The theme of God’s instructions utilizes some additional terms that can be identified by parallelism to the eight main synonyms. In Psalm 119, where almost every verse contains some reference to God’s word, the third verse uses the plural of the term דֶּרֶךְ (derek), “way”: “… they walk in his ways,” paralleling “testimonies” in the second verse and “precepts” in the fourth verse. A similar phenomenon occurs in 119:36–38 (“testimonies,” “ways,” and “word”). Also in this psalm we find “way” connected with four of the main synonyms in the following phrases: “the way of thy testimonies/precepts/commandments/statutes” (vv. 14, 27, 32, 33). Literally, this word refers to a road; then by metonymy it came to mean “journey”; from this it developed metaphorically to refer to behavior. Hence, when David says that God “made known his ways unto Moses” (103:7), he is speaking about conduct that pleases the Lord.67 God has prescribed such behavior by His laws; therefore, the word דֶּרֶךְ (derek), either singular or plural, can be a reference to instruction. Table 2.3 lists 17 such cases out of the 66 occurrences of this word in Psalms. Key examples are the instances when “way” is the object of a verb meaning “to teach”: “What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall [God] teach [ירה (yarah)] in the way …” (25:12); “Then will I teach [למד (lamad)] transgressors thy ways” (51:13a); “cause me to know [hiphil of ידע (yada‘)] the way wherein I should walk” (143:8b).68 In each of these cases the psalmist is speaking about a knowledge of the Lord’s law or instruction given by revelation.
Table 2.3 Additional Terms in Psalms for God’s Instructions
| Hebrew | English | # | References | Total in Psa |
| דֶּרֶךְ | way | 17 | 18:21; 25:4, 9, 12; 27:11; 32:8; 37:34; 51:13; 81:13; 86:11; 95:10; 103:7; 119:3, 37; 128:1; 138:5; 143:8 | 66 |
| עֵצָה | counsel | 5 | 33:11; 73:24; 106:13; 107:11; 119:24 | 11 |
| אֹרַח | path | 3 | 25:4, 10; 119:15 | 14 |
| אֵמֶר | word | 3 | 78:1; 107:11; 138:4 | 7 |
| אֹמֶר | word | 2 | 68:12; 77:8 | 4 |
| נְאֻם |
declaration
|
