Psalm 119:98
Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
a. ASV: Thy commandments make me wiser than mine enemies; For they are ever with me.
b. YLT: Than mine enemies Thy command maketh me wiser, For it is before me to the age.
c. Amplified Bible Classic: You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for [Your words] are ever before me.
d. Septuagint [In the Septuagint Psalm 119:98 is listed as Psalm 118:98]: Thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies [in] thy commandment; for it is mine for ever.
e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: [Each of] Your commandments makes me wiser than my enemies.
1. “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies…”
a. [Thou through thy] commandments [Strong: 4867 mitsvâh, mits-vaw'; from H6680; a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the Law):—(which was) commanded(-ment), law, ordinance, precept.]
b. [hast made me] wiser [Strong: 2449 châkam, khaw-kam'; a primitive root, to be wise (in mind, word or act):—×exceeding, teach wisdom, be (make self, shew self) wise, deal (never so) wisely, make wiser.]
c. [than my] enemies [Strong: 341 ʼôyêb, o-yabe'; or (fully) אוֹיֵב ʼôwyêb; active participle of H340; hating; an adversary:—enemy, foe.]
2. “...for they are ever with me.”
a. for [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]
b. [they are] ever [with me] [Strong: 5769 ʻôwlâm, o-lawm'; or עֹלָם ʻôlâm; from H5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always:—alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+without end).]
1). There are more than a few examples where Jesus outsmarted his enemies. I know this passage is long but it is necessary to shed light on Jesus outsmarting his enemies.
a). Matthew 22:15-46 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.
22:16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.
22:17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?
22:19 Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius.
22:20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
22:21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
22:22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way. 22:23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 22:24 Saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
22:25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother.
22:26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.
22:27 Last of all the woman died also.
22:28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”
22:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.
22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.
22:31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,
22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
22:33 And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
22:34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
22:35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
22:39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’22:40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
22:42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.”
22:43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: 22:44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?
22:45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”
22:46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
2). Where did he get that wisdom? Was it because He was God in the flesh and Omniscient? No. When the Second Person of the Godhead became a servant in the form of a man, he emptied Himself of His Godlike abilities.
a). Philippians 2:6, 7 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
b). Many translations write he emptied himself. Others say he laid aside his privileges. When Jesus became man he emptied himself or laid aside his God-like abilities, Omniscience, Omnipotence, and Omnipresence. These are all attributes of God and Jesus laid them aside when He became the form of a servant, when He became man.
c). He was certainly not all-knowing, for the Scripture says that Jesus increased in wisdom (Luke 2:52). When Jesus cast out devils it was not because he was Omnipotent or all-powerful, it was because He did it through the Spirit (Matthew 12:28; Acts 10:38; Luke 4:16-19).
3). In the passage cited above from Matthew where Jesus outsmarted his enemies, I personally believe that it was because He meditated in the word of God.
a). Psalm 119:97-101 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
119:98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
119:100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
119:101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
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