I have never known anyone to use all of Psalm 119 as a prayer. It is so long that the Church always breaks it down into pieces in using the words of this psalm which has as its theme praise of God’s Law. Yesterday I wrote about Psalm 34 which is written using the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, each successive letter being used to start a new verse. I sometimes jokingly call such acrostic psalms “The Obsessive Compulsive Psalms” because the form is almost more important than the message.
Psalm 119 is a far more complicated poem and is, in the eyes of some scholars, ingenious in its composition. In the words of Irene Nowell, “it is an expansive acrostic. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by eight verses. Thus verses one through eight begin with the letter aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, verses nine through sixteen with beth, the second letter and so on. As if this were not enough, there are eight synonyms for “Law” which are woven throughout the poem: teachings, decrees, precepts, laws, commands, edicts, words, and promises.” (Nowell, Sing a New Song, pp. 253-254. Only a few verses do not include one of these words.
The subject of the poem is the Law of God; however, it does not take a legalistic stance. Rather it sings of the delight that one can find in meditating on the Law, the happiness that can be found in keeping God’s Law. A life lived according to God’s Law is a life full of wisdom.
The structure of the poem is not merely an exercise in poetic construction. The author is convinced that true security can be found in obedience to God’s Law. Thus the rather strict adherence to the acrostic form tries to convey that sense of security.
At the same time it must be admitted that the structure does not allow for a developed thought structure. Here too, we may find a blessing in disguise. The psalm lends itself to being used in small pieces, one or two verses or perhaps one stanza at a time rather than asking that someone pray all one hundred and seventy-six verses in one sitting.
Security has always been an issue in the human experience. No one enjoys feeling insecure or unsure of what will happen in the future. Some become so obsessed by providing security for the future that they fail to live the present moment. Psalm 119 offers us a remedy to our feelings of insecurity by providing us with the wisdom of the ages. Obedience to God’s Law is our life-line, our surety, our connection to the Rock which is God for us.
Together with the psalmist we pray: “Lord teach me your commands.”
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Editor