Psalm 119:96
NKJV
96
I have seen the consummation of all perfection,
But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.
KJV
96
I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.
The End of Perfection
My Notes
Scripture: “I have seen the consummation of all perfection, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad.” — Psalm 119:96 (NKJV)
My Thoughts
David’s words offer a sobering and liberating truth: every human notion of perfection has its limits. Strength fails, beauty fades, wisdom falters. He had seen the strongest fall (Goliath), the swiftest stumble (Asahel), the wisest mislead (Ahithophel), and the fairest corrupted (Absalom). All earthly excellence has an expiration date.
But in contrast, God’s Word is exceedingly broad—immeasurable in scope, eternal in relevance, and penetrating in depth. It reaches into every corner of life, judging not only actions but motives, desires, and thoughts. The Word of God is not narrow or shallow; it is vast and searching, touching every part of the human soul.
True spiritual maturity begins not with boasting in our own perfection, but with confessing our imperfection. Many claim to be perfect because they measure themselves by their own standards. But when we measure ourselves by the breadth of God’s Word, we are humbled. Only Jesus has ever fulfilled its full measure.
The Word of the Lord is:
-
Universal: It speaks to all people, in all places, at all times.
-
Purposeful: It informs, directs, comforts, sanctifies, and saves.
-
Trustworthy: It never deceives or forsakes those who cling to it.
-
Eternal: It makes the soul happy now—and forever.
Let us not flatter ourselves with earthly standards. Let us look into the breadth of God’s truth and be transformed by it. The Word reveals our need, refines our walk, and reminds us that righteousness is found not in us, but in Christ alone.
Cross Reference
“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” — Hebrews 10:14 (NKJV)
Questions
-
Where have you been tempted to measure yourself by human standards?
-
How has God’s Word revealed areas where you need growth or grace?
-
What does it mean to you that only Jesus meets the full measure of God’s Word?
Prayer
Lord, I confess that all human perfection has an end. But Your Word is limitless, searching, and true. Help me not to measure myself by earthly standards, but by Your truth. Let Your Word shape my heart and lead me to the perfection found only in Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.
Summary of Commentaries
Psalm 119:96 reflects on the limitations of worldly perfection contrasted with the boundless nature of God’s commandments. David expresses his realization that all human achievements and claims to perfection are ultimately fleeting and flawed. He acknowledges that despite witnessing the best in humanity, everything comes to an end. In contrast, God’s commandments are described as “exceedingly broad,” implying their far-reaching wisdom and applicability across time and circumstances. They provide guidance that addresses all aspects of life, highlighting the eternal and unchanging nature of God’s word, which offers fulfillment and meaning that earthly pursuits cannot achieve.
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 96, which is in the 12th section, which is called “Lamed ל”. The website https://www.abarim-publications.com/Hebrew_Alphabet_Meaning.html defines the meaning of the letter Lamed ל as: “The verb למד (lamad) means learn or teach. Derivative תלמיד (talmid) means scholar (hence Talmud), and derivative מלמד means ox goad. The letter lamed is said to look like such a device, and when Jesus says to Saul, “it is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14), He may hint at Saul’s learning rather than coercion.
……..Bill
Commentaries:
Matthew Henry
Here we have David’s testimony from his own experience,
1. Of the vanity of the world and its insufficiency to make us happy: I have seen an end of all perfection. Poor perfection, which one sees an end of! Yet such are all those things in this world which pass for perfections. David, in his time, had seen Goliath, the strongest, overcome; Asahel, the swiftest, overtaken; Ahithophel, the wisest, befooled; Absalom, the fairest, deformed; and, in short, he had seen an end of perfection, of all perfection. He saw it by faith; he saw it by observation; he saw an end of the perfection of the creature both in respect of sufficiency (it was scanty and defective; there is that to be done for us which the creature cannot do) and in respect of continuance; it will not last our time, for it will not last to eternity as we must. The glory of man is but as the flower of the grass.
2. Of the fullness of the word of God, and its sufficiency for our satisfaction: But thy commandment is broad, exceedingly broad. The word of God reaches to all cases, to all times. The divine law lays a restraint upon the whole man, is designed to sanctify us wholly. There is a great deal required and forbidden in every commandment. The divine promise (for that also is commanded) extends itself to all our burdens, wants, and grievances, and has that in it which will make a portion and happiness for us when we have seen an end of all perfection.
