Psalm 119:69

The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(69) Have forged.—Rather, patched. The verb occurs twice besides (Job 13:4; Job 14:17). Gesenius compares the Greek, δόλον ἐάπτειν, and the Latin, suere dolos. Comp. also

“You praise yourself by laying defects of judgment to me;

but you patched up your excuses.”

Antony and Cleopatra: Acts 2, Scene 2.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 119:69-70. The proud have forged a lie against me — A slander, charging me with hypocrisy toward God, and other sins. But I will keep thy precepts — My practice shall confute their calumnies. “Every disciple of Christ, who, like his Master, goeth contrary to the ways of the world, and condemneth them, must expect to be, like that Master, slandered and calumniated by the world. To such slanders and calumnies, a good life is the best answer.” — Horne. Their heart is as fat as grease — Hebrew, שׂפשׁ כחלב, tapash chacheleb, which Dr. Waterland renders, is gross, as with fat: and Houbigant, gross as fat. The sense is, either, 1st, They are dull, stupid, insensible, and past feeling, neither affected with the terrors nor comforts of God’s word: so a similar phrase signifies, Isaiah 6:10, compared with John 12:40. Or, 2d, They prosper exceedingly, and are even glutted with the wealth and comforts of this life. But I delight in thy law — I do not envy them their prosperity and pleasure: for I have as much delight in God’s law as they have in worldly things.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

119:65-72 However God has dealt with us, he has dealt with us better than we deserve; and all in love, and for our good. Many have knowledge, but little judgment; those who have both, are fortified against the snares of Satan, and furnished for the service of God. We are most apt to wander from God, when we are easy in the world. We should leave our concerns to the disposal of God, seeing we know not what is good for us. Lord, thou art our bountiful Benefactor; incline our hearts to faith and obedience. The psalmist will go on in his duty with constancy and resolution. The proud are full of the world, and its wealth and pleasures; these make them senseless, secure, and stupid. God visits his people with affliction, that they may learn his statutes. Not only God's promises, but even his law, his percepts, though hard to ungodly men, are desirable, and profitable, because they lead us with safety and delight unto eternal life.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The proud - The psalmist had before referred to the "proud" as those from whom he had suffered injury, or as having been exposed to their derision. See the notes at Psalm 119:51. He here reverts to another form in which he had suffered from them.

Have forged a lie against me - Compare Job 13:4. The word rendered "forged," means to patch together; and then it is applied to charges or accusations against anyone, perhaps from their being made up (as they often are) of shreds and patches - hints, small matters, things having no necessary connection in themselves, but brought together as if they pertained to the same transaction - words dropped here and there in conversation, which, being artfully woven together, seem to make out a plausible case against a man. Most slanders are formed and sustained in this way, for it is rare that an absolutely forged slander is uttered against a man, or that a charge is brought which cannot be made to have plausibility from such circumstances as those referred to above. Even the most pure and circumspect cannot always avoid this, for there is something in every man's life of which a malignant and cunning enemy may take advantage, and which he may weave into a story which some will believe, and which it may not be easy to confute. A malicious man may thus start a slander which may require years to correct, and which may even operate injuriously against a man all his life.

But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart - Notwithstanding their accusations, and their attempts to turn me away from thee, or to represent me as false and hypocritical. Whatever they may do; whatever reports they may start to my disadvantage, it is my fixed purpose to obey entirely and always thy law. See the notes at Psalm 119:51.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

69, 70. The crafty malice of the wicked, in slandering him, so far from turning him away, but binds him closer to God's Word, which they are too stupid in sin to appreciate. Hengstenberg refers the "lie" to such slanders against the Jews during the captivity, as that in Ezr 4:1-6, of sedition.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Forged a lie; a slander, charging me with hypocrisy towards God, and rebellion against my prince.

But I will keep thy precepts; my practice shall confute their calumnies.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The proud have forged a lie against me,.... Or, "sewed a lie to him" (r); fastened a lie upon him, or sewed and added one lie to another. Either with respect to politics, as the proud and haughty courtiers of Saul, who represented David to him as a traitor, that had treasonable designs against him to take away his life, and seize his crown and kingdom, 1 Samuel 24:9; or with respect to religion; so some proud scornful men, that derided him for his piety, and scoffed at his seriousness, gave out that it was all grimace and hypocrisy; raised calumnies upon him, and laid things to his charge he knew nothing of; and which were all lies, forged out of their own brains, and artfully and purposely put together to blacken his character, and lessen his esteem among men: and it is no unusual thing for wicked men to speak all manner of evil falsely against the people of God;

but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart; observe the commands of God sincerely, heartily, and affectionately, and not in show and appearance only; and so make it evident that it was a lie that was forged against him; and this is the best way of answering such liars and defamers; see 1 Peter 3:16.

(r) "consuerunt", Tigurine version; "assuerunt", Muis.

Geneva Study Bible

The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

69. The proud have forged a lie against me] Lit. have plastered falsehood over me, “making his true character unrecognisable” (Del.), or perhaps, questioning the sincerity and disinterestedness of his service; but his answer to their calumny is a more resolute determination to obey: as for me, with my whole heart will I keep thy precepts.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 69. - The proud have forged a lie against me; literally, patched up a lie against me (comp. vers. 22, 23, 42, 78, etc.). But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart (comp. vers. 2, 10, 34, etc.). "The connection of the clauses is - that all the craft and malice of his enemies should only lead him to obey God with a more undivided heart than ever" (Professor Alexander). Psalm 119:69

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The eightfold Teth. The good word of the gracious God is the fountain of all good; and it is learned in the way of lowliness. He reviews his life, and sees in everything that has befallen him the good and well-meaning appointment of the God of salvation in accordance with the plan and order of salvation of His word. The form עבדּך, which is the form out of pause, is retained in Psalm 119:65 beside Athnach, although not preceded by Olewejored (cf. Psalm 35:19; Psalm 48:11; Proverbs 30:21). Clinging believingly to the commandments of God, he is able confidently to pray that He would teach him "good discernment" and "knowledge." טעם is ethically the capacity of distinguishing between good and evil, and of discovering the latter as it were by touch; טוּב טעם, good discernment, is a coupling of words like טוּב לב, a happy disposition, cheerfulness. God has brought him into this relationship to His word by humbling him, and thus setting him right out of his having gone astray. אמרה in Psalm 119:67, as in Psalm 119:11, is not God's utterance conveying a promise, but imposing a duty. God is called טּוב as He who is graciously disposed towards man, and מתיב as He who acts out this disposition; this loving and gracious God he implores to become his Teacher. In his fidelity to God's word he does not allow himself to be led astray by any of the lies which the proud try to impose upon him (Bttcher), or better absolutely (cf. Job 13:4): to patch together over him, making the true nature unrecognisable as it were by means of false plaster or whitewash (טפל, to smear over, bedaub, as the Targumic, Talmudic, and Syriac show). If the heart of these men, who by slander make him into a caricature of himself, is covered as it were with thick fat (a figure of insensibility and obduracy, Psalm 17:10; Psalm 73:7; Isaiah 6:10, lxx ἐτυρώθη, Aquila ἐλιπάνθη, Symmachus ἐμυαλώθη) against all the impressions of the word of God, he, on the other hand, has his delight in the law of God (שׁעשׁע with an accusative of the object, not of that which is delighted, Psalm 94:19, but of that which delights). How beneficial has the school of affliction through which he has attained to this, been to him! The word proceeding from the mouth of God is now more precious to him than the greatest earthly riches.