O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let my cry come before you, Yahweh. Give me understanding according to your word.
- KJV Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.
- BSB May my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your word.
- NKJV Let my cry come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word.
- NASB ¶Let my cry come before You, Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word.
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
He asks that his cry reach God and that God grant understanding according to His word. He seeks both a hearing and insight from God.
Overview
Opening the final 'Tav' stanza, the psalmist prays that his cry would 'come before' God and that God would give understanding shaped by His Word. He wants not merely to be heard but to be taught. This longing for God-given understanding is met as the Spirit illumines Scripture to those who are in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Jas 1:5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.
- Ps 119:144–145Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live. KUF
- Prov 2:3–5Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;
- Ps 18:6In my distress I called on Yahweh, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears.
- 2 Chr 1:10Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of yours?”
- 1 Chr 22:12May Yahweh give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel; that so you may keep the law of Yahweh your God.
- 2 Chr 30:27Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.
- Dan 2:21He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings, and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding;
Resources, by level
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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 119:169 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.