______________________________________________________
Charles Spurgeon
“I have seen an end of all perfection.” He had seen its limit, for it went but a little way; he had seen its evaporation under the trials of life, its detection under the searching glance of truth, its exposure by the confession of the penitent. There is no perfection beneath the moon. Perfect men, in the absolute sense of the word, live only in a perfect world. Some men see no end to their own perfection, but this is because they are perfectly blind. The experienced believer has seen an end of all perfection in himself, in his brethren, in the best man’s best works. It would be well if some who profess to be perfect could even see the beginning of perfection, for we fear they cannot have begun aright, or they would not talk so exceeding proudly. Is it not the beginning of perfection to lament your imperfection? There is no such thing as perfection in anything which is the work of man.
“But thy commandment is exceeding broad.” When the breadth of the law is known, the notion of perfection in the flesh vanishes: that law touches every act, word, and thought, and is of such a spiritual nature that it judges the motives, desires, and emotions of the soul. It reveals a perfection which convicts us for shortcomings as well as for transgressions, and does not allow us to make up for deficiencies in one direction by special carefulness in others. The divine ideal of holiness is far too broad for us to hope to cover all its wide arena, and yet it is no broader than it ought to be. Who would wish to have an imperfect law? Nay, its perfection is its glory; but it is the death of all glorying in our own perfection. There is a breadth about the commandment which has never been met to the full by a corresponding breadth of holiness in any mere man while here below; only in Jesus do we see it fully embodied. The law is in all respects a perfect code; each separate precept of it is far-reaching in its hallowed meaning, and the whole ten cover all, and leave no space wherein to please our passions. We may well adore the infinity of divine holiness, and then measure ourselves by its standard, and bow before the Lord in all lowliness, acknowledging how far we fall short of it.
______________________________________________________
Enduring Word
But Your commandment is exceedingly broad: Despite all the great and beautiful things of this world, something is greater still – the commandment of God, His revealed word to us. His word is not limited to the things, even the great things, of this earth are.
· His word is before creation.
· His word is the sustainer of creation.
· His word will endure beyond all creation. (Guzik)
i. “He has found that stretching out beyond them, and enwrapping them all is the commandment of God.” (Morgan)
ii. “This verse could well be a summary of Ecclesiastes, where every earthly enterprise has its day and comes to nothing, and where only in God and His commandments do we get beyond these frustrating limits.” (Kidner)
iii. “Broad, or large, both for extent and for continuance; it is useful to all persons in all times and conditions, and for all purposes to inform, direct, quicken, comfort, sanctify, and save men; it is of everlasting truth and efficacy; it will never deceive or forsake those who trust it, as all worldly things will, but will make men happy both here and for ever.” (Poole)
iv. Strangely, many today think that the Bible is narrow. They think of themselves as exceedingly broad-minded people; yet they show little tolerance for those who disagree with them. God’s word is indeed exceedingly broad, and it will make us broad-minded, broad-hearted, and tolerant in the best sense, if we read and obey it. God’s word will prevent us from being tyrants over others and will teach us to tolerate and love others even when their lives and thinking are decidedly against God and His word. (Guzik)
v. This broad place is a firm and safe foundation for us. “Give me the plenary, verbal theory of biblical inspiration with all its difficulties, rather than the doubt. I accept the difficulties and I humbly wait for their solution. But while I wait, I am standing on a rock.” (J.C. Ryle, Anglican Bishop cited in Boice)
______________________________________________________
Albert Barnes
I have seen an end of all perfection – The word which is here rendered “perfection” – תכלה tiklâh – occurs only in this place; but a similar word from the same root – תכלית taklı̂yth – occurs in the following places: in Nehemiah 3:21, and Job 26:10, rendered “end;” in Job 11:7; Job 28:3, rendered “perfection;” and in Psalms 139:22, rendered “perfect.” It means properly “completion, perfection;” or, as others suppose, “hope, confidence.” It is rendered, in the Septuagint and Latin Vulgate, “consummation.” Luther renders it, “of all things.” It is proper here to apply it to character; to perfect virtue, or to claims to perfect virtue – either in oneself or in others. The word rendered “end” here refers not to the fact of its existence, or to its duration, but to a limit or boundary as to its extent. To all claims to perfection made by man, he had seen an end or limit. He had examined all which claimed to be perfect; he had found it defective; he had so surveyed and examined the matter as to be able to say that there could be no claim to perfection which would prove good. All claims to perfection on the part of man must be abandoned forever.
