Psalms 119:103

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! etc.] Who had a spiritual one; and could discern perverse things, and could taste how good and gracious the Lord is: and so his words were sweet unto him; the doctrines of grace, the truths of the Gospel, were delightful and pleasant to him; like unadulterated milk, desirable by him: like good wine, that goes down sweetly; like good food, that is exceeding palatable; or like honey, and even sweeter than that, as follows. And that words “may be tasted [and] eaten”, is not only agreeable to Scripture language, (<241516>Jeremiah 15:16); but to classical writers f1682; [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth; not only had they the nourishing nature and the…”

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste ... - Margin, as in Hebrew, “palate.” The reference is to the taste, perhaps because the sense of taste was supposed to reside in the palate. The Hebrew word “may” include also the whole of the inside of the mouth. The word rendered “sweet” does not occur elsewhere. It properly means “to be smooth,” and hence, is applied to kind or agreeable words. On the sentiment here, see the notes at Psalms 19:10. return to 'Top of Page'”

“119:103-104 Wisdom is preferable to even the finest food (19:10; 81:16). • The psalmist had already rejected the delusion offered by the way of folly (see 119:18, 78, 86, 163).”

“sweet: Psa 19:10, Psa 63:5; Job 23:12; Pro 3:17, Pro 8:11, Pro 24:13, Pro 24:14; Sol 1:2-4, Sol 5:1 taste: Heb. palate Psalms 119:104”