Verse 12 (of Psalm 119) in the Hebrew puzzles me. It says (transliterated here):
Barooch Atah YHWH
Lamadeni Huqechah
Literal translation:
To kneel (or bless) You, YHWH
Teach me (through doing/experiencing) your statutes.
This often gets translated into English as:
Blessed be You, YHWH,
Teach me your statutes.
The two words in the above English translation that are not quite correct are:
Translating “Lamadeni” as “Teach me” (it is better translated as “Train me”) loses track of the “doing” aspect of this Hebrew word. Jesus is not just asking for intellectual knowledge here. He is asking for His Father to train him by “doing” His Statutes; He is asking for the experiential understanding that comes from living the Statutes of God as they ought to be lived; and Jesus is relying on the guiding hand and provision of the Father to give Him that proper experiential understanding.
The other word in this passage that does not translate well into English is the first word in this verse: “Barooch.”
In the Hebrew, “Barooch” is spelled identically to “Barach” (yes, this is the same word as the first name of a past U.S. President). Both words have the same meaning. The word literally means “to kneel.” It is often used for the word “blessed” because someone who receives a formal blessing from an authority (such as a king or a father) traditionally kneels to receive that blessing.
Past Jewish Rabbis had a difficult time imagining why God would kneel before a man, so this word, when used to describe God, is usually translated as “Blessed be [you, God].”
Psalm 113:6 may give some insight into the proper interpretation of this word. The first word in this verse (113:6) is “hamashpillee.” Literally it means “He who becomes low” or “He who abases himself” to behold the heavens and the earth. The root word is different from “barooch,” but the picture is the same: God humbles (abases) Himself by kneeling down to look at (and thereby care for) people on the earth (and the angels in heaven).
If this thought is carried over to Psalm 119:12, then it paints a picture of the most high God who abases Himself to provide for us. It is a gift of sacrificial love from the Father to even look at us, but in looking at us, He also provides for us.
Putting all these insights together, the intended meaning of Psalm 119:12 might be something like this: “You, YHWH, who are the one who abases himself by kneeling down to provide for people, provide for me by training me and leading me to properly do what is required by your statutes.”
It is a petition for help, given that even for the incarnate Christ, doing the right thing according to the Statutes of God could only be properly done with the Father’s provision and help.
That is to say, Jesus never tried to do the right thing on His own (with His own best thinking and His own strength and provision); He always relied on His Father to do His part—an eternal partnership. Does God want that for us?