Psalm 119:59 NKJV
59
I thought about my ways,
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
Turning to God: Insights from Psalm 119:59
My Notes
David took time and examined himself, his life, and where his lifestyle was leading him. Then he compared it to the Word of God and realized that what he wanted was to live for the Father. The scripture says he “turned his feet,” isn’t this another way of saying he repented and went toward God’s testimonies?
The more time we spend in God’s word, the more we have something to compare our lives with. When Jesus talked of the prodigal son, he noted that the “son came to himself”. How do we come to ourselves unless we examine where our lifestyle is leading us and compare it to God’s promises?
The prodigal realized that “How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” (Luke 15:17) Likewise, when we examine ourselves and think about our ways, will we come to understand the better way to go is shown to us in the Word of our Father.
In Psalm 119:59, David reflects deeply on his life choices, acknowledging the need for self-examination to guide future actions. This introspection leads to a significant change, as he resolves to align his life with God’s teachings. Commentators like Matthew Henry and Charles Spurgeon emphasize that genuine reflection on one’s ways prompts a transformation towards obedience and God’s testimonies. The act of turning one’s feet signifies not just a physical shift but also an inner commitment to follow divine guidance. Ultimately, the passage highlights the importance of thoughtful consideration and practical realignment with faith to foster spiritual growth and righteousness.
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 59, which is in the 8th section, which is called “Heth ח”. According to the hebrews4christians.com website has this letter listed as “CHET where the NKJV lists it as “HETH”, the letter Heth ח is the 8th letter of the Aleph-Bet, having the numeric value of eight. The pictograph for Heth ח looks like a wall or fence, whereas the classical Hebrew script is constructed of the preceding two letters, Vav and Zayin, joined at the top with a thin connecting line.
Hebrewtoday.com list this as the letter “HET” and has this to say:
The Hebrew letter Het is associated with a number of positive character traits. For example, the Hebrew word “hohma” (חוכמה), meaning “wisdom,” begins with the letter Het, as does the word “hasidut” (חסידות), which means “righteousness,” and “hen” (חן), meaning “grace.” The numerical value of the letter Het is eight, which is often associated with super-spirituality or holiness, as it is one more than seven, which represents the holy realm of the Sabbath. When Jewish boys are circumcised and enter into their faith’s holy ancient covenant, it is commanded to be performed on the eighth day.
……..Bill
Commentaries:
Matthew Henry
David had said he would keep God’s word (v. 57), and it was well said; now here he tells us how and in what method he pursued that resolution.
1. He thought on his ways. He thought beforehand what he should do, pondering the path of his feet (Prov. 4:26), that he might walk surely, and not at all adventure. He thought after what he had done, reflected upon his life past, and recollected the paths he had walked in and the steps he had taken. The word signifies a fixed abiding thought. Some make it an allusion to those who work embroidery, who are very exact and careful to cover the least flaw, or to those who cast up their accounts, who reckon with themselves, What do I owe? What am I worth? “I thought not on my wealth (as the covetous man, Ps. 49:11) but on my ways, not on what I have, but what I do:” for what we do will follow us into another world when what we have must be left behind. Many are critical enough in their remarks upon other people’s ways who never think of their own, but let every man prove his own work.
2. He turned his feet to God’s testimonies. He determined to make the word of God his rule and to walk by that rule. He turned from the by-paths to which he had turned aside, and returned to God’s testimonies. He turned not only his eye to them, but his feet, his affections to the love of God’s word, and his conversation to the practice of it. The bent and inclinations of his soul were towards God’s testimonies, and his conversation was governed by them. Penitent reflections must produce pious resolutions.
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Charles Spurgeon
“I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” While studying the word he was led to study his own life, and this caused a mighty revolution. He came to the word, and then he came to himself, and this made him arise and go to his Father. Consideration is the commencement of conversion: first, we think and then we turn. When the mind repents of ill ways, the feet are soon led into good ways; but there will be no repenting until there is deep, earnest thought. Many men are averse to thought of any kind, and as to thought upon their ways, they cannot endure it, for their ways will not bear thinking of. David’s ways had not been all that he could have wished them to be, and so his thoughts were sobered over with the pale cast of regret; but he did not end with idle lamentations, he set about a practical amendment; he turned and returned, he sought the testimonies of the Lord, and hastened to enjoy once more the conscious favor of his heavenly friend. Action without thought is folly, and thought without action is sloth: to think carefully and then to act promptly is a happy combination. He had entreated for renewed fellowship, and now he proved the genuineness of his desire by renewed obedience. If we are in the dark and mourn an absent God, our wisest method will be not so much to think upon our sorrows as upon our ways: though we cannot turn the course of providence, we can turn the way of our walking, and this will soon mend matters. If we can get our feet right as to holy walking, we shall soon get our hearts right as to happy living. God will turn to his saints when they turn to him; yea, he has already favored them with the light of his face when they begin to think and turn.
