Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 119:52

"I have remembered thine ordinances of old, O Jehovah, And have comforted myself." — Psalms 119:52 (ASV)

I remembered – In my troubles.

Your judgments of old – The word “judgments” here seems to refer to the divine dealings, whether expressed in the law of God or in the actual administration of his government over the world. The words “of old” do not seem here to refer to “eternity past,” as the phrase sometimes does now, but to the constancy and uniformity of the principles of the divine administration.

The psalmist remembered that the principles of that administration had always been the same and that the law of God was always the same; therefore, he could confide in God. What God had done previously, he would do now; the favor he had shown in past times, he would continue to show now.

In the trials of life, in the changes that occur, in the apparent wreck of things, in the fearful prospect of disaster and ruin at any time, it is well for us to think of the unchanging principles that mark the divine dealings. Under such an administration, all who put their trust in God must be safe.

And have comforted myself – I have found consolation in this. When all else seemed to fail, it was a comfort to reflect that an unchangeable God presided over the affairs of people. We could not put confidence in a God given to change.