Psalm 119:61
NKJV
61
The cords of the wicked have bound me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
KJV
61
The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.
Psalm 119:61
NKJV
61
The cords of the wicked have bound me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
Trust in Divine Deliverance
My Notes
David remembers how his enemies have robbed him in the past: Saul by confiscation, his son Absalom by attempting to steal his kingdom from him, and the Amalekites when they took Ziklag and all of his belongings. Yet through it all, David did not forget the word of God.
When David and his men had returned to Ziklag and discovered what had happened, David turned to the Lord. When we remember the Word, it leads us to turn to the Lord, and He will give us the strength we need to persevere.
Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 1Samuel 30:6 NKJV
These were the times of David’s moment of walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but because he didn’t forget God’s word, he knew that the Lord was with him and that God’s rod and staff would protect him and give him comfort.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 NKJV
When we remember the Lord’s presence is always with us, in good times and in bad, it gives us the grace we need to endure the bad times and to celebrate the victories.
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 61, which is in the 8th section, which is called “Heth ח”. According to the hebrews4christians.com website has this letter is 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 lists 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:
Charles Spurgeon
“The bands of the wicked have robbed me.” Aforetime, they derided him, and now they have defrauded him. Ungodly men grow worse, aria become more and more daring, so that they go from ridicule to robbery. Much of this bold opposition arose from their being banded together: men will dare to do in company what they durst not have thought of alone. When firebrands are laid together, there is no telling what a flame they will create. It seems that whole bands of men assailed this one child of God; they are cowardly enough for anything; though they could not kill him, they robbed him; the dogs of Satan will worry saints if they cannot devour them. David’s enemies did their utmost: first the serpents hissed, and then they stung. Since words availed not, the wicked fell to blows. How much the ungodly have plundered the saints in all ages, and how often have the righteous borne gladly the spoiling of their goods!
“But I have not forgotten thy law.” This was well. Neither his sense of injustice, nor his sorrow at his losses, nor his attempts at defense diverted him from the ways of God. He would not do wrong to prevent the suffering of wrong, nor do ill to avenge ill. He carried the law in his heart, and therefore no disturbance of mind could take him off from following it. He might have forgotten himself if he had forgotten the law: as it was, he was ready to forgive and forget the injuries done him, for his heart was taken up with the word of God. The bands of the wicked had not robbed him of his choicest treasure, since they had left him his holiness and his happiness.
Some read this passage, “The bands of the wicked environ me.” They hemmed him in, they cut him off from succor, they shut up every avenue of escape, but the man of God had his protector with him; a clear conscience relied upon the promise, and a brave resolve stuck to the precept. He could not be either bribed or bullied into sin. The cordon of the ungodly could not keep God from him, nor him from God: this was because God was his portion, and none could deprive him of it, neither by force or fraud. That is true grace which can endure the test: some are barely gracious among the circle of their friends, but this man was holy amid a ring of foes.
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Enduring Word
The cords of the wicked have bound me, but I have not forgotten Your law: The psalmist was attacked and afflicted by adversaries, but they could not make him forget or forsake the law of God. (David Guzik)
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Albert Barnes
The bands of the wicked – Margin, “companies.” The Hebrew word properly means a cord, a rope; then a snare, gin, net; then, a band or a company of men. The reference is to some time in the life of the psalmist when he was surrounded by wicked men.
Have robbed me – Rather, have surrounded me; have environed me – for so the Hebrew word means.
But I have not forgotten thy law – I have not been deterred from keeping it by the dangers to which I have been exposed.
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John Gill
The bands of the wicked have robbed me,…. Very probably Saul and his ministers seized on his effects, when he fled from him; and the Amalekites plundered him of all his substance, when they took Ziklag; and Absalom and the conspirators with him robbed him, when he was obliged, because of them, to flee from his palace and court, which they entered and took possession of. But Aben Ezra rejects this sense of the word, which Jarchi and Kimchi espouse, and we follow, and renders it, “took hold of me”; and so the Targum, “the company of the wicked were gathered together against me:” they surrounded him and put him into fear, great numbers of them encompassing him about; see Psalm 18:4;
[but] I have not forgotten thy law; this was written in his heart; he kept it in his memory, and retained an affection for it; and could not be deterred from obedience to it by the numbers and violence of wicked men, who hated and persecuted him for his attachment to it.
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Matthew Henry
1. The malice of David’s enemies against him. They were wicked men, who hated him for his godliness. There were bands or troops of them confederate against him. They did him all the mischief they could; they robbed him; having endeavored to take away his good name (v. 51), they set upon his goods, and spoiled him of them, either by plunder in time of war or by fines and confiscations under color of law. Saul (it is likely) seized his effects, Absalom his palace, and the Amalekites rifled Ziklag. Worldly wealth is what we may be robbed of. David, though a man of war, could not keep his own. Thieves break through and steal.
2. The testimony of David’s conscience for him was that he had held fast his religion when he was stripped of everything else, as Job did when the bands of the Chaldeans and Sabeans had robbed him: But I have not forgotten thy law. No care nor grief should drive God’s word out of our minds, or hinder our comfortable relish of it, and converse with it. Nor must we ever think the worse of the ways of God for any trouble we meet with in those ways, nor fear being losers by our religion at last, however we may be losers for it now.
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The Pulpit Commentaries
The bands of the wicked have robbed me; rather, the snares of wicked men entangled me (comp. Psalms 119:23, Psalms 119:157, Psalms 119:161). But I have not forgotten (or, I did not forget) thy Law.
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Miscellaneous Comments
“The bands of the wicked have robbed me.” Two readings remain, either of which may be admitted: The cords of the wicked have caught hold of me, or The companies of the wicked have robbed me. Whether we adopt the one or the other of these readings, what the prophet intends to declare is that when Satan assailed the principles of piety in his soul, by grievous temptations, he continued with undeviating steadfastness in the love and practice of God’s law. Cords may, however, be understood in two ways; either, first, as denoting the deceptive allurements by which the wicked endeavored to get him entangled in their society; or, secondly, the frauds which they practiced to effect his ruin.—John Calvin.
“The bands of the wicked have robbed me.” Some have it: “Cords of wicked men have entwined me.” Others, “Snares of wicked men surround me.” The meaning is that wicked men by their plots and contrivances had beset him, as men would ensnare a wild beast in their toils. They might, indeed, hem him round about in the wilderness, but they could not enthral the free mind; he would still feel at liberty in spirit, he would not forget God’s law.—John, Stephen.
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Cross-References
Psalm 119:176 (KJV)
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant;
For I do not forget thy commandments.
Psalm 119:141 (KJV)
141 I am small and despised:
Yet do not I forget thy precepts.
Romans 12:17–21 (KJV)
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
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Closing Thoughts
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 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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