My eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in your word.
My eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in your word.
Mine eyes anticipated the night-watches, That I might meditate on thy word.
In the night watches I am awake, so that I may give thought to your saying.
My eyes anticipated the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
My eyes stay open through the night watches, that I might meditate on your word.
Mine eyes prevented the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
Mine eyes prevent - קדמו kiddemu, "go before the watches." Before the watchman proclaims the hour, I am awake, meditating on thy words. The Jews divided the night into three watches, which began at what we call six o'clock in the evening, and consisted each of four hours. The Romans taught them afterwards to divide it into four watches of three hours each; and to divide the day and night into twelve hours each; wherein different guards of soldiers were appointed to watch. At the proclaiming of each watch the psalmist appears to have risen and performed some act of devotion. For a remarkable custom of our Saxon ancestors, see the note on Psalm 119:164 (note).
Mine eyes prevent the night watches - Luther renders this, "I wake up early." The Hebrew word means a "watch" - a part of the night, so called from military watches, or a dividing of the night to "keep guard." See the notes at Psalm 90:4. The idea of the psalmist here is, that he anticipated these regular divisions of the night in order that he might engage in devotion. Instead of waiting for their return, he arose for prayer before they recurred - so much did his heart delight in the service of God. The language would seem to be that of one who was accustomed to pray in these successive "watches" of the night - the early, the middle, and the dawn. This may illustrate what occurs in the life of all who love God. They will have regular seasons of devotion, but they will often anticipate those seasons. They will be in a state of mind which prompts them to pray; when nothing will meet their state of mind but prayer; and when they cannot wait for the regular and ordinary season of devotion - like a hungry man who cannot wait for the usual and regular hour of his meals. The meaning of the phrase, "mine eyes prevent," is that he awoke before the usual time for devotion.
That I might meditate in thy word - See the notes at Psalm 1:2.
119:148 Watches - The middle watch, which was set in the middle of the night; and the morning watch, which was set some hours before the dawning of the day.