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“to witness” or “to testify.” How does a noun like this become a synonym for law or instruction? It turns out that one of the meanings of the verb is “to declare openly” or “to confirm a truth by oath”: in that sense a law openly declared is a testimony. A sign that says, “Warning: Bridge Out!” is a witness that confirms a truth. God’s covenant with Israel, which contained His laws, was confirmed by God’s oath (Deut. 28:9). In a context of judgment God addresses Israel and says, “I will testify against thee” (50:7).57 That is why the word “testimony” can parallel the word “law” in 19:7 and 78:5. God has affirmed His law; thus it is a witness to the fact of sin and judgment. The plural form “testimonies” indicates that the individual laws are each a warning in the form of an instruction that one must obey.
The third synonym in Psalm 119 is the plural word פִּקּוּדִים (piqquwdiym), usually translated “precepts,” related to the verb “to inspect” (פקד, paqad). Scrutinizing is the action of an overseer or supervisor, one who investigates the work or behavior of others to determine if they are in conformity with their instructions, procedures, or the rules that are supposed to govern their conduct.58 The fourth is חֻקִּים (khuqqiym),59 usually translated “statutes.” Its corresponding verb means “to inscribe” by using a chiseling tool. This reminds us that God’s laws were originally engraved on stone to indicate their permanence (Exod. 31:18).60
The fifth term, מִצְוֹת (mitswowth), “commands,” always appears in this book as a plural, except for 19:8 and 119:96. Of course, its cognate verb is “to command.” The focus is on the fact that God is an authority that gives orders to mankind. The sixth synonym is another plural, מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatiym), frequently translated “judgments” (KJV, ASV, NASB, HCSB). Related to the verb “to judge” (שׁפט, shaphat), the noun, however, has developed semantically in a couple of directions. When a judge hands down a decision, hopefully exhibiting justice and wisdom, he should make the same decision in an equivalent case, thus establishing legal precedent. As the courts hand down these “judgments” over the years, legal precedence grows, and we may speak of judicial customs, instead of “judgments.”61 This particular meaning eventually developed to the extent that the Hebrew noun could refer to any kind of “custom”: for example, note the NRSV translation of the singular in 119:132 (“… be gracious to me, as is your custom toward those who love your name”). We can therefore speak of God’s laws as His “customs,”62 His legal precedents, standard procedures for mankind. Tables 2.1
