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Selected Verse: Psalms 119:121 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ps 119:121	Strong Concordance	AIN. I have done [06213] judgment [04941] and justice [06664]: leave [03240] me not to mine oppressors [06231].
	King James	AIN. I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
AIN. (Psa 119:121-128). On the grounds of his integrity, desire for God's word, and covenant relation to Him, the servant of God may plead for His protecting care against the wicked, gracious guidance to the knowledge of truth, and His effective vindication of the righteous and their cause, which is also His own.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

AIN. (Psa 119:121-128).

On the grounds of his integrity, desire for God's word, and covenant relation to Him, the servant of God may plead for His protecting care against the wicked, gracious guidance to the knowledge of truth, and His effective vindication of the righteous and their cause, which is also His own.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
I have done judgment and justice - This commences a new division of the psalm, indicated by the Hebrew letter Ayin (ע ‛) - a letter which cannot well be represented in the English alphabet, as there is, in fact, no letter in our language exactly corresponding with it. It would be best represented probably by what are called "breathings" in Greek. The meaning of the first part of this verse is, "I have led a righteous and upright life." It is equivalent to saying that he had kept the law of God, or had made that the rule of his conduct. Leave me not to mine oppressors - To the people who would do me wrong; who seek my hurt. He urged this on the ground that he had been obedient to the divine law, and might, therefore, with propriety, make this request, or might claim the divine protection. Man has no merit of his own, and no claim on God; but when he is his true friend, it is not improper to expect that he will interpose in his behalf; nor is it improper to present this in the form of a prayer. Our loving God, and serving him, though it is done imperfectly, is, in fact, a reason why he should and will interpose in our behalf.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The eightfold Ajin. In the present time of apostasy and persecution he keeps all the more strictly to the direction of the divine word, and commends himself to the protection and teaching of God. In the consciousness of his godly behaviour (elsewhere always צדק וּמשׁפּט, here in one instance משׁפט וצדק) the poet hopes that God will surely not (בּל) leave him to the arbitrary disposal of his oppressors. This hope does not, however, raise him above the necessity and duty of constant prayer that Jahve would place Himself between him and his enemies. ערב seq. acc. signifies to stand in any one's place as furnishing a guarantee, and in general as a mediator, Job 17:3; Isa 38:14; לטוב similar to לטובה, Psa 86:17, Neh 5:19 : in my behalf, for my real advantage. The expression of longing after redemption in Psa 119:123 sounds like Psa 119:81. "The word of Thy righteousness" is the promise which proceeds from God's "righteousness," and as surely as He is "righteous" cannot remain unfulfilled. The one chief petition of the poet, however, to which he comes back in Psa 119:124., has reference to the ever deeper knowledge of the word of God; for this knowledge is in itself at once life and blessedness, and the present calls most urgently for it. For the great multitude (which is the subject to הפרוּ) practically and fundamentally break God's law; it is therefore time to act for Jahve (עשׂה ל as in Gen 30:30, Isa 64:4, Eze 29:20), and just in order to this there is need of well-grounded, reliable knowledge. Therefore the poet attaches himself with all his love to God's commandments; to him they are above gold and fine gold (Psa 19:11), which he might perhaps gain by a disavowal of them. Therefore he is as strict as he possibly can be with God's word, inasmuch as he acknowledges and observes all precepts of all things (כּל־פּקּוּדי כל), i.e., all divine precepts, let them have reference to whatsoever they will, as ישׁרים, right (ישּׁר, to declare both in avowal and deed to be right); and every false (lying) tendency, all pseudo-Judaism, he hates. It is true Psa 119:126 may be also explained: it is time that Jahve should act, i.e., interpose judicially; but this thought is foreign to the context, and affords no equally close union for על־כן; moreover it ought then to have been accented עת לעשׂות ליהוה. On כּל־פּקּוּדי כל, "all commands of every purport," cf. Isa 29:11, and more as to form, Num 8:16; Eze 44:30. The expression is purposely thus heightened; and the correction כל־פקודיך (Ewald, Olshausen, and Hupfeld) is also superfluous, because the reference of what is said to the God of revelation is self-evident in this connection.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The eightfold Ajin. In the present time of apostasy and persecution he keeps all the more strictly to the direction of the divine word, and commends himself to the protection and teaching of God. In the consciousness of his godly behaviour (elsewhere always צדק וּמשׁפּט, here in one instance משׁפט וצדק) the poet hopes that God will surely not (בּל) leave him to the arbitrary disposal of his oppressors. This hope does not, however, raise him above the necessity and duty of constant prayer that Jahve would place Himself between him and his enemies. ערב seq. acc. signifies to stand in any one's place as furnishing a guarantee, and in general as a mediator, Job 17:3; Isa 38:14; לטוב similar to לטובה, Psa 86:17, Neh 5:19 : in my behalf, for my real advantage. The expression of longing after redemption in Psa 119:123 sounds like Psa 119:81. "The word of Thy righteousness" is the promise which proceeds from God's "righteousness," and as surely as He is "righteous" cannot remain unfulfilled. The one chief petition of the poet, however, to which he comes back in Psa 119:124., has reference to the ever deeper knowledge of the word of God; for this knowledge is in itself at once life and blessedness, and the present calls most urgently for it. For the great multitude (which is the subject to הפרוּ) practically and fundamentally break God's law; it is therefore time to act for Jahve (עשׂה ל as in Gen 30:30, Isa 64:4, Eze 29:20), and just in order to this there is need of well-grounded, reliable knowledge. Therefore the poet attaches himself with all his love to God's commandments; to him they are above gold and fine gold (Psa 19:11), which he might perhaps gain by a disavowal of them. Therefore he is as strict as he possibly can be with God's word, inasmuch as he acknowledges and observes all precepts of all things (כּל־פּקּוּדי כל), i.e., all divine precepts, let them have reference to whatsoever they will, as ישׁרים, right (ישּׁר, to declare both in avowal and deed to be right); and every false (lying) tendency, all pseudo-Judaism, he hates. It is true Psa 119:126 may be also explained: it is time that Jahve should act, i.e., interpose judicially; but this thought is foreign to the context, and affords no equally close union for על־כן; moreover it ought then to have been accented עת לעשׂות ליהוה. On כּל־פּקּוּדי כל, "all commands of every purport," cf. Isa 29:11, and more as to form, Num 8:16; Eze 44:30.

