Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.
This psalm pursues two chief ends: to exhort God's children toward a holy life, and to establish the Law as the rule and form of true worship. The psalmist weaves in promises to animate believers to live justly, and complaints against the wicked who despise the Law, lest the faithful be corrupted by their example. Though he moves from one matter to another, the composition is not a heap of scattered thoughts, but holds together by a living connection.
AI summary
Commenting on Psalm 119:1-176
Here we have, I. A general petition for audience repeated: Let my cry come near before thee; and again, Let my supplication come before thee. He calls his prayer his cry, which denotes the fervency and vehemence of it, and his supplication, which denotes the humility of it. We must come to God as beggars come to our doors for an alms.
Commenting on Psalm 119:169-170
I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord,.... For temporal salvation and deliverance from enemies; and for spiritual and eternal salvation by the Messiah; and for the Messiah himself, the author of it: Kimchi interprets it of the salvation of the soul in the world to come; see Psa 119:81; and thy law is my delight; or "delights" (n); his exceeding great delight, as being...