Journal: Journal of Dispensational Theology
Volume: JODT 29:79 (Autumn 2025)
Article: Great Expectations, Great Blessings: A Hebrew Exegetical Analysis Of The Revelatory Terms Used In Psalm 119:9-16
Author: John M. Wiley

JODT 29:79 (Autumn 2025) p. 173

Great Expectations, Great Blessings: A Hebrew Exegetical Analysis Of The Revelatory Terms Used In Psalm 119:9-16

John M. Wiley

* John M. Wiley, M.A., M.A., D.Min.; Ph.D. student and advising professor, Tyndale Theological Seminary

Tremper Longman III seemed to be correct in his assessment that the “most famous acrostic in the Bible is the ‘Giant Psalm,’ Psalm 119.”1 While not visible in English translations, this Hebrew acrostic is composed of a set of eight verses, with each set of verses beginning with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Thus, the first eight verses begin with the Hebrew letter א, verses 9-16 begin with the letter ב, and so forth, all the way through 176 verses. In Hebrew, the following is how the passage being considered, Psalm 119:9-16, reads.

בַּמֶּה יְזַכֶּה־נַּעַר אֶת־אָרְחוֹ לִשְׁמֹר כִּדְבָרֶךָ׃

בְּכָל־לִבִּי דְרַשְׁתִּיךָ אַל־תַּשְׁגֵּנִי מִמִּצְוֹתֶיךָ׃

בְּלִבִּי צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרָתֶךָ לְמַעַן לֹא אֶחֱטָא־לָךְ׃

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ׃

בִּשְׂפָתַי סִפַּרְתִּי כֹּל מִשְׁפְּטֵי־פִיךָ׃

בְּדֶרֶךְ עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שַׂשְׂתִּי כְּעַל כָּל־הוֹן׃

בְּפִקֻּדֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה וְאַבִּיטָה אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ׃

בְּחֻקֹּתֶיךָ אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ׃

The Psalms are sometimes divided into five “books,” with Psalm 119 occurring in the fifth and final book. Part of the basis for choosing the set of “beth” (ב) verses for this research (rather than any of the other 8 verse sets) has to do with the author’s interest in research for youth ministry.2 At the same time, this set of verses provides a wide array of revelatory terms, which are quite impactful for broader areas of biblical study.

JODT 29:79 (Autumn 2025) p. 174

The numerous words used to describe God’s revela...