Psalm 119:17 kjv
Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Psalm 119:17 nkjv
Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.
Psalm 119:17 niv
Be good to your servant while I live, that I may obey your word.
Psalm 119:17 esv
Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.
Psalm 119:17 nlt
Be good to your servant,
that I may live and obey your word.
Psalm 119 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 30:6 | "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring... that you may live." | God's internal work enables true life. |
| Deut 8:3 | "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." | Spiritual life sustained by God's word. |
| Psa 51:10 | "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." | Prayer for divine enablement for obedience. |
| Psa 116:16 | "O Lord, I am your servant... you have loosed my bonds." | Affirmation of servant status and God's release. |
| Psa 13:6 | "I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me." | Acknowledging God's good dealings. |
| Psa 23:5-6 | "You prepare a table before me... goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." | God's abundant provision and pursuit. |
| Psa 65:11 | "You crown the year with your bounty." | God's generous provision for all creation. |
| Jer 31:33 | "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts." | God's active enabling for obedience. |
| Ezek 36:27 | "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes..." | God's Spirit empowers keeping of laws. |
| Matt 4:4 | "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." | Echoes Deut 8:3, spiritual life through God's Word. |
| John 6:63 | "It is the Spirit who gives life... The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." | Words of Christ are source of life. |
| John 14:6 | "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." | Christ as the source of true life. |
| John 14:15 | "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." | Love for God is demonstrated by keeping His Word. |
| John 14:21 | "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me..." | Direct connection between keeping commands and love. |
| John 15:7 | "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." | Abiding in His Word brings fruit and answered prayer. |
| John 17:3 | "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." | Life is found in knowing God and Christ. |
| Rom 8:2-4 | "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free... so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us..." | The Spirit empowers us to fulfill the law. |
| Phil 2:13 | "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." | God's enablement for both desire and action. |
| Phil 4:19 | "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." | God's boundless supply of all needs. |
| Heb 13:21 | "equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight..." | God's work equips for obedience and pleases Him. |
| Jas 1:22 | "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only..." | Call to active obedience to the Word. |
| Rev 1:1 | "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants..." | Reference to believers as servants of God. |
Psalm 119 verses
Psalm 119 17 Meaning
Psalm 119:17 is a fervent prayer for divine enablement. It expresses the desire of the Psalmist to be granted abundant grace and provision by God, so that he may not only continue to live, but critically, also be empowered to keep and obey God's divine Word. It links God's benefaction directly to the believer's spiritual vitality and their capacity to live in obedience to the commandments.
Psalm 119 17 Context
Psalm 119 is an extended meditation and prayer focused entirely on the supreme value, beauty, and efficacy of God's Word (referred to by various synonyms like statutes, commandments, precepts, laws, testimonies, judgments, word, and promises). Each eight-verse stanza begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the Law's truth.
Verse 17 initiates the third stanza, the Gimel section. The preceding stanzas emphasized blessedness in following God's Law and the need for God to open one's eyes to His wonderful truths (Verse 18). Against this backdrop, verse 17 expresses a profound dependence: the ability to live meaningfully and obey God is not self-generated but flows directly from God's gracious, "bountiful" dealing. It sets a foundation that obedience is a fruit of divine enabling, not merely human willpower. This verse encapsulates a crucial theme of Psalm 119: the intertwined relationship between God's grace, spiritual vitality, and practical obedience.
Psalm 119 17 Word analysis
- Deal bountifully (גָּמַל, gamal): This Hebrew verb signifies more than just a simple act of giving. It means to "deal out to," "ripen," or "do good to." In this context, it implies a complete, perfect dealing, a benefaction that is generous and full. It often carries a sense of reward or recompense, not for merit but for a relationship, here between God and His servant. The prayer asks God to fully manifest His inherent goodness and generosity towards the Psalmist. It speaks of God's complete and favorable disposition.
