John Calvin Commentary Psalms 119:29

"Remove from me the way of falsehood; And grant me thy law graciously." — Psalms 119:29 (ASV)

Take away from me the way of falsehood. Knowing how prone human nature is to vanity and falsehood, he first asks for the sanctification of his thoughts, lest, being entangled by the snares of Satan, he fall into error. Next, so that he may be kept from falsehood, he prays to be fortified with the doctrine of the law.

The second clause of the verse is interpreted variously. Some render it, make your law pleasant to me. And as the law is disagreeable to the flesh, which it subdues and keeps under, there is good cause why God should be asked to make it acceptable and pleasant to us.

Some expound it as, have mercy upon me according to your law, as if the prophet were to draw pity from the fountainhead itself, because God in his law promised it to the faithful. Both of these meanings appear to me forced; and, therefore, I am more disposed to adopt another: freely grant to me your law. The original term, חנני channeni, cannot be translated otherwise in Latin than, you gratify me; an uncouth and barbarous expression, I admit, yet that will give me little concern, provided my readers comprehend the prophet’s meaning.

The point is that, being full of blindness, nothing is easier than for us to be greatly deceived by error. And, therefore, unless God teaches us by the Spirit of wisdom, we will soon be hurried away into various errors. The means of our being preserved from error is stated to consist in his instructing us in his law.

He makes use of the term to gratify. This is as if the prophet says: “It is indeed an incomparable kindness that men are directed by your law, but because your kindness is unmerited, I have no hesitation in asking you to admit me as a participant in this your kindness.”

If the prophet, who for some time previously served God, in now aspiring to further attainments, does not ask for a larger measure of grace to be communicated to him meritoriously, but confesses it to be the free gift of God, then that impious tenet, which prevails in the papacy—that an increase of grace is awarded to merit as deserving of it—must fall to the ground.