angela hormberg

Tag: Pey

  • Psalm 119:129-136

    Psalm 119:129-136

    Pe, Pey, or Peh

    Commonplace –

    “I opened my mouth and panted: for I longed for thy commandments” (Psalm 119:131).

    Here the psalmist compares his longing for God’s commandments to a deep thirst. His longing is so strong he pants for it. While we drink with our mouths, we also breath through our mouth, when we take deep breaths, when we need air. David’s desire is to breath in God’s word. As Matthew Henry notes, “The degree of that desire…as one overcome with heat, or almost stifled, pants for a mouthful of fresh air. Thus strong, thus earnest, should our desire be towards God and the remembrance of his name” (584).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 119.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 119: Pe, Pey, or Peh

    Psalm 119: Pe, Pey, or Peh

    Part 17:Pe, Pey, or Peh verses 129-136

    The 17th part is Pe or Pey or Peh, which is the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

    The following information is from the website BJE:Your Jewish Journey:

    “The letter PEH means ‘mouth’ in Hebrew. As symbolic of a mouth, the PEH represents the differentiating factor between humans and animals: the capacity for speech and self-expression.

    The PEH alludes to the Oral law (Talmud) She Be’al PEH, and its significance in Judaism. The Oral Law was transmitted at the same time as the Torah, in the form of verbal teachings and explanations.

    The letter PEH, being the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, equals the word tov (numerically calculated to mean ‘good’)” (“Peh”).

    Hebrew4Christians expands on Pey, noting,

    “The word Peh means “mouth” and by extension, “word”, “expression”, “vocalization”, “speech”, and “breath”. In the order of the Hebrew alphabet, Pey follows the letter ‘Ayin’, suggesting the priority of the eyes (i.e., understanding, awareness) before verbal expression (negatively, reversing this order results in “blind consumption” or mindless chatter). The chokhmah (wise one) is swift to observe and then to offer an opinion about something. ‘Ayin gives insight, but it is the peh (mouth) that gives insight expression” (“Pey”).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 119.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    “Peh”. BJE: Your Jewish Journey. NSW Board of Jewish Education, https://bje.org.au/knowledge-centre/jewish-languages/hebrew-alphabet/peh/, Accessed 21 July 2025.

    “Pey”. Hebrew4Christians.com. John J. Parsons. https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Pey/pey.html, Accessed 21 July 2025.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg