In Psalm 119:64, the Psalmist communicates his remarkable practice of praising the Lord in a statement that deserves closer attention to what it specifically says:
KJV Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.
LXE Seven times in a day have I praised thee because of the judgments of thy righteousness.
NAU Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances.
NET Seven times a day I praise you because of your just regulations.
NKJ Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.
ESV Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.
He thus praised God seven times a day for His Word because of His righteous judgments that it reveals.
An article in the New Open Bible: Study Edition helpfully explains the word used by the Psalmist here:
Judgment (mishpāt, v. 7) is derived from the verb shāphat, “judge” or “govern,” and occurs about four hundred times in the Old Testament, sixteen times in Psalm 119 alone. The general idea is one of justice, or specific ordinances to promote justice. There are many distinct usages of the noun in both secular and religious law. Each specific ordinance of the Pentateuch is called a mishpāt (Lev. 9:16; Deut. 33:21, e.g.).
“The LORD is a God judgment” (Is. 30:18) and “loveth judgment” (Ps. 37:28). His “judgments are a great deep” (Ps. 36:6). Because God is just in His judgments, so should we His people be.”
—The Word of the Lord, 690; bold words are in italics in the original
The Psalmist’s statement thus expresses that he would praise the Lord seven times a day for His righteous judgments, which point to His glory as the righteous Lawgiver and Judge. How often, by contrast, do we praise God in a day for His glorious revelation of His righteous judgments?
Let us praise God, the righteous Lawgiver and Judge, daily for His righteous judgments!
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