The expression is purposely thus heightened; and the correction כל־פקודיך (Ewald, Olshausen, and Hupfeld) is also superfluous, because the reference of what is said to the God of revelation is self-evident in this connection.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Judgment, &c. - Just judgment.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
I have done judgment and justice - I have given the best decision possible on every case that came before me; and I have endeavored to render to all their due.

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¹²¹ AIN. I have done [06213] judgment [04941] and justice [06664]: leave [03240] me not to mine oppressors [06231].
¹²² Be surety [06148] for thy servant [05650] for good [02896]: let not the proud [02086] oppress [06231] me.
¹²³ Mine eyes [05869] fail [03615] for thy salvation [03444], and for the word [0565] of thy righteousness [06664].
¹²⁴ Deal [06213] with thy servant [05650] according unto thy mercy [02617], and teach [03925] me thy statutes [02706].
¹²⁵ I am thy servant [05650]; give me understanding [0995], that I may know [03045] thy testimonies [05713].
¹²⁶ It is time [06256] for thee, LORD [03068], to work [06213]: for they have made void [06565] thy law [08451].
¹²⁷ Therefore I love [0157] thy commandments [04687] above gold [02091]; yea, above fine gold [06337].
¹²⁸ Therefore I esteem all thy precepts [06490] concerning all things to be right [03474]; and I hate [08130] every false [08267] way [0734].

³⁰ And the first [07225] of all the firstfruits [01061] of all things, and every oblation [08641] of all, of every sort of your oblations [08641], shall be the priest's [03548]: ye shall also give [05414] unto the priest [03548] the first [07225] of your dough [06182], that he may cause the blessing [01293] to rest [05117] in thine house [01004].

¹⁶ For they are wholly given [05414] unto me from among [08432] the children [01121] of Israel [03478]; instead of such as open [06363] every womb [07358], even instead of the firstborn [01060] of all the children [01121] of Israel [03478], have I taken [03947] them unto me.

¹¹ And the vision [02380] of all is become unto you as the words [01697] of a book [05612] that is sealed [02856], which men deliver [05414] to one that is learned [03045], saying [0559], Read [07121] this, I pray thee: and he saith [0559], I cannot [03201]; for it is sealed [02856]:

¹²⁶ It is time [06256] for thee, LORD [03068], to work [06213]: for they have made void [06565] thy law [08451].

¹¹ Moreover by them is thy servant [05650] warned [02094]: and in keeping [08104] of them there is great [07227] reward [06118].

²⁰ I have given [05414] him the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] for his labour [06468] wherewith he served [05647] against it, because they wrought [06213] for me, saith [05002] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069].

⁴ For since the beginning of the world [05769] men have not heard [08085], nor perceived by the ear [0238], neither hath the eye [05869] seen [07200], O God [0430], beside [02108] thee, what he hath prepared [06213] for him that waiteth [02442] for him.

³⁰ For it was little [04592] which thou hadst before I [06440] came, and it is now increased [06555] unto a multitude [07230]; and the LORD [03068] hath blessed [01288] thee since my coming [07272]: and now when [04970] shall I provide [06213] for mine own house [01004] also?

¹²⁴ Deal [06213] with thy servant [05650] according unto thy mercy [02617], and teach [03925] me thy statutes [02706].

⁸¹ CAPH. My soul [05315] fainteth [03615] for thy salvation [08668]: but I hope [03176] in thy word [01697].

¹²³ Mine eyes [05869] fail [03615] for thy salvation [03444], and for the word [0565] of thy righteousness [06664].

¹⁹ Think [02142] upon me, my God [0430], for good [02896], according to all that I have done [06213] for this people [05971].

¹⁷ Shew [06213] me a token [0226] for good [02896]; that they which hate [08130] me may see [07200] it, and be ashamed [0954]: because thou, LORD [03068], hast holpen [05826] me, and comforted [05162] me.

¹⁴ Like a crane [05483] or a swallow [05693], so did I chatter [06850]: I did mourn [01897] as a dove [03123]: mine eyes [05869] fail [01809] with looking upward [04791]: O LORD [03068], I am oppressed [06234]; undertake [06148] for me.

³ Lay down [07760] now, put me in a surety [06148] with thee; who is he that will strike [08628] hands [03027] with me?