Psalm 119:138 NKJV
138
Your testimonies, which You have commanded,
Are righteous and very faithful.
Ever Faithful, Ever True
My Notes
Scripture: “Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful.” — Psalm 119:138 (NKJV)
David’s declaration in this verse is both reverent and resolute. He confirms that God’s testimonies—His revealed will, promises, and warnings—are not only righteous but “very faithful.” These are not casual observations or optional suggestions; they are divine declarations, commanded with sovereign authority and backed by eternal integrity.
The word “testimonies” reminds us that Scripture is God’s witness to humanity. It testifies of His character, His covenant, and His intentions. It reveals what is right and warns of what is wrong. It speaks truth about our present condition and our eternal destiny. And it does so with unwavering consistency.
God’s Word is righteous—it reflects His perfect justice. It is faithful—it reflects His unchanging reliability. What He commands is not only morally pure but spiritually trustworthy. His promises are not vague hopes but guaranteed realities. His warnings are not empty threats but merciful alerts.
To trust God’s Word is to trust God Himself. The Bible mirrors His nature: holy, just, and true. It is the standard for obedience and the anchor for belief. It is the light for our path and the plumb line for our conscience.
David’s confidence in the testimonies of God is not hypothetical—it is personal. He knows that what God has spoken will come to pass. He knows that what God requires is right. And he knows that what God promises is sure. This is why he can risk everything on the Word—it is “ever faithful, ever sure.”
Cross-References
Scripture |
NKJV |
Isaiah 8:20 |
“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” |
Psalm 19:7–9 |
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” |
2 Corinthians 1:20 |
“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” |
Hebrews 6:18 |
“that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” |
Micah 6:8 |
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” |
Time to Reflect
-
What does it mean to me personally that God’s Word is both righteous and faithful? How does that shape my trust?
-
How do I respond when God’s commands challenge my comfort or preferences?
-
In what ways can I reflect God’s righteousness and faithfulness in my relationships and decisions?
-
What testimony from God’s Word has most deeply impacted my life?
Prayer
Abba, Your Word is righteous and true. Your testimonies are sure, and Your promises never fail. Teach me to trust You more deeply, to obey You more fully, and to rest in Your faithfulness. Let Your commands shape my character, and let Your promises anchor my hope. Let me always turn to Your Word for truth, direction, and comfort. Help me to live in a way that reflects Your righteousness and honors Your testimony. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Proverb for Today
In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death. Proverbs 12:28 NKJV
Summary of Commentaries:
Psalm 119:138 affirms that God’s testimonies—His revealed Word—are both righteous and exceedingly faithful. Spurgeon emphasizes their divine authority and unwavering truth, declaring them as royal commands that reflect God’s justice and trustworthiness. Guzik and others highlight that Scripture mirrors God’s character: His righteousness and His faithfulness are inseparable. Barnes and Gill note that these testimonies are not only morally right but also reliable for both present guidance and future hope. Matthew Henry reminds us that God’s commands are the rule of our obedience, calling us to live justly and believe faithfully. God’s Word is truth itself—unchanging, trustworthy, and eternally good.
NOTE: Psalm 119 has 22 sections to which each section is represented by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Today, we’re looking at verse 138, which is in the 18th section, which is called “TSADDE צ ”. The website https://hebrewtoday.com/alphabet/the-letter-tzadi-%D7%A6/ has this to say about the letter “TSADDE צ ”: A person who safeguards and protects his eyes from evil things and protects his mouth and speech from saying bad things, will be a tzadi(k), righteous individual. In Jewish tradition, the number 18 represents life because of the word חַי (chai), life, which has a numerical value of 18 (8+10). One who safeguards himself and uses his limbs and body properly will be a righteous person (tzadik) and live a long life.
……..Bill
Commentaries:
Charles Spurgeon
“Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.” All that which God hath testified in his word is right and truthful. It is righteous, and may be relied upon for the present; it is faithful, and may be trusted in for the future. About every portion of the inspired testimonies there is a divine authority, they are issued and published by God’s command, and they bear the impress of the royal style which carries omnipotence about it. Not only the precepts but the promises also are commanded of the Lord, and so are all the teachings of Scripture. It is not left to our choice whether we will accept them or not; they are issued by royal command, and are not to be questioned. Their characteristic is that they are like the Lord who has proclaimed them, they are the essence of justice and the soul of truth. God’s word is righteous and cannot be impeached; it is faithful and cannot be questioned; it is true from the beginning, and it will be true unto the end.
