Psa 119:119 | KingComments | STEP | The letter samekh has the pictogram of a complete circle and has the numerical value sixty. This gives the letter the meaning ‘circled’, ‘protected’. In ancient Hebrew, the letter samekh has the pictogram of a ‘thorn’. A flock is protected by a thorn bush all around, hence the meaning of the letter: protection, circled, support. The idea is that the believer is completely surrounded by the Word and protected by the LORD. In connection with the numerical value, we see this portrayed in the sixty bodyguards surrounding King Solomon ( ). The upright “hates those who are double-minded” ( ). These are people with a divided heart or double-hearted people (cf. ). They are, so to speak, people of a semicircle rather than a whole circle, samekh . A semicircle does not provide sufficient protection. Half-minded people cannot count on the LORD’s protection. For that, a person must be completely dedicated, depicted in a whole circle. The difference between with a whole heart and with half a heart (or double-minded) is the difference between love and hate. People who are double-minded cannot make a choice (cf. ). Such people say they love God, but in reality they despise Him. This is evident in their attitude toward the teaching of God’s Word. The upright one, on the other hand, loves the law of the LORD with all his heart. He longs for the teaching from God’s Word. His hatred of the half-minded, therefore, stems from this teaching. It is the hatred of God Himself ( ). The God-fearing is persecuted because of his dedication to the LORD. This leads him into a new experience, and that is that the LORD is his “hiding place” and his “shield” ( ). These two words in Hebrew both begin with the letter samekh . Together they mean “complete protection”. We see in Psalm 121 that the LORD keeps us during the day (the sun) and during the night (the moon), that is, continually and completely ( ). Waiting for the word of the LORD brings safety and protection to the psalmist. At the same time, God’s Word is also a hiding place and a shield from all the hateful words that are shot at him like fiery arrows, for hope and trust in it will stop the fiery arrows ( ). The God-fearing lives in the midst of evildoers ( ). Instead of speaking to the LORD, he speaks to them exceptionally onetime. Now that he is safe, safe because the LORD is his hiding place, safe because he has put on the whole armor of God, he can resist the evildoers and drive them away. The promise applies to us as well: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” ( ). He commands them to go away from him, for he wants to have nothing to do with them (cf. ). If he allows them to exercise their influence in his life, it will be at the expense of observing the commandments of God (cf. ). He does not want that. No believer should want that. Therefore, he will order evildoers to leave him immediately ( ; ; cf. ) and resist a false gospel ( ). The forceful action of the previous verse is possible only if at the same time an appeal is made to the word of God that He supports those who trust in Him ( ). The psalmist’s decision is certain. But he knows the strength of the opponents and he also knows his own weakness. Therefore, he resorts to the word of the LORD to sustain him. Then he will survive in a time of need. He asks for God’s support because he does not want to be ashamed in his hope. The support he asks for is in view of those who persecute him, for from them he wants to be safe ( ). When the LORD supports him, he is focused on Him and safe. Then he continually has regard for or delights in the statutes of the LORD. He keeps them and rejoices in them. These then determine the content of his life and not those who are after him. He leaves the judgment of his persecutors to the LORD ( ). He knows what the LORD is going to do, that is to reject all those who wander from His statutes. They deceive others with their language of lies. This double description of their wickedness – “their deceitfulness is useless [literally: falsehood]” – underscores the mendacity of their language. This is prophetically about people who follow the antichrist in his lying deceptions. All these wicked people are removed from the earth by the LORD like dross ( ). The dross is removed to purify, to refine the silver. The wicked are purged away to make Israel pure (cf. ; ; ). By this, the righteous refers to the melting process in which a smelter removes the dross that floats on the molten precious metal (cf. ; ; ; ). He knows that God will deal justly with the wicked. It is an additional motive for him to love God’s testimonies. Judgment on the wicked ( ) is for the God-fearing, besides being a motive for loving the testimonies of the LORD, also a reason for fearing Him ( ). He is therefore in great awe of Him (cf. ; ). That his “flesh trembles” is literally “bristles up”, which means in our language that he gets goosebumps. In himself he is no better than the wicked and is impressed by the judgments of God on them. That is also the big difference with the wicked, because they show no fear of Him Who is so much to be feared.

