not attained perfection, it is something to have hungered after it. He who has given us to desire, will also grant us to obtain. The precepts are grievous to the ungodly, and therefore, when we are so changed as to long for them, we have clear evidence of conversion, and we may safely conclude that he who has begun the good work will carry it on.
“Quicken me in thy righteousness.” Give me more life wherewith to follow thy righteous law; or give me more life because thou hast promised to hear prayer, and it is according to thy righteousness to keep thy word. How often does David plead for quickening? But never once too often. We need quickening every hour of the day, for we are so sadly apt to become slow and languid in the ways of God. It is the Holy Spirit who can pour new life into us; let us not cease crying to him. Let the life we already possess show itself by longing for more.
The last verses of the octaves have generally exhibited an onward look of resolve, hope, and prayer. Here, past fruits of grace are made the plea for further blessing. Onward in the heavenly life is the cry of this verse.
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Enduring Word
I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness: Again, the psalmist prays for revival. The prayer comes from a heart that loves God’s word (Your precepts), asking to be made alive in the righteousness of God.
(David Guzik)
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John Gill
Behold, I have longed after thy precepts,…. After a greater degree of knowledge of them, and an opportunity of hearing them explained and enforced, and of yielding obedience to them; see Psalm 119:7;
quicken me in thy righteousness: in the way of righteousness, according to the word of righteousness, the Gospel, and with the righteousness of Christ revealed in it; and which is unto life, and quickens and comforts the heart, and from whence abundance of peace and joy flows.
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Adam Clarke
He concludes, desiring the Lord to look on the state of his heart: “Behold!” 1. Is not my heart right before thee? 2. If so, quicken me; make me alive, and keep me alive! Without the latter, the former will answer no end.
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Miscellaneous Quotes
“I have longed after thy precepts.” We are sometimes unconsciously led to “long” after the promises, more than “after the precepts“ of God; forgetting that it is our privilege and safety to have an equal regard to both—to obey his precepts in dependence on his promises, and to expect the accomplishment of the promises in the way of obedience to the precepts.—Charles Bridges.
“Precepts,” from a word which means to place in trust, mean something entrusted to man, “that which is committed to thee;” appointments of God, which consequently have to do with the conscience, for which man is responsible, as an intelligent being. The precepts are not so obviously apprehended as the law and the testimonies. They must be sought out. “Behold, my desire is for thy precepts“ (Psa 119:40). “Thy precepts I seek“ (Psa 119:45). “Thy precepts I have sought“ (Psa 119:94)… They are a law of liberty: “And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts“ (Psa 119:45).—John Jebb.
“Quicken me in thy righteousness.” He said before, “Quicken me in thy word,” here, “in thy righteousness;” all is one; for the word of God is the righteousness of God, in which is set down the will of righteousness. In this, the prophet desires to be quickened, that is, to be confirmed, that in cheerfulness and gladness of spirit, he might rely upon the word of God.—Richard Greenham.
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Cross-References
Psalm 119:20 (KJV 1900)
20 My soul breaketh for the longing
That it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
Psalm 119:149 (KJV 1900)
149 Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness:
O Lord, quicken me according to thy judgment.
1 Corinthians 1:30 (KJV 1900)
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
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Closing Thoughts
Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. Romans 16:25-27 NIV
He ה: Divine Breath and Revelation
33
Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
34
Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36
Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
37
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.
38
Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
39
Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
40
Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.
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