I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.
Parallel translations
- WEB I am your servant. Give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies.
- KJV I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.
- NKJV I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies.
- NASB I am Your servant; give me understanding, So that I may know Your testimonies.
- NLT Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws.
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
As God's servant he asks for understanding to know His testimonies. Servant-hearted dependence is the posture for receiving insight.
Overview
The psalmist again confesses himself God's servant and on that basis requests understanding to know God's testimonies. He recognizes that true knowledge of the word is a gift granted to the humble. This reflects the gospel reality that God reveals His truth to the lowly and gives understanding through His Spirit to those who belong to Christ (Matt. 11:25; 1 Cor. 2:12).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Jas 3:13–17Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- Jas 1:5Now 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.
- Ps 119:34Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart.
- Prov 14:8The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.
- 2 Cor 3:5–6Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Ps 116:16Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.
- Ps 119:66Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments.
- Ps 119:11I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
- Ps 119:18–19Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law.
- Prov 9:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- Rom 6:22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.
- Ps 119:29Remove me from the path of deceit and graciously grant me Your law.
- Ps 86:16Turn to me and have mercy; grant Your strength to Your servant; save the son of Your maidservant.
- 2 Tim 2:7Consider what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all things.
- Ps 119:94I am Yours; save me, for I have sought Your precepts.
- 2 Chr 1:7–10That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
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 119:125 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.