Dwell upon that sweet word—”very faithful.” What a mercy that we have a God to deal with who is scrupulously faithful, true to all the items and details of his promises, punctual to time, steadfast during all time. Well may we risk all upon a word which is “ever faithful, ever sure.”
______________________________________________________
Enduring Word
Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful: For emphasis, the psalmist repeats the idea from the previous verse. The written word of God reflects both His righteous character and the fact that He is very faithful. (Guzik)
i. “The force of this expression is much feebler than that of the original, which literally may be rendered, ‘Thou hast commanded righteousness, thy testimonies, and truth exceedingly.’ So the Septuagint hath it. Righteousness and truth were his testimonies; the testimonies were one with his righteousness and truth.” (Stephen, cited in Spurgeon)
ii. God’s words are especially helpful for establishing that He is very faithful. We often judge a person’s faithfulness by seeing if their words and their actions match. Along with other believers through the centuries, the psalmist could say that the words of God and the actions of God were and are consistent, and show Him to be very faithful. (Guzik)
iii. “Trust in the reliability of God’s word is directly proportionate to one’s trust in the Lord himself.” (VanGemeren)
iv. “The Bible mirrors the character of God. Anyone who cares about knowing what is righteous and wants to act righteously should study the Bible.” (Boice)
______________________________________________________
Albert Barnes
Are righteous and very faithful – Margin, as in Hebrew, “righteousness and faithfulness.” They are “so” righteous, and so deserving of confidence – so certain to be accomplished, and so worthy to be trusted in – that they may be spoken of as “righteousness” and “fidelity” of the most perfect kind; the very essence of that which is right.
______________________________________________________
John Gill
Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded [are] righteous,…. The Scriptures are holy, just, and good; and what is contained in them are according to godliness; are for instruction in righteousness, and teach men to live soberly, righteously, and godly;
and very faithful; or “true”: all the sayings in them are true and faithful sayings; for they are the sayings of God that cannot lie; the promises in them are faithfully performed by him that made them; they are all yea and amen in Christ. The words may be rendered, “thou hast commanded righteousness [in] thy testimonies, and truth” or faith “exceedingly”: so the Arabic version. God in the law requires of men a perfect righteousness, every way agreeable to its demands; and in his Gospel he reveals the complete righteousness of his Son, which he has commanded to be published in it, to be laid hold on and received by faith as a justifying righteousness, as it is to all that believe: this, with every other truth of the Gospel, is made manifest by the Scriptures according to the commandment of the everlasting God, Romans 16:25.
______________________________________________________
Matthew Henry
The righteousness of his commands, which he has given to be the rule of our obedience: “Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded, which are backed with thy sovereign authority, and to which thou dost require our obedience, are exceedingly righteous and faithful, righteousness and faithfulness itself.” As he acts like himself, so his law requires that we act like ourselves and like him, that we be just to ourselves and to all we deal with, true to all the engagements we lay ourselves under both to God and man. That which we are commanded to practice is righteous; that which we are commanded to believe is faithful. It is necessary to our faith and obedience that we be convinced of this.
______________________________________________________
Miscellaneous Comments
“Thy testimonies.” The word of God is called his testimony, both because it testifies his will, which he will have us to do; as also because it testifies unto men truly what shall become of them, whether good or evil. Men by nature are curious to know their end, rather than careful to mend their life; and for this cause seek answers where they never get good: but if they would know, let them go to the word and testimony; they need not to seek any other oracle. If the word of God testifies good things unto them, they have cause to rejoice; if otherwise it witnesseth evil unto them, let them haste to prevent it, or else it will assuredly overtake them.
—William Cowper.
“Righteous and very faithful.” Literally, “faithfulness exceedingly.” Harsh and severe as they may seem, they are all thoroughly for man’s highest good.
—William Kay.
______________________________________________________
Additional Cross-References
Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful. Psalm 119:138 NKJV
The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live. Psalm 119:144 NKJV
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Psalm 19:7-9 NKJV
______________________________________________________
TSADDE צ – The Purity and Truth of God’s word
137
Righteous are You, O Lord,
And upright are Your judgments.
138
Your testimonies, which You have commanded,
Are righteous and very faithful.
139
My zeal has consumed me,
Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.
140
Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
141
I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
142
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
143
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.
144
The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.
- Exploring the Beauty of Psalms: Insights and Commentaries
- Monthly Breakdown of Our Blog Content
- Psalms Commentary: Faith and Inspiration
Leave a Reply