- with your servant (עַבְדְּךָ, avdeka): "Servant" is a humble and honored title. It speaks of devotion, allegiance, and belonging. It is a recognition of one's subservient position to a divine Master. It signifies a profound bond, a willing submission to God's authority and will. The Psalmist does not demand, but humbly asks as one who belongs wholly to God. This term emphasizes the posture of dependence and trust.
- that I may live (וְאֶחְיֶה, ve'echyeh): From the root חָיָה (chayah), "to live," "to be alive," or "to revive." While it certainly includes physical existence, in the context of Psalm 119, it transcends mere biological life. It points to spiritual vitality, flourishing, well-being, and having a life that is truly alive and responsive to God. It means to be quickened and sustained by divine grace, capable of functioning according to God's will. Without this divine enablement, spiritual life withers.
- and keep (וְאֶשְׁמְרָה, ve'eshmerah): From the root שָׁמַר (shamar), meaning "to guard," "to watch," "to preserve," or "to obey." This verb implies diligent and careful observance, not just passive adherence. It suggests a safeguarding of the Word, protecting its purity, remembering its tenets, and putting its instructions into practice. It is active obedience born out of deep respect and love.
- your word (דְבָרֶךָ, devar'eka): A general term for God's revealed communication. It refers to God's spoken commands, promises, prophecies, and His entire revealed truth. In Psalm 119, it is interchangeable with other terms for the Law. It encapsulates the comprehensive body of divine instruction that guides the Psalmist's life.
Words-group analysis:
- "Deal bountifully with your servant": This phrase emphasizes God's sovereign initiative and overflowing generosity towards His devoted follower. It acknowledges that the ability to live and obey is not a human striving but a divine gift, flowing from God's benevolent disposition. It is a prayer rooted in absolute dependence on God's character and provision. The request for "bountiful dealing" implies a comprehensive and sufficient grace that fully meets all needs for spiritual life.
- "that I may live and keep your word": This expresses the purpose or result of God's bountiful dealing. The conjunction "and" links spiritual life ("live") inextricably with obedience ("keep your word"). It highlights that true life, in God's eyes, is characterized by obedience to His will. Conversely, the Psalmist recognizes that without God's enablement to "live," he cannot genuinely "keep" the Word. This establishes a profound cause-and-effect: God provides grace so that His servant can live a spiritually vibrant life of obedience. It counters any notion that obedience is achievable by human effort alone, emphasizing divine assistance for holy living.
Psalm 119 17 Bonus section
The positioning of Psalm 119:17 as the opening verse of the Gimel section is significant. The letter Gimel (ג) itself resembles a camel's neck, and the root of "gamal" (the first word) means to "deal bountifully" or "bestow." This could subtly hint at the generous outflow from God. The verse establishes a foundational principle: for humanity to walk in God's ways, it necessitates a divine initiation and continuous provision. This counters any self-reliant approach to spiritual life, insisting that obedience is not merely intellectual assent or behavioral modification, but an empowered walk enabled by God's grace that leads to spiritual life and flourishing in Him.
Psalm 119 17 Commentary
Psalm 119:17 is a humble yet profound prayer that encapsulates the essence of true dependence on God. The Psalmist begins by invoking God's nature as the great Benefactor, requesting "bountiful dealing." This is not a demand based on merit, but an appeal from a position of profound servanthood and recognition of God's intrinsic goodness. The core desire articulated is dual: "that I may live and keep your word."
This living (chayah) extends beyond mere physical existence. In the spiritual lexicon, it signifies thriving, quickening, and possessing spiritual vitality that enables one to fulfill God's purposes. The direct link to "keep your word" reveals a vital truth: genuine, sustained obedience to God's commands is not possible without His life-giving grace. The ability to observe, guard, and embody God's instructions flows directly from God's generous hand and His animating Spirit. It is a prayer for inner renewal and empowerment, acknowledging human weakness and sinfulness apart from divine enablement. It showcases that our obedience is less about strenuous human effort and more about the overflow of a heart quickened and sustained by God's gracious activity. For instance, when we find ourselves struggling with a particular sin or a commandment, this verse reminds us to first pray for God's renewed grace to "live" and "keep" His Word, rather than relying solely on willpower.