Journal: Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal
Volume: RPTJ 08:1 (Fall 2021)
Article: A Lamp Unto My Feet: The Doctrine Of Scripture In Psalm 119
Author: Clayton J. Williams

RPTJ 8:1 (Fall 2021) p. 4

A Lamp Unto My Feet: The Doctrine Of Scripture In Psalm 119

Clayton J. Williams

Professor of Old Testament Studies Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

What is Psalm 119 all about? This question seems to have an obvious and ready answer. Psalm 119 is about the power, purity, and perfection of God’s word. Throughout 176 verses it never wavers from this theme, and by its sheer mass Psalm 119 brings this unmistakable emphasis to the Psalter, to the Old Testament, and to the Bible itself. It is a psalm that teaches us the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, and it exhorts us to cherish the word of God in the life of faith. But this psalm is not merely a treatise on the doctrine of Scripture. It is that in some respects, but it is also much more than that. Our first clue to look deeper comes from listening to the repetitions that bind this enormous psalm together.

Even though every verse of Psalm 119 extols the statutes, precepts, commandments, and judgements of God, there are words that occur more frequently than these. The most frequently repeated words in this psalm are not the rich variety of synonyms for Scripture, but the first-person pronouns—”I,” “me,” and “my,” along with the second person pronouns “You” and “Your” (always with a capital “Y”). Look at almost any verse in Psalm 119 and you will find a first-person reference to “me” and a second-person reference to “You.” This is a psalm about a relationship; a psalm about “You” and “me,” and you will find those pronouns (or a variation of them) in nearly every verse. This psalm is about a relationship of faith and love, between God and man, that is sustained and strengthened by the word of God.

The pronoun “You” is always capitalized because it is a reference to God, but who is the “I,” the “me,” the speaker of this psalm? Some say that it is David, although the psalm is technically anonymous. Many view the human author, whether it was David or not, as a spokesman for all believers who gives us an example to emulate, and it is certainly true that the love for God and His word expressed here in this psalm is something for us to diligently cultivate in our own lives.

And yet this towering first-person presence in Psalm 119 points to something more. Self-references are not uncommon in the Psalter, but Psalm 119 is saturated with them in almost every verse. The inescapable impression is that this psalm is as m...