I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.
Parallel translations
- WEB I rise before dawn and cry for help. I put my hope in your words.
- KJV I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.
- BSB I rise before dawn and cry for help; in Your word I have put my hope.
- NASB I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words.
- NLT I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
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
Rising before dawn, the psalmist cries for help and rests his hope in God's words. Earnest, early-morning prayer is anchored in God's promises.
Overview
His diligence in seeking God 'before dawn' reveals a heart that prioritizes God above sleep and comfort. Yet his confidence rests not in his own zeal but in God's reliable words, the firm ground of all hope. The believer likewise hopes in the sure promises of God, fully secured in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Mark 1:35Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there.
- Ps 5:3Yahweh, in the morning you shall hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.
- Ps 130:5–6I wait for Yahweh. My soul waits. I hope in his word.
- Ps 88:13But to you, Yahweh, I have cried. In the morning, my prayer comes before you.
- Ps 119:81My soul faints for your salvation. I hope in your word.
- Ps 42:8Yahweh will command his loving kindness in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life.
- Ps 119:74Those who fear you will see me and be glad, because I have put my hope in your word.
- Ps 56:4In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
- Ps 57:8Wake up, my glory! Wake up, lute and harp! I will wake up the dawn.
- Ps 108:2Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn.
- Isa 26:9With my soul I have desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
- Heb 6:17–19In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;
- Ps 21:3For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head.
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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 119:147 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.