Because he has turned his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
Parallel translations
- KJV Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
- BSB Because He has inclined His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.
- NKJV Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
- NASB Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
- NLT Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Because God turned his ear to him, the psalmist resolves to pray to him lifelong. It matters because God's attentiveness fuels a lifetime of prayer.
Overview
God's gracious inclination to listen prompts a vow of continual prayer. Experiencing answered prayer deepens dependence rather than diminishing it. This lifelong calling on the Lord models the believer's ongoing communion with God, made constant and confident through Christ our mediator.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 145:18–19Yahweh is near to all those who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
- Ps 40:1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry.
- Phil 4:6In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
- Ps 55:16–17As for me, I will call on God. Yahweh will save me.
- Luke 18:1He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up,
- Ps 86:6–7Hear, Yahweh, my prayer. Listen to the voice of my petitions.
- Ps 31:2Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me.
- Col 4:2Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;
- Ps 88:1A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Suffering of Affliction.” A contemplation by Heman, the Ezrahite. Yahweh, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.
- Job 27:10Will he delight himself in the Almighty, and call on God at all times?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 116:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.