Psalm 119:48 NKJV
48
My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.
Meditation on God’s Statutes: Embracing His Commands
My Notes
In this verse, David shows his commitment to God’s commandments by lifting his hands in praise and worship and by meditating on God’s Word. Physically raising our hands is a sign of love, happiness, and desire to obey our Father. When we raise our hands to God, we are also blessing him and showing that our desire is for Him in our lives.
This isn’t something that should be done in a ritualistic fashion, but in a manner of love and as we are moved by the Spirit to show our Father that we want to always praise Him and worship Him for all that He has done and is doing in our lives. The verse also gives us another call to meditate on the Word, not just read it, but as we study it, to ask God to reveal to our spirit what He wants to show us.
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 48, which is in the 6th section, which is called “VAV.ו”. According to the hebrews4christians.com website, the letter Vav (“WAW” in several versions of the Bible) is the 6th letter of the Aleph-Bet, having the numeric value of six. The pictograph for VAV looks like a tent peg. Since VAV represents the number six, it has long been associated as the number of man in the Jewish tradition:
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Man was created on the sixth day
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Man works for six days
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The “beast” is identified as the “number of a man” – 666 (Revelation 13:18)
Since it looks like a tent peg, it is also used for connecting things. So, in it, we can think of the connection between spiritual and earthly matters.
……..Bill
Commentaries:
Charles Spurgeon
“My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved.” He will stretch out towards perfection as far as he can, hoping to reach it one day; when his hands hang down, he will cheer himself out of languor by the prospect of glorifying God by obedience; and he will give solemn sign of his hearty assent and consent to all that his God commands. The phrase “lift up my hands” is very full of meaning, and doubtless the sweet singer meant all that we can see in it, and a great deal more. Again, he declares his love; for a true heart loves to express itself; it is a kind of fire which must send forth its flames. It was natural that he should reach out towards a law which he delighted in, even as a child holds out its hands to receive a gift which it longs for. When such a lovely object as holiness is set before us, we are bound to rise towards it with our whole nature, and till that is fully accomplished, we should at least lift up our hands in prayer towards it. Where holy hands and holy hearts go, the whole man will one day follow.
“And I will meditate in thy statutes.” He can never have enough of meditation upon the mind of God. Loving subjects wish to be familiar with their sovereign’s statutes, for they are anxious that they may not offend through ignorance. Prayer with lifted hands, and meditation with upward glancing eyes will in happy union work out the best inward results. The prayer of Psa 119:41 is already fulfilled in the man who is thus struggling upward and studying deeply. The whole of this verse is in the future, and may be viewed not only as a determination of David’s mind, but as a result which he knew would follow from the Lord’s sending him his mercies and his salvation. When mercy comes down, our hands will be lifted up; when God in favor thinks upon us, we are sure to think of him. Happy is he who stands with hands uplifted both to receive the blessing and to obey the precept; he shall not wait upon the Lord in vain.
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Enduring Word
And I will delight myself in Your commandments: That he set this in an I will statement shows that delighting in God’s word is a choice, a matter of the will. The psalmist didn’t wait for a feeling of delight to overcome him; he simply said, I will delight myself in Your commandments. (Guzik)
i. In Psalm 119:44, the psalmist proclaimed: So shall I keep Your law continually. In the verses following he lists at least three things that come from this life of obedience: liberty, confidence (will not be ashamed), and delight. These are blessings of the obedient life – blessings not earned by our obedience, but simply enjoyed by those of us who will keep His law continually. (Guzik)
Which I love…which I love: The strength and the depth of the psalmist’s love for God’s word are impressive. That love is manifested not only in the feeling of delight, but also in an act of honor (My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments), and time and energy spent with God’s word (I will meditate). (Guzik)
i. We may say that all true love has these three components: feeling, the giving of honor, and the desire to spend time and energy in knowing the beloved. This is a good measure of our love for God’s word. (Guzik)
ii. My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments: “A bold expression of yearning for God’s revelation in Scripture.” (Kidner)
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Albert Barnes
My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments … – As an expression of delight or rejoicing, as people lift up their hands with their voice when they give expression to joy. It denotes a high state of joy, such as leads to an outward expression; not merely that which exists in calm contemplation, but where the heart is full, and when it finds outward expression.
And I will meditate in thy statutes – See Psalms 1:2. I will indicate my joy-my happiness-in thy commandments in every way possible; by outward expressions, and by deep and calm contemplation when I am alone; in my daily employments, in solitude, in the night-watches. This is indicative always of true religion.
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John Gill
and I will meditate in thy statutes; and thereby get a better understanding of them, and be in a better disposition and capacity to keep them.
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Matthew Henry
That he should be diligent and vigorous in his duty: I will lift up my hands to thy commandments, which denotes not only a vehement desire towards them (Ps. 143:6)-“I will lay hold of them as one afraid of missing them, or letting them go;” but a close application of mind to the observance of them-“I will lay my hands to the command, not only to praise it, but practice it; nay, I will lift up my hands to it, that is, I will put forth all the strength I have to do it.” The hands that hang down, through sloth and discouragement, shall be lifted up, Heb. 12:12.
That he should be thoughtful and considerate in his duty (v. 48): “I will meditate in thy statutes, not only entertain myself with thinking of them as matters of speculation, but contrive how I may observe them in the best manner.” By this, it will appear that we truly love God’s commandments if we apply both our minds and our hands to them.
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Miscellaneous Notes
“My hands also will I lift up.” To lift up the hands is taken variously, and it signifies:
1. To pray: as in Psa 28:2; Lam 2:19; Hab 3:10.
2. To bless others: as Lev 9:22; Psa 134:2.
3. To swear: as Gen 14:22; Exo 6:8.
4. To set about some important matter: as
Gen 41:44; “without thee shall no man lift up his hand;” i.e. shall attempt anything, or shall accomplish;
Psa 10:12; “lift up thine hand,” viz., effectively, to bring help;
Heb 12:12; “lift up the hands,” etc.; i.e. strongly stimulate Christians.
Perhaps all these may be accommodated to the present passage; for it is possible to be either,
1. Prayer for Divine grace for the doing of the precepts: or,
2. Blessing, i.e. praise of God because of them, and the advantages which have thence accrued to us: which the Syriac translator approves, who adds, “and I will glory in thy faithfulness:” or,
3. Vow, or oath of constant obedience, etc.,—or,
4. Active and earnest undertaking of them, which, also, appears to be here chiefly meant.
—Henry Hammond in Synopsis Poli.
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Cross-References
Psalm 28:2 (KJV)
2 Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee,
When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
Psalm 63:4 (KJV)
4 Thus will I bless thee while I live:
I will lift up my hands in thy name.
Genesis 14:22 (KJV)
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
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Closing Thoughts
Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. Psalm 63:4 NKJV
ו VAV – Connecting spiritual and earthly matters.
41
Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord—
Your salvation according to Your word.
42
So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.
43
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I have hoped in Your ordinances.
44
So shall I keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.
45
And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.
46
I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings,
And will not be ashamed.
47
And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.
48
My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.
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