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Wednesday 04/16/25
Thru the Bible: Psalm Book V: Chapter 119
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Wrapping up Psalm 119
Psalm 119:129-176
פ (Pey) 129-136
Pictographic: In ancient Hebrew this letter was the picture of a mouth and carries the symbolic representations of parts of our mouth or actions one can do with their mouth such as blowing air, opening, closing, edge & speak.
The letter is pronounced Pey which is also the Hebrew word for mouth associated with this letter.
As the letter changed with time, they developed two different forms – the open Pey and the closed Pey which are said to represent a head with an open mouth and one with a closed mouth indicating speech and to refrain from speech. By extension this represents teaching and learning which may have some application in these verses.
If you remember the instructions of James to those who were needing to repent and divorce themselves from friendliness with the world was – be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. The grammar of the Hebrew the open Pey only appears at the end of a sentence which indicates that speech should follow listening. The Proverbs tell us that a fool answers a matter before they have heard it (Prov. 18:13) and this grammatical rule in connection with the symbolic meaning of this letter would seem to bear that out.
Another intriguing concept surrounding the Pey when it is viewed from its constituents. The letter Pey is said to be made from the כ Chaf which is said to be a container and the י Yud which was that smallest of Hebrew letters that looks like a serifed apostrophe. The Yud, among other things, represents spirituality.
So if we are seen as the container (the כ Chaf) then within us as children of God is what is spiritual rather than carnal – valuable rather than invaluable – infinite rather than finite – eternal rather than temporal – uncommon or holy as opposed to common or unholy. As a result the speech of our mouths is to reflect that which is true of us – our words, as Paul says it, should be seasoned with grace that it might impart God’s influence upon the hearers.
“(129) Your rules are marvelous. Therefore I observe them. (130) Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. They give insight to the untrained.”
They offer grace or influence to the listener or student.
“(131) I open my mouth and pant, because I long for Your commands.
(132) Turn toward me and extend mercy to me, as You typically do to Your loyal followers. (133) Direct my steps by Your word! Do not let any sin dominate me!
(134) Deliver me from oppressive men, so that I can keep Your precepts.
(135) Smile on Your servant! Teach me Your statutes! (136) Tears stream down from my eyes, because people do not keep your law.”
You know how you can take an initial thought and roll with it – and it can grow into something of great scale and deep meaning as you build on the initial concepts, but sometimes in doing this you look back down your rabbit trail and discover you have strayed a fair piece from the initial thought. In similar fashion I really could spend some time with this letter and extrapolate meanings which would teach and bless, but my concern is that in doing so I would unintentionally superimpose on this segment of Psalm 119 more meaning than natively intended.
So let it suffice that God’s words are the source of life – spiritual or otherwise, and that we are the container into which it flows if we do more listening than speaking. This is all the more enhanced when, if we open our mouths, it is to ask a question and learn more, or to cry out to God to continue speaking to fill our hunger or to share with others what we have heard from God. This segment of verses bears this out!
צ (Tzadi) 138-144
Pictographic: It is said to symbolize a trail as leading up to a destination or stronghold. The ideas associated with this letter are Journey, Hunt and Chase.
This letter is pronounced T’saud- ey. The root word for the name of this letter is saud means side but is also related to the idea of a stronghold.
It is said to be a joining of the letters Nun and Yud. The nun symbolized faithfulness and as we just covered, the Yud the spiritual. So the T’saud- ey is the symbol of faithful humility in that it is a carrier of the spiritual or servant to God. Among other associated words are flock, army, a righteous one and righteous.
It has two forms, one for its appearance at the end of a word and one for all other times. Again, this seems subjective but the primary form is said to represent God’s people in this life. They are somewhat bent over both in humility and suffering and chastening. The final form which only appears at the end of a word has the letter NOT bent over which would represent our final, completed and glorified form in Christ. Perhaps more than most of these pictographs and their meanings this segment of Psalm 119 associated with the Hebrew letter T’saud- ey seems to be very well represented in the verses themselves.
