A Commentary on the Book of Psalms: Psalm 118 — Of the Excellence of Virtue Consisting in the Love and Observance of the Commandments of God
99–100 Another advantage of the law is its being productive not only of prudence, but also of wisdom; and thus David, by constant meditation on God’s law, became much more learned than those who taught him the law; and got more understanding than those who were much more advanced in years.
101–102 The third advantage of God’s law is, that it causes us to avoid many sins. “I have restrained my feet from every evil way.” I took care not to walk in the paths of the wicked, who have no law but their own desires, the law of sin and of the flesh, and that, in order that “I may keep thy words,” or your law, that pointed out a path in the very opposite direction; because “I have not declined from thy judgments,” from your commandments, full of justice, “because thou hast set me a law;” because you, my God, have given me said holy law.
103 The fourth advantage is, that God’s law confers extreme happiness on those that observe it; for “thy words,” that is, God’s commandments, are sweeter to the palate of the soul than honey is to that of the body. Nothing can be sweeter than a good conscience, and the hope of everlasting happiness, derived from the observance of God’s law.
104 He proves that he derived great pleasure from God’s law, because it always creates an easy conscience, for “by thy commandments I have had understanding;” I have become prudent and wise through the lessons I got from your commandments. “Therefore have I hated every way of iniquity;” from the wisdom and prudence I acquired by constant meditation on the law, I not only abstained from sin, but I even got a thorough hatred of all sinful actions. Such hatred is a wonderful preservative of the purity and sanctity of the soul, and generates great confidence in God, which leads to joy unspeakable, to a peace and tranquillity far and away beyond all the treasures and pleasures of this world.
Nun
105 The prophet, in the next eight verses, praises the law of the Lord, by reason of its being of great use to us, and then promises that, no matter what trouble he may be in, he will observe it. A great advantage to us is that the law of the Lord is to us, while here below, like a lamp to one walking in the dark; for the law of sin, our own evil desires, either blinds entirely, or so darkens man’s intellect, that he cannot distinguish what is truly good from what is truly bad; and thus, those who follow that law, that is, those who suffer themselves to be led away by their evil desires, tumble down various precipices; now, God’s law dispels such darkness, and points out what is truly good, and truly bad; and, therefore, they who follow it stray not, are not groping their way, but proceed on the path that leads direct to their heavenly country. He, therefore, says, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet;” thy law is one, “and a light to my paths,” to guide me as I go along.
106 The law being a light, and, therefore, a most useful and valuable thing to have, the prophet “swears and is determined,” firmly resolved with himself, “to keep” the law, which he calls “the judgment of thy justice;” that is, his most just judgments.
107 “I have been humbled;” persecuted and harassed by reason of my observance of the law; for “all who live piously in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution;” but do you, O Lord, “quicken me;” grant me, at last, that true life that will be free from all evils; “according to thy word;” according to the promise you made when you said, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
108 My having sworn and determined to observe the law, no matter under what amount of persecution, is the free offering of my mouth; I pray, therefore, that this free offering may be acceptable to thee, O Lord; and as, of itself, it can have no such merit, “make it acceptable, O Lord,” by kindly condescending, in your grace, to approve of it; and that I may offer the sacrifice in due form, “teach me thy judgments;” teach me the perfect observance of your law.
109 The fact of my being in daily danger of my life, by reason of my observance of your law, is a proof how serious I was when I swore I would observe it, and how willingly I offered such a sacrifice. “My soul is continually in my hands;” I am in constant danger; for what we have in our hands may easily slip out of them, or be snatched out of them, unless one have a firm hold of it. Jephte makes use of a similar expression in Judges 12, “I put my life in my own hands,” to show in what a critical position he was placed; the same is said of David, “And he put his life in his hand, and he slew the Philistine.”
110 I had just reason for saying, “My soul is continually in my hands,” because “sinners have laid a snare for me,” to take and to slay me; and still, however, “I have not erred from thy precepts;” strayed from thy commandments. Such was the case all the time Saul was trying to put David to death, who could have frequently put Saul to death, and thus delivered himself, had he not been afraid of offending God.
111 The reason for my not having “erred from thy precepts” was because “I have purchased thy testimonies for an inheritance forever;” that is, I have chosen your law as an everlasting inheritance, because it is most sweet and most agreeable to me, and the source of supreme joy and delight.
112 Now, the abundant reward that the observance of the law brings with it is the cause of such delight. “I have inclined my heart to do thy justifications forever.” When the law of sin would drag me one way, and your law would seek to bring me the other way, “I have inclined my heart,” as I would a scale or a balance, to observe your law, and that “for the reward,” because I recollected life everlasting to be the reward promised to those who would observe your law.
Samech
113 In the next eight verses the prophet expresses his detestation of those who break the divine law, and proves how much opposed to them he is. St. Augustine observes that the prophet does not say here, “I have hated iniquity; and loved thy law,” one being directly opposed to the other; but he says, “I have hated the unjust,” to show that he not only hated iniquity, but those who are guilty of it as well; and again, that he does not say, “I have hated the unjust, and loved the just;” but “I have loved thy law;” to show that he hates the wicked only, inasmuch as they go against the law of God that he so loved. He, therefore, hates the unjust, not by reason of their nature, but by reason of their iniquity; as, on the other hand, he loved his enemies, and therefore, the unjust, not by reason of their iniquity, but by reason of their nature.
114 That I may not fear the wicked whom I hate, and that I may observe the law that I love, “thou art my helper and protector;” my helper in observing the law, and my protector in evading the persecution of my enemies. And I, in turn, “have greatly hoped in thee,” in the promises you made me.
115 One of the reasons why the prophet so hated the wicked was, because their presence interfered with his meditations, that required quiet and peace of mind. He wishes them, therefore, as he would so many troublesome wasps, to be off with themselves.
116 As well as I wish the malignant to depart, I wish you to approach me, that you may “uphold me” in thy bosom; “according to thy word,” agreeable to the promises you made me, and then, most truly, “shall I live,” when I shall be united to you, who art the life. And as I hope for so much, not through my own merits, but through your goodness, “let me not be confounded in my expectation.”
117 He repeats the same idea in different language; “Uphold me, and I shall live,” and “Help me, and I shall be saved,” being the same; and the consequence of his being so helped will be, that he will thenceforward be always able to meditate on God’s law without any impediment.
118 He now shows, that if he does hate the wicked and wishes they should keep away from him, he is only following God’s example therein, who has a most thorough and most just execration of the wicked. “Thou hast despised,” as you would a thing of no value, “all them that fall off from thy judgments;” all the wicked who have abandoned the path of God’s law; “for their thought is unjust;” because they think they ought not be subject to the law of God, and that they should set no value on it, one of the most impious ideas they could possibly entertain, since every creature is strictly bound to obey its Creator. Such were the notions of Lucifer, who instead of being subject to, sought to put himself on an equality with, his Creator. Such was the idea of our first parents, who desired to be like God. Such are the ideas of all proud people, who say in their hearts, “Who is our Lord?” It is such as those that God despises, and cares very little if thousands of them perish for all eternity, because the more value they set on themselves, the less will God set on them.