Psalm 119

Psalm 119 is the longest of the psalms with 176 verses. It’s an acrostic poem using the twenty-two successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet divided into eight-verse stanzas. Each of the lines in the first stanza (vv. 1-8) begins with the first letter of the alphabet, aleph; verses 9-16 begin with beth, the second letter; and so on. This structure for the psalm formed a helpful memory device. Since ancient Hebrews didn’t have personal copies of the Scriptures, the repetition of letters and sounds at the beginning of each couplet aided them in their memorization. The theme of the song/prayer is clearly a celebration of the Torah (the “law of the Lord,” v. 1). The books of Moses or Torah were the beginning and foundation of the Hebrew Scriptures (what we call the Old Testament) and to that foundation was added the Writings and the Prophets.

Bill Crowder