“(137) You are just, O LORD, and Your judgments are fair. (138) The rules You impose are just, and absolutely reliable.
(139) My zeal consumes me, for my enemies forget Your instructions.”
This is very much like the prophetic verse in Psalm 69 remembered by Jesus’ disciples when He cleansed the temple the first time. Though this is different in use from Psalm 69:9, it most certainly carries the same root meaning.
“Certainly zeal for Your house consumes Me; I endure the insults of those who insult You.” ~ Psalm 69:9
“ (140) Your word is absolutely pure, and your servant loves it!
(141) I am insignificant and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts.
The humility of the primary form of the letter T’saud- ey.
(142) Your justice endures, and Your law is reliable.
(143) Distress and hardship confront me, yet I find delight in Your commands.
(144) Your rules remain just. Give me insight so that I can live.”
Representing the final form of the letter which we said represents God’s people at the end of this life – completed and glorified in Christ.
ק (Qof) 145-152
Pictographic: This pictograph is debated. In ancient Hebrew the symbol was a circle with a line crossing its middle horizontally.
It is pronounced Koof and carries the meanings of Gather, Circle and Time. Many of the words associated with the word for this letter mean encircle, gather and shrink.
Now some information I viewed regarding this letter truly adds a LOT of meaning, but I was less than convinced of it representing empirical or native meaning. It all seemed to follow very interesting and detailed rabbit paths which I was able to follow, but there was little that seemed truly grounded in the clear meaning of the symbol of the letter. This probably stems from the fact that, as I said, there is much debate as to the pictograph and what it symbolizes.
“(145) I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O LORD! I will observe Your statutes.” (146) I cried out to you, “Deliver me, so that I can keep Your rules.” (147) I am up before dawn crying for help. I find hope in Your word. (148) My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours, so that I can meditate on Your word.
(149) Listen to me because of Your loyal love! O LORD, revive me, as You typically do!”
This is the last of the few verses where a direct reference to God’s word is not mentioned. I find it interesting that in place of this is a mention of God’s loyal love!
The other verses are 3, 84, 90, 121-122 & 132.
- Verse 3 mentions His footsteps
- Verse 84 asks when God will judge those who pursue him
- Verse 90 mentions his faithfulness
- Verses 121 and 122 asks God not to abandon him to his oppressors but to guarantee his welfare
- Verse 132 mentions God’s turning towards His faithful followers with His mercy
So really it could be argued that only two sister verses fail to mention God’s word or give reference to His character directly.
“(150) Those who are eager to do wrong draw near; they are far from Your law.
(151) You are near, O LORD, and all Your commands are reliable. (152) I learned long ago that You ordained Your rules to last.”
ר (Reish) 153-160
Pictographic: Its pictographic symbol was the head of a man and as is often the case the pronunciation of this letter resh means head. It sometimes symbolizes the wicked man which is rasha (re-sha). The letter is shaped like an upside down and capitol ‘L’ where the horizontal leg is pointing to the left. Within the Hebrew alphabet this would have it facing away from the previous letter koof which represented holiness or by extension The Holy One. The straight vertical leg of the letter could symbolize a pivot point which would allow the person it represents to turn back towards holiness.
The ideas surrounding this pictograph are first, top and beginning.
The only connection I can make between the pictographic meanings and this segment of verses is that the psalmist is determined to face God and turn away from the wicked. His request is for God to rescue, fight for and have compassion on him.
“(153) See my pain and rescue me! For I do not forget Your law. (154) Fight for me and defend me! Revive me with Your word!
(155) The wicked have no chance for deliverance, for they do not seek Your statutes.
(156) Your compassion is great, O LORD. Revive me, as You typically do!
(157) The enemies who chase me are numerous. Yet I do not turn aside from Your rules.
(158) I take note of the treacherous and despise them, because they do not keep Your instructions.
(159) See how I love Your precepts! O LORD, revive me with Your loyal love!
