John Gill Commentary Psalms 119

ALEPH. Blessed [are] the undefiled in the way Who are in the right way to heaven and happiness, which is Jesus Christ; the strait gate, and narrow way to eternal life; the only true way of life and salvation, in which way believers walk by faith. All out of this way are altogether become filthy; but all in this way are clean, even every bit: they are without spot and blemish, blameless and unreproveable, and without fault, before the throne of God and in his sight; being washed from their sins in the blood of the Lamb, and clothed with his righteousness; and even "perfect" and complete in him, as the Targum renders the word.

These are also found in the way of their duty, and walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless before men, and are sincere and upright in the sight of God; and are upon all accounts happy persons:

who walk in the law of the Lord : within the boundaries and limits of it, according to its direction, as it is a rule of walk and conversation in the hands of Christ the Lawgiver; and who continue to walk in it, as in a pleasant path, with great delight; and cheerfully obey its precepts, as influenced by the love of God, and assisted by the Spirit and grace of Christ. The word "law", or "doctrine", as it signifies, may design every revelation of the divine will; and even the doctrine of Christ, which believers should abide in, and not transgress; and should walk uprightly according to the truth of it, and as becomes it, and as they are enabled to do.

Blessed [are] they that keep his testimonies
The whole word of God, the Scriptures of truth, are his testimonies: they testify of the mind of God, and ofhis love and grace in the method of salvation by Christ; they testify of Christ, his person, offices, andgrace; of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow; and of all the happiness that comes tothe people of God thereby.

The law is called a testimony, which being put into the ark, that had the name ofthe ark of the testimony. This is a testimony of the perfections of God, his holiness, justice, and goodnessdisplayed in it; and of his good and perfect will, what should or should not be done.

The Gospel is thetestimony of Christ, of what he is, has done and suffered for his people, and of the blessings of grace byhim; the ordinances of it, baptism and the Lord's supper, testify of the love of God, and grace of Christ;and all these good men keep: they keep the Scriptures as a sacred "depositum"; they hold fast the faithfulword of the Gospel, that no man take it from them; and are desirous of observing both the law of God, as inthe hands of Christ; and the ordinances of the Gospel, as delivered by him, from a principle of love to him;and such are happy persons in life, at death, and to all eternity;

[and that] seek him with the whole heart ;
that is, that seek the Lord by prayer and supplication, with a true heart, and in sincerity; that seek toknow more of him, and that in good earnest; that seek for communion and fellowship with him, with the Spiritwithin them, with all their heart and soul; that seek Christ, and God in Christ, his kingdom, and hisrighteousness, and that in the first place, early, earnestly, and diligently. The Targum is,

They also do no iniquity
Not that they are free from indwelling sin, nor from the acts of sin, nor that what they do are not sins; but they do not make a trade of sinning, it is not the course of their lives; nor do they do iniquity with that ease and pleasure, without reluctance and remorse, as others do: or rather as new creatures, as born again, they do not and cannot commit sin; for the new man is pure, spiritual, and holy; and nothing can come out of that, or be done by it, which is the contrary. This is a distinct I from the old man, or corrupt nature, to which all the actions of sin are to be ascribed; see (1 John 3:9) (Romans 7:17Romans 7:20) ;

they walk in his ways ;
in the ways of God and Christ, into which they are guided and directed, and where they are kept, and in which they find both pleasure and profit. Here end the descriptive characters of good and happy men.

You have commanded [us] to keep your precepts diligently .
] Here, and in the following verses, the psalmist expresses his great regard to the precepts, commandments, statutes, and judgments of God; and that as such, because they were commanded by him; were not the precepts of men, but the commands of God; who had a right to command, as Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and King; and whose commands are not to be reckoned as indifferent things, that are at the option and choice of a creature, to be done or let alone at his pleasure; but are what God has enjoined, and are binding upon men; and which love should and does constrain the saints to have a regard unto, and to keep them diligently or vehemently; with all a man's might and strength, as the word is used in (Deuteronomy 6:5) .

These are not at any time to be dispensed with, but, to be kept always constantly and steadily.

O that my ways were directed to keep your statutes! The psalmist, sensible of his own inability, as every good man is, to keep the commands of God, prays for grace, direction, and assistance in it;

that the ways of his mind, his thoughts, affections, and inclinations, might be directed to an observance of the divine precepts; knowing he could not command his thoughts, raise his affections, dispose his mind, and incline his heart thereunto; and finding a backwardness to religious exercises and spiritual duties, and that the ways and actions of his life might be guided to the same; being sensible he could not take one step aright without God and Christ;

that the way of man is not in himself, and that it is not in man that walks to direct his steps; that a good man's steps are ordered by the Lord, and he directs his paths:

Besides the direction of the word, there is need of the Spirit and grace of God, to cause a person to walk in his statutes, and to keep his judgments, and do them; see (Jeremiah 10:23) (Psalms 37:23) (Proverbs 3:6) (Ezekiel 36:27) .