PSALMS 119:137 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
“Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.”
The Tsade stanza opens with affirmation of God's complete righteousness and the justice of His precepts and testimonies. This verse provides theological foundation for the entire psalm: confidence in God's law rests upon unwavering conviction of divine righteousness. All of God's statutes are established in justice means that no command is arbitrary or designed to harm; rather, each reflects the divine nature that is fundamentally righteous. The Tsade letter symbolizes "righteous" or "just," perfectly introducing a stanza centered on justice and vindication. This verse asserts that meditation on Scripture must include contemplation of the lawgiver's character: trust in God's precepts depends upon recognizing their source in divine justice. Theological reflection thus undergirds practical obedience.
Church Fathers on Psalms 119:137
1. From its commencement, dearly beloved, does this great Psalm exhort us unto bliss, which there is no one who desires not....And therefore this is the lesson which he teaches, who says, “Blessed are those that are undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord” Psalm 118:1. As much as to say, I know what you wish, you are seeking bliss: if then you would be blessed, be undefiled. For the former all desire, the latter fear: yet without it what all wish cannot be…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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