Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart.
Parallel translations
- WEB Give me understanding, and I will keep your law. Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart.
- KJV Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
- NKJV Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
- NASB Give me understanding, so that I may comply with Your Law And keep it with all my heart.
- NLT Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart.
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
The psalmist asks for understanding so that he may keep and wholeheartedly observe God's law. It matters because true obedience flows from God-given understanding and a devoted heart.
Overview
Understanding of God's law is sought as the foundation for keeping it with the whole heart. The psalmist sees that real obedience is impossible without insight from God. This points to the new heart and Spirit promised in the gospel, enabling wholehearted obedience through union with Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Matt 7:24Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
- 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.
- Prov 2:5–6then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
- Ps 119:73Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding to learn Your commandments.
- Jas 1:25But 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.
- John 7:17If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.
- Jas 2:8–12If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
- Ps 119:10With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments.
- Ps 111:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Ps 119:69Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep Your precepts with all my heart.
- Jas 3:13–18Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- Matt 5:19So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
- Job 28:28And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Ps 119:58I have sought Your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise.
- Jas 4:11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it.
- