Psalm 119:34 kjv
Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Psalm 119:34 nkjv
Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Psalm 119:34 niv
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
Psalm 119:34 esv
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Psalm 119:34 nlt
Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;
I will put them into practice with all my heart.
Psalm 119 34 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:29 | ...you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart... | Seek God wholeheartedly. |
| Deut 6:5 | You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart... | Love God completely. |
| Deut 6:6-7 | These words...shall be on your heart. You shall teach them... | Diligently keep and teach commands. |
| Deut 10:12-13 | ...what does the LORD your God require... but to walk... | Requirements for obedience. |
| Ps 1:2 | But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. | Joyful meditation on God's law. |
| Ps 19:14 | Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight... | Prayer for acceptable heart/words. |
| Ps 25:4-5 | Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me... | Prayer for divine guidance. |
| Ps 119:27 | Make me understand the way of Your precepts, so I will meditate on Your wonderful works. | Seeking understanding for meditation. |
| Prov 2:6 | For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. | God is the source of wisdom. |
| Prov 4:7 | Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. | Wisdom as the priority. |
| Matt 22:37 | You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. | Summation of the Law (love). |
| John 14:15 | "If you love Me, keep My commandments." | Love for Christ linked to obedience. |
| John 14:21 | "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me..." | Obedience reveals love for Christ. |
| Rom 6:17 | ...you became obedient from the heart to that form of doctrine... | Heartfelt obedience to doctrine. |
| Rom 8:4 | ...that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. | Law fulfilled in Spirit-led walk. |
| Jas 1:22 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | Apply the Word, don't just hear. |
| Jer 31:33 | "But this is the covenant that I will make... I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts..." | New Covenant internalizes the law. |
| Ezek 36:27 | "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." | Spirit enables obedience. |
| 1 Chr 29:9 | Then the people rejoiced, for they offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they offered willingly to the LORD... | Joyful, wholehearted offering. |
| Phil 2:13 | for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. | God enables both will and work. |
| Col 1:9-10 | ...asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy... | Prayer for spiritual understanding. |
| Eph 1:17-18 | ...that the God... may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened... | Prayer for spiritual revelation. |
| 1 Jn 5:20 | ...the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true... | Christ gives understanding for true God. |
| Heb 10:22 | let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith... | Approach God with sincere heart. |
| Heb 13:21 | make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight... | God equips for good works. |
Psalm 119 verses
Psalm 119 34 Meaning
Psalm 119:34 is a prayer requesting divine wisdom and discernment to genuinely understand God's law, not merely as an external code, but with deep spiritual insight. This understanding is sought so that the psalmist can then actively observe and keep God's statutes with absolute sincerity and unwavering devotion from the very core of their being. It signifies a profound desire for heartfelt, internal obedience rather than mere outward compliance.
Psalm 119 34 Context
Psalm 119 is an extended acrostic poem, each section (of eight verses) beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is entirely devoted to exalting and expressing delight in God's law, word, precepts, statutes, testimonies, commands, and judgments. Verse 34 falls within the "Gimel" section (verses 33-40), a prayer sequence where the psalmist repeatedly seeks God's direct intervention to teach, enable, and quicken him to walk in His ways. It underscores human dependence on divine grace for spiritual capability, especially the ability to understand and obey God's will amidst worldly distractions (Ps 119:36-37).
Psalm 119 34 Word analysis
- Give me understanding: (Hebrew: tūḇīnênî from the root bin). This is a Hiphil imperative, indicating a request for God to cause the psalmist to understand, to enlighten his mind. It refers to spiritual insight and discernment, not mere intellectual apprehension of facts. This understanding allows one to perceive the spiritual meaning and intent behind God's commands.
- that I may keep: (Hebrew: ʾešmĕrāh). Signifies "to guard," "to observe diligently," "to watch over," "to preserve." The purpose of understanding is practical obedience; true insight into God's law naturally leads to a desire to protect and perform it carefully.
- Your law: (Hebrew: tōrāṯeḵā). This encompasses God's entire revelation and instruction, not just a set of rules. It refers to divine teaching, precepts, and the will of God revealed in His Word.
- indeed, I would observe it: (Hebrew: wəʾeṣṣĕrennâ). This is a parallel verb, reinforcing the desire to "guard," "preserve," and "obey" the law. The repetition or use of a near-synonym emphasizes the intensity of the commitment and diligence desired. It also expresses a determined commitment.
- with my whole heart: (Hebrew: bəḵāl-lēḇ). The "heart" in Hebrew thought is the seat of intellect, will, emotion, and the entire inner person. "Whole heart" signifies unreserved, sincere, and complete devotion. It speaks to the integrity of motive and the absence of hypocrisy or divided loyalties in one's obedience.
- Word group analysis:
- "Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law": This phrase highlights the critical connection between divine illumination and human obedience. The psalmist acknowledges that true obedience flows from a God-given spiritual discernment. Without God's enablement to understand His will, mere human effort at obedience would be flawed or impossible.
- "indeed, I would observe it with my whole heart": This part emphasizes the nature of the desired obedience: it is to be internal, sincere, and complete. It's a prayer not just for the ability to obey, but for the disposition to obey wholeheartedly, rising above outward performance to true, inner conformity with God's will.
Psalm 119 34 Bonus section
This verse implicitly challenges both legalism and antinomianism. It refutes legalism by stressing that obedience is not about outward performance but springs from inward understanding and heartfelt devotion, a grace-empowered disposition. It rejects antinomianism (disregard for God's law) by expressing a fervent desire to keep His law meticulously. The prayer also anticipates the New Covenant promise where God would put His laws into the hearts and minds of His people, empowering them through His Spirit to obey (Jer 31:33, Ezek 36:27). This prayer emphasizes that our spiritual capacity for God's truth is a gift, and our response is one of devoted service.
Psalm 119 34 Commentary
Psalm 119:34 articulates a foundational principle for Christian living: genuine obedience is not possible without divine understanding. The psalmist understands that external compliance is insufficient; true adherence to God's law must stem from an enlightened heart that comprehends its divine intent and beauty. This prayer is a plea for God to illuminate the mind, granting the spiritual discernment (understanding) that transcends mere intellectual knowledge, leading to a deep, volitional commitment to guard and follow His precepts. The phrase "with my whole heart" signifies that this desired obedience is whole, sincere, undivided, and driven by inner love, embodying the very essence of devotion. It demonstrates humble dependence on God for enablement in the pursuit of righteousness.