Question 1

What does it mean when the writer says, "I have done judgment and justice"?

Accepted Answer

When the writer says, "I have done judgment and justice," he is not claiming to be perfect or sinless. He is saying that, both as a leader and as a private man, he has tried to do what is right and fair. He has aimed to give people what they are due and not to wrong others by force or trickery. This becomes part of his plea to God: he is being treated badly even though he has tried to live uprightly. So he asks God not to hand him over to those who oppress and slander him.

Question 2

What does "Be surety for thy servant for good" mean in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The phrase "Be surety for thy servant for good" is a way of asking God to step in and take up the writer’s case. A surety is someone who stands in for another person, takes responsibility, and protects them. Here the servant of God feels too weak to face his enemies on his own, so he asks God to be his guarantor and defender, to cover him and work for his good in whatever way God sees best. It is a humble request that God would not leave him in the hands of proud oppressors.

Question 3

Why does the writer say, "Mine eyes fail for thy salvation"?

Accepted Answer

When he says, "Mine eyes fail for thy salvation," he is talking about long, weary waiting. He has been looking to God for rescue and for the fulfillment of God’s righteous word for so long that his eyes feel tired and strained from watching. It paints a picture of someone who keeps looking toward God’s help, even when it seems slow in coming. He is not turning to other sources of help. He is fixed on God’s promise, and although he feels worn out by waiting, he still expects God’s righteous word to stand and to be fulfilled.

Question 4

What does this passage teach about asking God for understanding?

Accepted Answer

The passage shows that understanding God’s word is not something we can gain by ourselves. The writer says, "I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies." He admits his place as God’s servant and asks God to teach him and give him a clear mind. He wants to know what God has said so that he can obey it, especially in hard times. This teaches that when we are confused or afflicted, we should first ask God to show us our duty and open our minds, trusting that true insight into his word is a gift of his mercy.

Question 5

What does "It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law" mean?

Accepted Answer

This line comes from seeing people openly ignoring and overturning what God has commanded. To "make void" God’s law is not just to break it sometimes, but to treat it as if it has no binding force, pushing it aside and living by one’s own rules. Seeing this, the writer cries, "It is time for thee, LORD, to work." He is asking God to step in, to act in judgment, in mercy, or both, so that his honor is upheld. Some readers also understand the wording as a call for God’s people to act for him when his law is being trampled.

Question 6

Why does the writer love God’s commandments more than gold and fine gold?

Accepted Answer

Gold and fine gold picture what people usually value most in this world. The writer says he loves God’s commandments more than that because he sees them as truly right, good, and useful for the soul. Money can buy comfort on earth but cannot make a person right with God or guide them in holiness. God’s word had done for him what wealth never could, and it would still help him when earthly things failed. So he treasures God’s commands above all riches, finding in them real wisdom, protection, and a sure guide in a world that often rejects God’s ways.

Question 7

What does it mean to esteem all God’s precepts to be right and to hate every false way?

Accepted Answer

To esteem all God’s precepts to be right means to agree with God that everything he commands is just, good, and wise. The writer does not pick and choose among God’s commands as if some are helpful and others are not. He accepts them all as right in every matter they speak to. Because of this, he says he hates every false way. A "false way" is any path, teaching, or practice that goes against what God has said. Love for God’s word naturally leads to hatred of sin, man-made religion that twists God’s truth, and any life pattern that sets aside his commands.

Question 8

How does this passage help believers who feel oppressed or surrounded by evil?

Accepted Answer

This passage gives words for someone who feels wronged even while trying to live uprightly. The writer is honest about being oppressed and about the bold disregard for God’s law he sees around him. Yet he brings his case to God, asking for protection, mercy, and understanding instead of taking matters into his own hands. He fixes his hope on God’s salvation and his righteous word, and he deepens his love for God’s commands rather than cooling off. Believers today can follow this pattern: cry out to God, cling to his promises, ask for teaching, and hold tightly to his ways.

Question 9

What does this passage show about God’s character and mercy?

Accepted Answer

The passage shows God as a just defender who cares about oppression, as one who gives understanding, and as one who acts when his law is despised. The writer asks, "Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy," admitting that he does not deserve help as payment for his works. Instead he leans on God’s kindness. God’s mercy is seen in teaching his servants, giving them insight, preserving them from the proud, and keeping his righteous word of salvation. This encourages us to come to God not boasting of our goodness, but trusting his mercy to guide, protect, and save.

Psalm 119:121

I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

ע - AYIN

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Psalm 119:121

I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.

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Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

ע - AYIN

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