‏ Psalms 119:119

/samekh/ Protected

The letter samekh has the pictogram of a complete circle and has the numerical value sixty. This gives the letter the meaning ‘circled’, ‘protected’. In ancient Hebrew, the letter samekh has the pictogram of a ‘thorn’. A flock is protected by a thorn bush all around, hence the meaning of the letter: protection, circled, support. The idea is that the believer is completely surrounded by the Word and protected by the LORD. In connection with the numerical value, we see this portrayed in the sixty bodyguards surrounding King Solomon (Song 3:7).

The upright “hates those who are double-minded” (Psa 119:113). These are people with a divided heart or double-hearted people (cf. Jam 1:8). They are, so to speak, people of a semicircle rather than a whole circle, samekh. A semicircle does not provide sufficient protection. Half-minded people cannot count on the LORD’s protection. For that, a person must be completely dedicated, depicted in a whole circle.

The difference between with a whole heart and with half a heart (or double-minded) is the difference between love and hate. People who are double-minded cannot make a choice (cf. Jos 24:15). Such people say they love God, but in reality they despise Him. This is evident in their attitude toward the teaching of God’s Word. The upright one, on the other hand, loves the law of the LORD with all his heart. He longs for the teaching from God’s Word. His hatred of the half-minded, therefore, stems from this teaching. It is the hatred of God Himself (Psa 139:21-22).

The God-fearing is persecuted because of his dedication to the LORD. This leads him into a new experience, and that is that the LORD is his “hiding place” and his “shield” (Psa 119:114). These two words in Hebrew both begin with the letter samekh. Together they mean “complete protection”. We see in Psalm 121 that the LORD keeps us during the day (the sun) and during the night (the moon), that is, continually and completely (Psa 121:6).

Waiting for the word of the LORD brings safety and protection to the psalmist. At the same time, God’s Word is also a hiding place and a shield from all the hateful words that are shot at him like fiery arrows, for hope and trust in it will stop the fiery arrows (Eph 6:16).

The God-fearing lives in the midst of evildoers (Psa 119:115). Instead of speaking to the LORD, he speaks to them exceptionally onetime. Now that he is safe, safe because the LORD is his hiding place, safe because he has put on the whole armor of God, he can resist the evildoers and drive them away. The promise applies to us as well: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jam 4:7).

He commands them to go away from him, for he wants to have nothing to do with them (cf. Psa 6:8). If he allows them to exercise their influence in his life, it will be at the expense of observing the commandments of God (cf. 1Cor 15:33). He does not want that. No believer should want that. Therefore, he will order evildoers to leave him immediately (2Jn 1:10; Tit 3:10; cf. Rom 16:17) and resist a false gospel (Gal 2:4-5).

The forceful action of the previous verse is possible only if at the same time an appeal is made to the word of God that He supports those who trust in Him (Psa 119:116). The psalmist’s decision is certain. But he knows the strength of the opponents and he also knows his own weakness. Therefore, he resorts to the word of the LORD to sustain him. Then he will survive in a time of need. He asks for God’s support because he does not want to be ashamed in his hope.

The support he asks for is in view of those who persecute him, for from them he wants to be safe (Psa 119:117). When the LORD supports him, he is focused on Him and safe. Then he continually has regard for or delights in the statutes of the LORD. He keeps them and rejoices in them. These then determine the content of his life and not those who are after him.

He leaves the judgment of his persecutors to the LORD (Psa 119:118). He knows what the LORD is going to do, that is to reject all those who wander from His statutes. They deceive others with their language of lies. This double description of their wickedness – “their deceitfulness is useless [literally: falsehood]” – underscores the mendacity of their language. This is prophetically about people who follow the antichrist in his lying deceptions.

All these wicked people are removed from the earth by the LORD like dross (Psa 119:119). The dross is removed to purify, to refine the silver. The wicked are purged away to make Israel pure (cf. Pro 25:4; Mal 4:1; Lk 3:9 ; 17). By this, the righteous refers to the melting process in which a smelter removes the dross that floats on the molten precious metal (cf. Isa 1:25-26; Eze 22:19-22; Mal 3:2-3; 1Pet 1:7). He knows that God will deal justly with the wicked. It is an additional motive for him to love God’s testimonies.

Judgment on the wicked (Psa 119:119) is for the God-fearing, besides being a motive for loving the testimonies of the LORD, also a reason for fearing Him (Psa 119:120). He is therefore in great awe of Him (cf. Rev 1:17; Isa 6:5). That his “flesh trembles” is literally “bristles up”, which means in our language that he gets goosebumps. In himself he is no better than the wicked and is impressed by the judgments of God on them. That is also the big difference with the wicked, because they show no fear of Him Who is so much to be feared.