书一8~9　　这律法书不可离开你的口，总要昼夜默想，好使你照这书上所写的一切，谨守遵行。如此，你的道路就可以亨通，你也必凡事顺利。我岂没有吩咐你么？你当刚强壮胆，不要惧怕，也不要惊惶；因为你无论往哪里去，耶和华你的神必与你同在。

　　神对约书亚的鼓励，乃是以约书亚遵行神的话为条件。…这律法书不可离开他的口，总要昼夜默想，好使他照这书上所写的一切，谨守遵行（书一8上）。约书亚要被神的话占有，也要让话占有他。借着被话占有并充满，他就能顺利并成功地取得美地（约书亚记生命读经，一五页）。

　　（默想）这辞意义丰富，原文含示敬拜、与自己交谈、以及大声说话。默想话乃是借着仔细揣摩而品尝、享受它。祷告、对自己说话和赞美主，也可包括在默想话中。默想神的话乃是享受祂的话作为祂的气（提后三16），因而被神注入、将神吸入、并接受属灵的滋养（圣经恢复本，诗一一九15注1）。

　　Josh. 1:8-9 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall muse upon it day and night so that you may be certain to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success…. Be strong and take courage; do not be afraid or dismayed. For Jehovah your God is with you wherever you go.

　　God’s encouragement to Joshua was in the term of Joshua’s walking in the word of God….The book of the law was not to depart from his mouth, but he was to muse upon it day and night so that he would be certain to do according to all that was written in it (Josh. 1:8a). Joshua was to be occupied with God’s word and to let the word occupy him. By being occupied and filled with the word, he would have prosperity and success in taking the good land. (Life-study of Joshua, p. 11)

　　Rich in meaning, the Hebrew word for muse (often translated meditate in the KJV) implies to worship, to converse with oneself, and to speak aloud. To muse on the word is to taste and enjoy it through careful considering. Prayer, speaking to oneself, and praising the Lord may also be included in musing on the word. To muse on the word of God is to enjoy His word as His breath (2 Tim. 3:16) and thus to be infused with God, to breathe God in, and to receive spiritual nourishment. (Psa. 119:15, footnote 1)

　　诗人在（诗篇一百一十九篇）许多经节里说到他默想神的话（15、23、48、78、99、148）。…默想神的话就是“反刍”，象牛吃草一样（利十一3）。…我们若太快接受这话，就不会有多少享受。但我们接受这话的时候，若是“反刍”，我们的享受就必加增。

　　当我们默想神的话，…我们自然而然就会祷告。…此外，我们会与自己交谈，或开始赞美主。我们也许被神的话感动，想要大声赞美主（出埃及记生命读经，七七六至七七七页）。

　　反刍表征接受神的话，反复加以思想。…早晨祷读的时候，我们可以反复思想所读的话。这就是反刍，借着反复思想从神的话所领受的，来得着喂养（利未记生命读经，三六八页）。

　　通常默想主的话会比祷读主的话还要缓慢，还要细致。比如，我们默想出埃及二十章二节的时候，可能对自己说，“要记念耶和华是你的主。祂曾将你从埃及地，从为奴之家领出来。现在你出来了。阿们！主啊，我敬拜你，将我从捆绑中领出来！”我们默想神的话，对主说话，或是对自己说话，都该是自然的，并且该满了享受。我们也许低头敬拜主，思想主的话，有所记念，或责备自己。

　　在旧约，寻求神的人默想神活的话。他们接触神的话，与今天许多人所依循的方式—主要是操练心思研读字句的话—有所不同。当诗人默想神的话时，他们对神说话、祷告、敬拜祂、甚至向祂下拜。他们在神面前，对自己述说神的怜悯、救恩、和恩典的供应。这样默想神的话，甚至比祷读更丰富、更广阔、更包罗，因这包含祷告、敬拜、享受、交谈、下拜、甚至举手接受神的话。这也包含欢乐、赞美、呼喊、甚至在主面前哭泣。…我们若默想神的话，会以这话为乐。有时候我们会在主面前哭泣，或向祂唱赞美的诗歌（出埃及记生命读经，七七七至七七八页）。

　　参读：出埃及记生命读经，第五十六至五十七篇；利未记生命读经，第三十六篇。

　　In a number of verses [in Psalm 119] the psalmist says that he mused upon God’s word (vv. 15,23,48, 78,99,148)…. To muse upon the Word is to “chew the cud,” like a cow eating grass (Lev. 11:3)…. If we take in the Word too quickly, we shall not have very much enjoyment. But if we “chew the cud” as we take in the Word, our enjoyment will increase.

　　When we muse upon the Word of God,…we shall spontaneously pray…. Furthermore, we may converse with ourselves or begin to praise the Lord. We may be so inspired by the Word that we want to shout our praises to the Lord. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 669-670)

　　Chewing the cud signifies receiving the word of God with much consideration and reconsideration….We may do this while we pray-read early in the morning. As we are pray-reading, we may consider and reconsider the word. This is to chew the cud to receive nourishment by reconsidering what we receive from God’s word. (Life-study of Leviticus, p. 315)

　　Usually musing upon the Word will be slower and finer than pray-reading the Word. For example, in our musing upon Exodus 20:2, we may say to ourselves, “Remember that Jehovah is your Lord. He has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Now you are out. Amen! O Lord, I worship You for bringing me out of bondage!” In all our musing upon God’s Word, talking to the Lord or conversing with ourselves, we should be spontaneous and full of enjoyment. We may bow down to worship the Lord, ponder the Word, remember, or give ourselves a rebuke.

　　The seekers of God in the Old Testament mused upon His living word. Their way of handling the Word of God was different from that followed by many today who mainly exercise their mind to study the Word in letter. As the psalmists mused upon the Word of God, they spoke to God, prayed, worshipped Him, and even bowed down to Him. In the presence of God, they spoke to themselves of His mercy, salvation, and gracious supply. Musing upon the Word in this way is even richer, broader, and more inclusive than pray-reading, for it includes prayer, worship, enjoyment, conversation, bowing down, and even lifting up our hands to receive God’s word. It also includes rejoicing, praising, shouting, and even weeping before the Lord…. If we muse upon the Word of God, we shall delight ourselves in the Word. Sometimes we may weep before the Lord or sing hymns of praise to Him. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 670-671)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 56-57; Life-study of Leviticus, msg. 36