Psalm 119:96
New International Version
To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.

New Living Translation
Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit. Mem

English Standard Version
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Berean Standard Bible
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but Your commandment is without limit.

King James Bible
I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

New King James Version
I have seen the consummation of all perfection, But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

New American Standard Bible
I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

NASB 1995
I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad. Mem.

NASB 1977
I have seen a limit to all perfection; Thy commandment is exceedingly broad.

Legacy Standard Bible
I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Amplified Bible
I have seen that all [human] perfection has its limits [no matter how grand and perfect and noble]; Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity].

Christian Standard Bible
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your command is without limit.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but Your command is without limit.

American Standard Version
I have seen an end of all perfection; But thy commandment is exceeding broad.

Contemporary English Version
Nothing is completely perfect, except your teachings.

English Revised Version
I have seen an end of all perfection; but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I have seen a limit to everything else, [but] your commandments have no limit.

Good News Translation
I have learned that everything has limits; but your commandment is perfect.

International Standard Version
I have observed that all things have their limit, but your commandment is very broad.

Majority Standard Bible
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but Your commandment is without limit.

NET Bible
I realize that everything has its limits, but your commands are beyond full comprehension.

New Heart English Bible
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commands are boundless.

Webster's Bible Translation
I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

World English Bible
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commands are boundless.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I have seen an end of all perfection, "" Your command [is] exceedingly broad!

Young's Literal Translation
Of all perfection I have seen an end, Broad is Thy command -- exceedingly!

Smith's Literal Translation
I saw the end to all perfection: thy command is exceeding broad.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I have seen an end to all persecution: thy commandment is exceeding broad.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I have seen the end of the consummation of all things. Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

New American Bible
I have seen the limits of all perfection, but your commandment is without bounds.

New Revised Standard Version
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I have seen the futility of all things; but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I have seen the end of all things, the very end, and your commandment is greatly enlarged!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I have seen an end to every purpose; But Thy commandment is exceeding broad.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I have seen an end of all perfection; but thy commandment is very broad.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Your Word is a Lamp to My Feet
95The wicked wait to destroy me, but I will ponder Your testimonies. 96I have seen a limit to all perfection, but Your commandment is without limit. 97Oh, how I love Your law! All day long it is my meditation.…

Cross References
Romans 7:12
So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

Matthew 5:18
For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

1 Peter 1:25
but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

James 1:25
But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, / so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

Proverbs 30:5
Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Peter 1:19-21
We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. / Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. / For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Psalm 19:7-9
The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. / The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. / The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous.

Luke 16:17
But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the beginning. / Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.


Treasury of Scripture

I have seen an end of all perfection: but your commandment is exceeding broad.

I have seen.

Psalm 39:5,6
Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah…

1 Samuel 9:2
And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

1 Samuel 17:8,49-51
And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me…

but thy

Psalm 19:7,8
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple…

Matthew 5:28
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…

Jump to Previous
Boundless Broad Command Commandment Commands Complete Earth End Exceeding Exceedingly Limit MEM Perfection Purpose Teaching Wide
Jump to Next
Boundless Broad Command Commandment Commands Complete Earth End Exceeding Exceedingly Limit MEM Perfection Purpose Teaching Wide
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














I have seen
The phrase "I have seen" suggests a personal experience or revelation. In Hebrew, the word used here is "ra'ah," which means to perceive or understand. This implies that the psalmist has gained insight through observation and reflection. Historically, this could be seen as the psalmist's meditation on the limitations of human endeavors and achievements, which are often visible and tangible.

an end
The term "end" in Hebrew is "qets," indicating a boundary or limit. This word suggests that everything in the material world has a finite nature. Archaeologically, this reflects the ancient understanding of the world as having defined limits, whether in geography, lifespan, or human capability. Theologically, it underscores the transient nature of earthly things compared to the eternal.

to all perfection
"Perfection" here is translated from the Hebrew word "tiklah," which can mean completeness or entirety. The psalmist acknowledges that even the most complete or perfect things in the world have their limitations. This reflects a conservative Christian understanding that human perfection is always flawed and incomplete when compared to divine standards.

but Your commandment
The contrast introduced by "but" highlights the difference between human limitations and divine instruction. "Commandment" in Hebrew is "mitzvah," referring to God's laws and decrees. This emphasizes the divine origin and authority of God's word, which stands in stark contrast to human imperfection. Scripturally, this aligns with the belief that God's commandments are perfect and serve as a guide for righteous living.

is without limit
The phrase "without limit" translates from the Hebrew "me'od," meaning exceedingly or very much. This suggests an infinite or boundless nature. In a historical and scriptural context, this reflects the belief in the eternal and unchanging nature of God's word. Unlike human achievements, which are finite, God's commandments are limitless in their wisdom, application, and relevance.

(96) I have seen.--The exact thought of the psalmist here is doubtful, and it offers such a wide application, embracing so many truths of experience, that possibly he had more than one meaning in his mind. Keeping as close to the context as possible, the meaning will be: "To all perfection (or apparent perfection) a limit is visible, but the Divine Law is boundless alike in its scope and its requirements." This, translated into the language of modern ideas, merely says that the actual can never correspond with the ideal:

"Who keeps a spirit wholly true

To that ideal which he bears?"

But in the word end in Hebrew, as in English, there is a limitation in time, as in space (see Job 26:10; Job 28:3; comp. Symmachus, "I have seen the end of all settled things"), and the Prayer Book version may really give the psalmist's thought as indicating the difference between mere change and progress.

"The old order changeth, yielding place to new,

And God fulfils Himself in many ways,

Lest one good custom should corrupt the world."

TENNYSON: Morte d'Arthur. . . .

Verse 96. - I have seen an end of all perfection; i.e. to all other perfection I have seen, and see, a limit; but there is no limit to the perfection of thy Law. Thy commandment is exceeding broad. Unlimited - measureless in its range. It inculcates on man an absolute perfection.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I have seen
רָאִ֣יתִי (rā·’î·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

an end
קֵ֑ץ (qêṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7093: An extremity, after

to all
לְֽכָל (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

perfection,
תִּ֭כְלָה (tiḵ·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8502: Completeness, perfection

but Your commandment
מִצְוָתְךָ֣ (miṣ·wā·ṯə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4687: Commandment

is without limit.
מְאֹֽד׃ (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily


Links
Psalm 119:96 NIV
Psalm 119:96 NLT
Psalm 119:96 ESV
Psalm 119:96 NASB
Psalm 119:96 KJV

Psalm 119:96 BibleApps.com
Psalm 119:96 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 119:96 Chinese Bible
Psalm 119:96 French Bible
Psalm 119:96 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 119:96 I have seen a limit to all (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 119:95
Top of Page
Top of Page