Translations
Psalm 119:15 (ESV) – I will delight inn your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Psalm 119:16 LXX
εν τοις δικαιώμασί σου μελετήσω ουκ επιλήσομαι fτων λόγων σου
in your ordinances I shall meditate I shall not forget your words
Psalm 119:16 Interlinear from the Hebrew – In Your statutes I will delight myself,] not will I forget Your word.
Connections
Psalm 119:24 [ESV] Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.
Psalm 119:47 [ESV] for I find my delight In your commandments which I love.
Psalm 119:70 [ESV] their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.
Psalm119:77 [ESV] Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
Psalm 119:92 [ESV] If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
Psalm 119:143 [ESV] Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.
Psalm 119:174 [ESV] I long for your salvation O Lord, and your law is my delight
שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֗י [sa-a-su-ay] my delight – appearing 10 times in this one Psalm. – the idea of this word is that the person is “making to close their eyes” – which is that expression of intimate delight. The Greek translation [μελετήσω – I shall meditate] does not adequately cover the full depth of this Hebrew word. When we delight in God’s word it is a moment of intense pleasure, intimate, personal, and deeply satisfying. It is emotional, physical and spiritual all at once. What a great barometer for me as I approach God’s word, do I have that deep sense of joy, peace and love flooding me, to the point that we “make to close our eyes”? The contemporary image that comes to mind as a poor example to be sure, is actually a TV advert for a chocolate and hazelnut iced lolly, where the picture shows a young woman closing her eyes as she fully immerses herself in the pleasure of the moment.
Reflections
What is it in life today that makes me enter into a place where I “close my eyes” to capture the pleasure and joy of the moment? Where in those experiences is my gratitude to God for all he has provided. I do hope that you, dear reader, are answering this with a heartfelt cry of gratitude to God for his goodness to you each day.
Strength Coaches comment – The talent of Empathy allows us to enter into the feelings that others have. Imagine for a moment using this talent fully as we read the Bible stories.
Blessings
Allan