I was asked the following question; “How do you read Psalm 119 as a Christian?  It refers to the law (the torah? the 10 commandments?) so often, I can't help but wondering how David can regard it so highly when Paul called it a "ministration of death."    

 

          First of all, the question makes some dangerous and unwarranted assumptions. (1)  Psalm 119 is not referring to the “Torah,” meaning the 10 commandments, and (2) Paul never has Psalm 119 in mind when he speaks of  “a ministraion of death.”                There is no evidence that Psalm 119 ever refers exclusively to “the ten commandants.” Psalm 119 uses many different words that all mean “law” in some sense. It is not all certain that any one specific word or verse is referring exclusively to the ten commandments. The phrase “ten commandments” only occurs 3 times in all of Scripture and never in the New Testament Scriptures or in Psalm 119. Likewise Psalm 119, and the rest of Scriptures, never uses the phrase “the moral law.” That is a theological invention with no textual support. The Psalmist, in Psalm 119 uses the word “law” in v. 1; “testimony” in v. 2; “precepts” in v.4; “statutes” in v. 5; “ commandments” in v. 6; etc.  but in Psalm 119 he never uses the phrase "ten commandments" or "moral law." 

          The word ”law” has many meanings but only two major uses. Its broadest meaning is “special revelation” as opposed to natural revelation. In other words, the law, the Torah, means “Scripture.” This is how Psalm 19:7 uses the word.  “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”  (KJV) The “Law of the Lord” in Psalm 19:7 cannot possibly mean the ten commandments. “The Law of the Lord” in this verse is synonymous with the phrase “the testimony” of the Lord. Unfortunately, many theologians see “ten commandments – moral law” every time they see the word “law” in Scripture. They then clobber people with a total wrong view of the law. The “law” in Psalm 19:7 cannot mean the Ten Commandments, unless those commandments have the power to give life to sinners. All the Psalmist in Psalm 19:7 is saying is that general revelation, Psalm 19:1-6, is more than sufficient to condemn all men but is not enough to brings salvation to any man. We need the Law (special revelation) of the Lord, or the Bible, to accomplish salvation. Likewise, when the Psalmist said, “Oh, how I love thy precepts” he was saying, “Oh, how I love your word, the Bible.” When David mediated day and night in the law, he was not mediating on the ten commandments but on the promises of God concerning a Messiah.

          The second major use of the word “law” is to speak of the Law covenant made with Israel at Sinai. It is this law that is a ministration of death and it of this law that Paul speaks negatively. Romans 6:14 says, “You are not under the law but under grace.” The word “law” cannot possible mean the same thing as Psalm 19:7. That would mean I am not under the authority of the Bible.  Paul here must mean the Law covenant at Sinai. Christians are not under a covenant of law. as Israel was, but under a covenant of grace. I am under the Law (First use of word – special revelation – Bible) but I not under the Old Covenant.

          As mentioned, Psalm 119, and the rest of Scriptures uses the word law in many ways. It also uses many other words to mean “law” in some sense. We listed a few above.  Here is an interesting fact. In Exodus 34:27-28, God gave Israel the Ten Commandments as the covenant terms upon which their national relationship with him existed. 

27  And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.  28  And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.  (KJV)

          In this text, the words “the covenant,” and the words “the ten commandments,” are inter-changeable. Later the whole “Book of the Covenant,” and finally even the holy feast days, will become part of what will be called the “old Covenant” or “the Law of Moses.” The word translated “commandment” in Exo. 34:28 is dabar (See Englishman’s Greek Concordance # 1697) and clearly is referring to Tables of the covenant (10 commandments)  as a covenant document. Psalm 119 uses the Hebrew word dabar 24 times but the KJV never once translates it “commandment.” It translates the Hebrew dabar as “word.” It is interesting to compare the word dabar and the word mitisuah in Psalm 119. Let me you one example.

Ps 119:48-50

48  My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments (mitsuah), which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.  49  Remember the word (dabar) [ The Psalmist cannot use the word “mitsuah,” for commandment, simply because sinners find neither hope nor help in the commandment. ] unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.  50  This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word (dabar) hath quickened me.  [ Again, no commandment has the power to quicken or give life.  Only the Word of promise, or Gospel, can do that.] (KJV)

          The word dabar (#1697 in Strong’s Concordance) is used 24 times in Psalm 119 but is never translated commandment. It is translated “word.” The word mitsuah (# 4687 in Strong’s) is used 22 times in Psalm 119. It is translated “commandment” and never translated “word.” Nearly all the “love the law” passages in the Old Testament Scriptures are referring to the dabar of God, or word revelation, the Scriptures and not to the Tablets of the Covenant. Psalm 119 is primarily concerned with extolling the special revelation and the promises, the Bible, the Word of God. Torah equals Bible in it primary meaning.

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