But thy commandment is exceeding broad – The word but is not in the original, and enfeebles the sense. The idea is that the law of God, as he now saw it, was of such a nature – was so “broad” – as to demonstrate that there could be no just claim to perfection among people. All claims to perfection had arisen from the fact that the law was not properly understood, that its true nature was not seen. People thought that they were perfect, but it was because they had no just view of the extent and the spirituality of the law of God. They set up an imperfect standard, and when they became conformed to that standard, as they might do, they imagined themselves to be perfect; but when their conduct was compared with a higher and more just standard – the law of God – it could not but be seen that they were imperfect people. That law had claims which they had not met, and never would meet, in this life. It is very easy to flatter ourselves that we are perfect, if we make our own standard of character; it is not possible for man to set up a claim to perfection, if he measures himself by the standard of God’s word; and all the claims of people to perfection are made simply because they do not properly understand what the law of God requires. Compare the notes at Job 9:20.
______________________________________________________
John Gill
I have seen an end of all perfection,…. An end, limit, or border, to every country, as the Syriac version; as there is to every kingdom and state, and to the whole world; but none to the commandment of God: or an end of all created beings, the finished works of God, the most perfect in their kind. Many things had already fallen under the observation of the psalmist: he had seen men of the greatest strength, and of the most consummate wisdom, and that had attained to the highest degree of power and authority, of wealth and riches, and yet were all come to nothing; he had seen some of the most flourishing states and kingdoms brought to desolation; he had seen an entire end of them: he saw by the Spirit of God, and by the word of God, and faith in it, that all things would have an end, the heavens and earth, and all that is therein; for so it may be rendered, “I see an end of all perfection”; or that the most perfect things will have an end, and that the end of them is at hand; see 1 Peter 4:7. Moreover, he had looked over the wisdom of this world, and the princes of it, which comes to nought; he had considered the several political schemes of government, the wisest digest and system of laws, made by the wisest lawgivers among men, and found them all to be limited, short and shallow, in comparison of the word of God, as follows: the Targum is,
“I have seen an end of all that I have studied in and looked into.”
[but] thy commandment [is] exceeding broad; the word of God is a large field to walk and meditate in; it is sufficient to instruct all men in all ages, both with respect to doctrine and duty, and to make every man of God perfect; it has such a height and depth of doctrine and mysteries in it as can never be fully reached and fathomed, and such a breadth as is not to be measured: the fulness of the Scripture can never be exhausted; the promises of it reach to this life, and that which is to come; and the precepts of it are so large, that no works of righteousness done by men are adequate and proportionate to them; no righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ, is as large and as broad as those commandments; wherefore no perfection of righteousness is to be found in men, only in Christ; who is the perfect fulfilling end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes, Romans 10:4.
______________________________________________________
Miscellaneous Comments
“I have seem an end of all perfection,” etc. These words are variously rendered and understood by interpreters, who in this variety do very much conspire and agree in the same sense. The Chaldee Paraphrase renders the words thus: “I have seen an end of all things about which I have employed my care; but thy commandment is very large.” The Syriac version thus, “I have seen an end of all regions and countries” (that is, I have found the compass of the habitable world to be finite and limited), “but thy commandment is of a vast extent.” Others explain it thus, “I have seen an end of all perfection,” that is, of all the things of this world which men value and esteem at so high a rate; of all worldly wisdom and knowledge, of wealth, and honor, and greatness, which do all perish and pass away; “but thy law is eternal, and still abideth the same;“ or, as the Scripture elsewhere expresses it, “The word of the Lord endureth for ever.”
—John Tillotson, 1630-1694.
Take notice that the law, which is your mark, is exceeding broad. And yet not the more easy to be hit; because you must aim to hit it, in every duty of it, with a performance of equal breadth, or else you cannot hit it at all.
—Stephen Marshall.
______________________________________________________
Cross-References
Matthew 5:18 (KJV)
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Matthew 22:37–40 (KJV)
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Psalm 19:7 (KJV)
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
______________________________________________________
Proverb for Today
A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23 NKJV
Lamed ל: Saved by the word settled in heaven.
89
Forever, O Lord,
Your word is settled in heaven.
90
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
91
They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
92
Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
93
I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life.
94
I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.
95
The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
But I will consider Your testimonies.
96
I have seen the consummation of all perfection,
But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.
- Exploring the Beauty of Psalms: Insights and Commentaries
- Monthly Breakdown of Our Blog Content
- Psalms Commentary: Faith and Inspiration
Leave a Reply