(160) Your instructions are totally reliable; all Your just regulations endure.”
שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin) 161-168
Pictographic:This letter has two forms. Both are almost identical save the placement of a dot similar to the dot above a lowercase ‘i’ in the English alphabet. When this dot is over the left part of the letter it is pronounced shin. When it is over the right part of the letter it is pronounced ‘sin’. The Hebrew “shin” means teeth which is the ancient pictograph associated with this word (though to me it looks like a child’s drawing of a mustache). It is said to carry the meaning of Sharp, Press and Eat.
There is another interpretation of the symbolism of this letter and though there is an elegance to it, it seems to be lacking in empirical data. It does not even try to associate the meaning of the word for this letter with the symbol of this letter so I have rejected it.
In the end it doesn’t really matter for us since neither view seems to have an obvious connection with thoughts in this segment. These verses address reverence for God’s instructions as well as rejoicing. Hating lies verses loving God’s laws of truth. The security and sure footedness God’s law provide for our feet as opposed to the stumbling of those who are blind to it. It ends with a proclamation of God’s eyes being open and aware of all we do.
“(161) Rulers pursue me for no reason, yet I am more afraid of disobeying Your instructions. (162) I rejoice in Your instructions, like one who finds much plunder.
(163) I hate and despise deceit; I love Your law. (164) Seven times a day I praise You because of Your just regulations. (165) Those who love Your law are completely secure; nothing causes them to stumble.
(166) I hope for Your deliverance, O LORD, and I obey Your commands. (167) I keep Your rules; I love them greatly. (168) I keep Your precepts and rules, for You are aware of everything I do.”
ת (Tav) 169-176
Pictographic: The ancient pictograph of this letter was that of two intersecting sticks which looked like a cross or plus sign symbolizing a marker or a sign. The modern pronunciation of this letter is tav which also means a ‘mark’ or a ‘sign’, though it is possible the original pronunciation was taw. Similarly the root of the word is tavah which turns this into an action – to MAKE a mark or sign. It is speculated that this letter tav may be the sign which is said to be placed on foreheads in scripture – the letter representing the word Tich ‘ye (tik- yeh) meaning “you shall live”.
ExamplesGod placing a sign on the foreheads of certain people to preserve them from death are…
- That upon Cain
- on the Jews mentioned in Ezekiel 9 upon whom the angel makes a mark on the forehead of the faithful while later other angles were sent to kill those lacking this sign,
- the 144,000 Jews at the end of the age in Revelation 7:3,4 who were later spared because they had this mark Revelation 9:4.
In Greek the equivalent letter is tau and that is also written as a cross (or like an English ‘T’).
The meanings of this symbol are Covenant, Signal or Monument.
Obviously this could have great (if not possibly a convenient connection) with the cross itself upon which our Lord and Saviour offered His life. That cross has become the symbol and monument of the saving work of Christ which marks all who bow at the foot of it in respect and submission to Jesus “King of the Jews” Who died there they “ they shall live”!
“(169) Listen to my cry for help, O LORD! Give me insight by Your word! (170) Listen to my appeal for mercy! Deliver me, as You promised.
(171) May praise flow freely from my lips, for You teach me Your statutes.
(172) May my tongue sing about your instructions, for all Your commands are just.
(173) May Your hand help me, for I choose to obey Your precepts. (174) I long for Your deliverance, O LORD; I find delight in Your law. (175) May I live and praise You! May Your regulations help me!
(176) I have wandered off like a lost sheep. Come looking for Your servant, for I do not forget Your commands.”
This psalm beautifully summarizes the relationship the follower of God has with His word and His person!
- We cry and He listens
- He offers us insights by His word
- He promises deliverance
- We praise Him for His teaching us His statutes and because His commands are just
- His hand helps us for we chose obedience to His precepts
- We long for His deliverance and delight in His law
- We live because His regulations help us
- When we wander He comes after us as His sheep because we do not forget Him or His commands
Blessings!
Tri
