Charles Spurgeon Commentary Psalms 119

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

If there are any people in the world who are blessed, surely it must be those who are in God's way, and who take care to keep their garments unspotted from the world.

Oh, if one can feel, at the end of every day, "I am undefiled in God's way, and I have walked in his law," how sweet it is in such a case to fall asleep, not self-righteous and boastful, but yet thankful to have been kept from the iniquity that abounds in the world!

Truly, blessed are the undefiled in the way. Perhaps some of you cannot claim this particular blessing; then, remember that there is another Psalm (Psalms 32) which begins, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, and that blessing is of the same force and of the same sweetness as this one.

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

And if we walk in God's ways, He will never require us to do anything which is inequitable or unrighteous. No, that life which is made up of walking in God's ways will be full of equity and free from iniquity.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

There is another blessing which comes before this. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered.

And we can never know the blessing of this 119th Psalm unless we have felt in our own souls that first blessing—the blessedness of forgiven sin. But when, through the forgiveness of sin, we are put upon gospel ground, and are saved, then, not according to the law, but according to the gospel does this blessing come upon us.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way.

The men who have kept their garments unspotted from the world—who from the time of their conversion even until now have been under the influence of the divine Spirit, and so have been enabled to walk in holiness without once defiling their garments with any great and public sin—who walk in the law of the Lord, not occasionally, but always—whose daily walk is in conformity with the divine mind—these are blessed.

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

For he who has most of God, yet needs to seek more. We keep the testimonies – those we know, for we are taught by the Lord according to the promise, All thy children shall be taught of the Lord. Yet we still seek more. With our whole heart we are still pressing on to something higher and better.

Even the undefiled in the way are so, comparatively: they are not absolutely undefiled, so as to be absolutely perfect in the sight of God. Hence they feel their imperfection, and they press on toward something better. They seek Him with their whole heart.

They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

So that if we do so, we are unprofitable servants. We have done no more than was our duty to do. When his divine grace has renewed us, and has enabled us to walk in all sobriety, and truthfulness, and holiness, even then we have nothing to boast of.

Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.