Psalm 119:169
New International Version
May my cry come before you, LORD; give me understanding according to your word.

New Living Translation
O LORD, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised.

English Standard Version
Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word!

Berean Standard Bible
May my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your word.

King James Bible
TAU. Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

New King James Version
Let my cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word.

New American Standard Bible
Let my cry come before You, LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word.

NASB 1995
Let my cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word.

NASB 1977
Let my cry come before Thee, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Thy word.

Legacy Standard Bible
Let my cry of lamentation come near before You, O Yahweh; Give me understanding according to Your word.

Amplified Bible
Let my [mournful] cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] according to Your word [of promise].

Christian Standard Bible
Let my cry reach you, LORD; give me understanding according to your word.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Let my cry reach You, LORD; give me understanding according to Your word.

American Standard Version
? TAV. Let my cry come near before thee, O Jehovah: Give me understanding according to thy word.

Contemporary English Version
Please, LORD, hear my prayer and give me the understanding that comes from your word.

English Revised Version
TAU. Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Let my cry for help come into your presence, O LORD. Help me understand as you promised.

Good News Translation
Let my cry for help reach you, LORD! Give me understanding, as you have promised.

International Standard Version
May my cry arise before you, LORD; give me understanding according to your word.

Majority Standard Bible
May my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your word.

NET Bible
Listen to my cry for help, O LORD! Give me insight by your word!

New Heart English Bible
TAW. Let my cry come before you, LORD. Give me understanding according to your word.

Webster's Bible Translation
TAU. Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

World English Bible
TAV Let my cry come before you, Yahweh. Give me understanding according to your word.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
[TAW] My loud cry comes near before You, O YHWH; Cause me to understand according to Your word.

Young's Literal Translation
Taw. My loud cry cometh near before Thee, O Jehovah; According to Thy word cause me to understand.

Smith's Literal Translation
My cry shall draw near before thee, O Jehovah: cause me to understand according to thy word.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
[TAU] Let my supplication, O Lord, come near in thy sight: give me understanding according to thy word.

Catholic Public Domain Version
TAU. O Lord, let my supplication draw near in your sight. Grant understanding to me according to your eloquence.

New American Bible
Let my cry come before you, LORD; in keeping with your word, give me understanding.

New Revised Standard Version
Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
TAU. Let my cry come before thee, O LORD; save me according to thy word.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Tau My praise will enter before you, LORD JEHOVAH; give me life in your word!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Let my cry come near before Thee, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Thy word.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Let my supplication come near before thee, o Lord; instruct me according to thine oracle.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Your Word is a Lamp to My Feet
168I obey Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You. 169May my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your word. 170May my plea come before You; rescue me according to Your promise.…

Cross References
Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. / And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. / And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.

Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. / And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

John 14:13-14
And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. / If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.

Ephesians 6:18
Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

Luke 11:9-10
So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Proverbs 2:3-6
if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, / if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure, / then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. ...

Jeremiah 33:3
Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

Psalm 34:17
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.

Psalm 145:18
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth.


Treasury of Scripture

Let my cry come near before you, O LORD: give me understanding according to your word.

let my cry

Psalm 119:145
KOPH. I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.

Psalm 18:6
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

2 Chronicles 30:27
Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.

give me

Psalm 119:144
The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.

1 Chronicles 22:12
Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.

2 Chronicles 1:10
Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

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Psalm 119
1. This psalm contains various prayers, praises, and professions of obedience.
2. Aleph.
9. Beth
17. Gimel
25. Daleth
33. He
41. Waw
49. Zayin
57. Heth
65. Teth
73. Yodh
81. Kaph
89. Lamedh
97. Mem
105. Nun
113. Samekh
121. Ayin
129. Pe
137. Tsadhe
145. Qoph
153. Resh
161. Sin and Shin
169. Taw














May my cry come before You
The phrase "my cry" in Hebrew is "רִנָּתִי" (rinnati), which can denote a joyful shout or a lamenting plea. In the context of Psalm 119, it reflects a deep, heartfelt prayer, a sincere outpouring of the psalmist's soul before God. The use of "come before You" suggests an intimate audience with the divine, emphasizing the psalmist's desire for God's attentive presence. Historically, this reflects the Jewish understanding of prayer as a direct communication with God, a practice deeply rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people.

O LORD
The term "LORD" is the English representation of the tetragrammaton YHWH, the sacred and personal name of God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. This name signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature and His covenantal faithfulness. The invocation of "O LORD" here is not just a formal address but a personal appeal to the God who is both transcendent and immanent, the One who is intimately involved in the lives of His people.

give me understanding
The Hebrew word for "understanding" is "בִּינָה" (binah), which implies discernment, insight, and the ability to perceive the deeper truths of God's will. This request is not merely for intellectual knowledge but for spiritual insight that aligns the psalmist's heart and mind with God's purposes. In the conservative Christian tradition, this reflects the belief that true understanding comes from God and is essential for living a life that honors Him.

according to Your word
The phrase "Your word" refers to the Hebrew "דְּבָרֶךָ" (debarekha), which encompasses God's commandments, promises, and revelations. The psalmist seeks understanding that is grounded in the divine revelation found in Scripture. This highlights the importance of the Bible as the ultimate source of truth and guidance for believers. Historically, this underscores the Jewish and Christian emphasis on the Scriptures as the foundation for faith and practice, a principle that has been central to conservative Christian theology.

Verse 169. - Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord. The "cry" is probably for deliverance from his enemies (see ver. 166); but this, he feels, depends upon his own faithfulness. Hence the prayer in the second clause, Give me understanding according to thy Word (comp. ver. 144).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
May my cry
רִנָּתִ֣י (rin·nā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7440: A creaking, shout

come
תִּקְרַ֤ב (tiq·raḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

before You,
לְפָנֶ֣יךָ (lə·p̄ā·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

O LORD;
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

give me understanding
הֲבִינֵֽנִי׃ (hă·ḇî·nê·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand

according to Your word.
כִּדְבָרְךָ֥ (kiḏ·ḇā·rə·ḵā)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause


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OT Poetry: Psalm 119:169 Let my cry come before you Yahweh (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 119:168
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