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Enduring Word
I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies: Time spent in God’s word has given the psalmist sober reflection about his ways. This gave the insight necessary to turn in the right direction. (Guzik)
i. “Blaise Pascal, the brilliant French philosopher and devout Christian, loved Psalm 119. He is another person who had memorized it, and he called verse 59 ‘the turning point of man’s character and destiny.’ He meant that it is vital for every person to consider his or her ways, understand that our ways are destructive and will lead us to destruction, and then make an about-face and determine to go in God’s ways instead.” (Boice)
ii. I thought about my ways: “How many, on the other hand, seem to pass through the world into eternity without a serious thought on their ways! Multitudes live for the world–forget God and die! This is their history.” (Bridges)
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Albert Barnes
I thought on my ways – This language most naturally refers to the time of conversion, and may be employed without impropriety to describe the process of a sinner’s turning to God. It would seem to be descriptive of the experience of the author of the psalm when he became personally interested in the subject of religion. The first step in such a work is reflection on the course of life which has been led; on the guilt of such a course; and on the consequences. It is a pause in the career of sin and folly – a pause for reflection and thought. Compare Luke 15:17-18. No one is converted without such reflection, and as soon as a sinner can be made to pause and reflect on his course, there is hope that he will be converted. Assuredly, it is proper for all, whatever may be their circumstances in life, to pause from time to time; to reflect; to ask what will be the consequences of the course of life which is pursued.
And turned my feet – Changed my course of life. He himself did this in fact, and he does not hesitate to say that it was he who thus turned. His own agency was employed. He does not say that he “waited” for God to turn him, or that he found he could not turn of himself, but that he turned; he paused; he reflected; he changed his course of life. This is true in conversion always. There is an actual turning from sin; an actual turning to God. The sinner turns. He leaves an old path and treads a new one. He does this as the conscious result of reflection on the course which he was pursuing; and there is nothing in his actual turning, or in his whole future course, which is not the proper result of reflection, or which a proper reflection on the course of life would not lead to and justify. Man himself is always active in conversion. That is, he does something; he changes; he repents; he believes; he turns to God; it is not God that changes, that repents, that believes, that turns; it is the man himself. It is, indeed, by the grace and help of God, but the effect of that grace is not to make him idly wait; it is to rouse him to effort; to lead him to act.
Unto thy testimonies – Thy law, considered as the divine testimony in regard to what is right.
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John Gill
I thought on my ways,…. What they were, whether right or wrong; whither they led, what would be the consequences of walking in them: the Septuagint and Arabic versions read, “thy ways”; no doubt the psalmist thought of both; of his own ways, in which he had walked; and of God’s ways, which he directed him to walk in: and, considering the superior pleasure and profit of the latter, he preferred them to the former. The Targum is, “I thought to mend my ways,” or “make [them] good.” Hence, he took the following step:
and turned my feet unto thy testimonies; betook himself to the word of God, which testifies of his will, and directs to those ways he would have his people to walk in; and he steered his course of life and actions thereby; he turned from his own ways into the ways of God; under the influence of divine grace, he turned, being turned.
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Adam Clarke
I thought on my ways — חשבתי chashabti, I deeply pondered them; I turned them upside down; I viewed my conduct on all sides. The word, as used here, is a metaphor taken from embroidering, where the figure must appear the same on the one side as it does on the other; therefore, the cloth must be turned on each side every time the needle is set in, to see that the stitch is fairly set. Thus narrowly and scrupulously did the psalmist examine his conduct, and the result was a deep conviction that he had departed from the way of God and truth.
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Miscellaneous Comments
“I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” Some translate the original, I looked on both sides upon my ways, I considered them every way, “and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” I considered that I was wandering like a lost sheep, and then I returned.
—George Swinnock.
“I thought on my ways.” Be frequent in this work of serious consideration. If daily you called yourselves to an account, all acts of grace would thrive the better. Seneca asked of Sextius, Quod hodie malum sanasti? cui vitio obstitisti? (What evil have you healed today?) What vice have you resisted?)You have God’s example in reviewing every day’s work, and in dealing with Adam before he slept. The man that was unclean was to wash his clothes at eventide.
—Thomas Manton.
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Cross-References
Luke 15:17 (KJV)
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luke 15:18 (KJV)
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Ezekiel 18:28 (KJV)
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Joel 2:13 (KJV)
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments,
And turn unto the Lord your God:
For he is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness,
And repenteth him of the evil.
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Closing Thoughts
What evil have you healed today? What vice have you resisted? —Seneca
“I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained bull; Restore me, and I will return, For You are the Lord my God. Surely, after my turning, I repented; And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’ Jeremiah 31:18-19 NKJV
ח HETH – Hurrying to God with all my heart.
57
You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words.
58
I entreated Your favor with my whole heart;
Be merciful to me according to Your word.
59
I thought about my ways,
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
60
I made haste, and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.
61
The cords of the wicked have bound me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
62
At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.
63
I am a companion of all who fear You,
And of those who keep Your precepts.
64
The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes.
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