Psalm 119:29

Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(29) Way of lying.—Not of falsehood to men so much as insincerity and unfaithfulness towards God, the opposite of the truth and faithfulness of Psalm 119:30.

Grant me.—Rather, be gracious to me according to thy law. This is the persistent cry of the psalm.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 119:29-30. Remove from me the way of lying — Hebrew, דרךְ שׁקר, dereech sheker, the way of falsehood or deceit, of guile or dissimulation. Let me neither practise it myself, nor countenance, nor be deceived by it in others. The LXX. render it, οδον αδικιας, the way of unrighteousness. “It is plain,” says Dr. Horne, “that the way of truth, in the latter of these two verses, is opposed to the way of lying, or of falsehood, in the former. The one comprehends every thing in doctrine and practice that is right, and therefore true; the other denotes every thing which is wrong, and therefore false. Of these two ways man hath his choice. God points out to him the former by his word, and offers to conduct him in it by his Spirit. Satan shows him the latter, and endeavours to seduce him into it by his temptations. The psalmist declares himself to have chosen God’s way, and to have laid the Scriptures before him, as the chart by which to direct his course. He therefore prays that the other way may be far removed from him; and that God would vouchsafe him such thorough acquaintance with the way of truth as might prevent him from ever wandering into the path of error. How much depends upon the road we choose! How difficult is it, in a divided and distracted world, to choose aright! Yet this choice, so important, so difficult, frequently remains to be made by us, when we have neither judgment to choose, nor strength to travel!”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

119:25-32 While the souls of the children of this world cleave to the earth as their portion, the children of light are greatly burdened, because of the remains of carnal affections in their hearts. It is unspeakable comfort to a gracious soul, to think with what tenderness all its complaints are received by a gracious God. We can talk of the wonders of redeeming love, when we understand the way of God's precepts, and walk in that way. The penitent melts in sorrow for sin: even the patient spirit may melt in the sense of affliction, it is then its interest to pour out its soul before God. The way of lying means all false ways by which men deceive themselves and others, or are deceived by Satan and his instruments. Those who know and love the law of the Lord, desire to know it more, and love it better. The way of serious godliness is the way of truth; the only true way to happiness: we must always have actual regard to it. Those who stick to the word of God, may in faith expect and pray for acceptance with God. Lord, never leave me to do that by which I shall shame myself, and do not thou reject my services. Those that are going to heaven, should still press forward. God, by his Spirit, enlarges the hearts of his people when he gives them wisdom. The believer prays to be set free from sin.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Remove from me - Take it from me; cause it to depart; let me not be under its influence or power.

The way of lying - Every false, deceitful, hypocritical way. We are not to suppose that the psalmist was addicted to lying, but that he felt he was, like all people, in danger of acting from false views, from wrong motives, or under the influence of delusion and deceit. It is a prayer that he might always be sincere and truthful. No man who knows his own heart can doubt the propriety of this prayer. On nothing does a man need more to examine himself; in nothing does he more need the grace of God, than that he may be sincere.

And grant me thy law graciously - The knowledge of thy law; grace to obey thy law. The single word rendered "grant graciously" is a word which implies the idea of mercy or favor. It was not a thing which he claimed as a right; it was that for which he was dependent on the mercy of God.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

28-32. In order to adhere to His word, we must seek deliverance from temptations to sin as well as from despondency.

enlarge—or, "expand"

my heart—with gracious affections.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The way of lying; or, of falsehood; either,

1. The practice of lying, and dissembling, and cheating, which is so rife in Saul’s court, and in the courts of most princes; but, Lord, let it not be so in my courts. Or rather,

2. Every false way of doctrine or worship; for to this way he opposeth God’s law in the next clause. And he justly prayeth to God to keep him from apostacy, heresy, idolatry, and superstition, because his own corrupt nature of itself and without God’s grace was prone to these errors, and not only heathens, but many Israelites, did frequently fall into them.

Grant me thy law graciously; vouchsafe unto me an accurate knowledge and firm belief of thy word, and that I may constantly attend and adhere to it, and govern myself by it in all things.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Remove from me the way of lying,.... Not the sin of lying to men, and a course of it, which David was not addicted to; but a "false way", or "way of falsehood" (b); as it may be rendered, and so the Targum; and is the same with what he expresses his abhorrence of, Psalm 119:128; and is opposed to the way of truth in Psalm 119:30; and designs all false doctrine and false worship, all errors and heresies, superstition and idolatry; which he desired to be at the utmost distance from, and those from him, as having a dislike and abhorrence of them; and as knowing how prejudicial they would be to him, and how contrary to the glory of God;

and grant me thy law graciously; not the fiery law, which works wrath, curses and condemns; the voice of words, which they that heard entreated they might hear no more; and which to have is no act of grace and favour, unless as fulfilled in Christ, and as it is a rule of walk and conversation in his hands: but rather "doctrine", as the word signifies; the doctrine of the Gospel, the law or doctrine of faith; which to have and understand is a gift of grace; it is the Gospel of the grace of God, the grace of God itself; and instructs in it, and shows that salvation is purely by it.

(b) "viam falsitatis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.

Geneva Study Bible

Remove from me the {d} way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

(d) Instruct me in your word, by which my mind may be purged from vanity and taught to obey your will.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

29, 30. The way of falsehood (cp. 104, 128), all conduct that is not governed by God’s truth, is contrasted with the way of faithfulness, of loyalty to Him. Though he has made the great choice, and set before himself (Psalm 16:8) the declarations of God’s Will as the rule of his life, he prays that God will keep him from disloyalty, and that for this end He will graciously impart to him fresh instruction in His law.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 29. - Remove from me the way of lying; i.e. the way of apostasy, or irreligion, of departure from God. And grant me thy Law graciously. Make it known to me by a Divine illumination. Psalm 119:29

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The eightfold Daleth. He is in deep trouble, and prays for consolation and strengthening by means of God's word, to which he resigns himself. His soul is fixed to the dust (Psalm 44:26) in connection with such non-recognition and proscription, and is incapable of raising itself. In Psalm 119:25 he implores new strength and spirits (חיּה as in Psalm 71:20; Psalm 85:7) from God, in conformity with and by reason of His word. He has rehearsed his walk in every detail to God, and has not been left without an answer, which has assured him of His good pleasure: may He then be pleased to advance him ever further and further in the understanding of His word, in order that, though men are against him, he may nevertheless have God on his side, Psalm 119:26-27. The complaint and request expressed in Psalm 119:25 are renewed in Psalm 119:28. דּלף refers to the soul, which is as it were melting away in the trickling down of tears; קיּם is a Piel of Aramaic formation belonging to the later language. In Psalm 119:29-30 the way of lies or of treachery, and the way of faithfulness or of perseverance in the truth, stand in opposition to one another. חנן is construed with a double accusative, inasmuch as תּורה has not the rigid notion of a fixed teaching, but of living empirical instruction. שׁוּה (short for שׁוה לנגד, Psalm 16:8) signifies to put or set, viz., as a norma normans that stands before one's eyes. He cleaves to the testimonies of God; may Jahve not disappoint the hope which to him springs up out of them, according to the promise, Psalm 119:31. He runs, i.e., walks vigorously and cheerfully, in the way of God's commandments, for He has widened his heart, by granting and preserving to the persecuted one the joyfulness of confession and the confidence of hope.