| Psalm 119 | |
|---|---|
| "Blessed are the undefiled in the way" | |
| Hymn psalm | |
 Manuscript of verse 81 by Giovannino de' Grassi, Biblioteca Nazionale, Florence | |
| Other name |
|
| Language | Hebrew (original) |
| Psalm 119 | |
|---|---|
| Book | Book of Psalms |
| Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
| Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
| Category | Sifrei Emet |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 19 |
Psalm 119 is the 119th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in the English of the King James Version: "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord". The Book of Psalms is in the third section of the Hebrew Bible, the Khetuvim, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. The psalm, which is anonymous, is referred to in Hebrew by its opening words, "Ashrei temimei derech" ("happy are those whose way is perfect"). In Latin, it is known as "Beati inmaculati in via qui ambulant in lege Domini".[1]
The psalm is a hymn psalm and an acrostic poem, in which each set of eight verses begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The theme of the verses is the prayer of one who delights in and lives by the Torah, the sacred law. Psalms 1, 19 and 119 may be referred to as "the psalms of the Law".[2][3]
In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 118. With 176 verses, it is the longest psalm as well as the longest chapter in the Bible.
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has often been set to music. British politician William Wilberforce recited the entire psalm while walking back from Parliament, through Hyde Park, to his home.[4]
- ^ "Psalmus 118 (119)", Parallel Latin/English Psalter, Medievalist, archived from the original on 2017-05-07
- ^ Breen, C., The Psalms of the Law, The Furrow, Vol. 15, No. 8 (Aug., 1964), pp. 516–525
- ^ Kirkpatrick, A., Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Psalm 119, accessed 29 May 2022
- ^ "Reminders from God". Classical Conversations. Retrieved 2019-04-28.