About Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is an “acrostic” poem in the Hebrew language in which it was first written. That means that each octrain (8-verse stanza) corresponds to a letter of the Hebrew Alef-Bet, similar to our English “alphabet.” In an acrostic poem, the first line of each octrain begins with that Hebrew letter.

When this psalm is translated into a non-Hebrew language, we lose the acrostic memorization aid that the Hebrew children would have had as they learned this Psalm. Nevertheless, in our non-Hebrew Bibles, the Hebrew letter for each octrain is retained as a header. We also retain this Hebrew letter as the header for our memorization pages, along with the transliteration (e.g., “Alef,” “Bet,” “Zayin”).

How to Use These Pages: Each octrain contains two sets of posters: Keywords and Reverse Keywords. For each poster, the front side is headed by the Hebrew letter, the transliterated word for that letter, and the full passage of that octrain in 3 different text colors. The 3 different colors help the eye break up the 8 verses into manageable chunks. Key words are in bold text. On the back of each poster is the Fill-In-The-Blank (FITB) side. This is the same poster as the front, but the keywords are blanks to be filled in by memory.

• The Keywords FITB side includes a Word Bank at the bottom to help prod the memory. You can use this poster as a visual aid for recitation, or you can use it as a write-in worksheet.

• The Reverse Keywords FITB side is an extension of the initial learning process and does not contain a Word Bank in order to challenge the memory. It does, however, include an Activities list designed to help the learner attend more closely to the message of the octrain. By reversing the keywords, the mind is challenged to use a different path for memorizing, increasing the retention.

Who may use these pages? These pages may be used individually for personal Bible study or for group discussion for any age group, but the suggested age for the Activities would be ages 12 and up (or younger with some customization according to developmental readiness).

Creating a Notebook Suggestion. A great way to store and use these posters is to gather the following items:

• a 3-ring notebook,
• a pack of plastic page protectors (you will need at least 60),
• the printed posters (Keyword/FITB and Reverse Keyword/FITB for each octrain).

Note: Printing in color is best, but you can also print in black & white and use colored markers to trace the letters as an added sensory learning activity. For younger children or older folks who just want to have some extra sensory fun, try using “smelly” scented markers!

Fill the page protectors with the posters so that each octrain has two pages with the Keyword/FITB page first, followed by the Reverse Keyword/FITB poster.

You may use a write-on/wipe-off marker to fill in the blanks on the FITB sides by writing on the page protector. Wipe off with a tissue or paper towel (dampen with water if needed; the thicker the page protector the easier this will be).

Copies may be made easily from your set of “masters” and the pages may be reused for new groups or for periodic self-review.

But memorization is so hard! Yes! It is! If you struggle with memory as I do, or if you forget what you have attempted to memorize, don’t be discouraged! Trust that the work that you have invested in studying Psalm 119 will pay many blessings, even if you can’t remember all 176 verses word-for-word without prompting! God has told us that if we invest in learning, remembering, and doing His Word, through the work of His Holy Spirit, He will bring its truth to mind at the needed time (John 14:26). That is what matters.

© 2019 by ReadPsalm119.com. Rev. Oct 22, 2024.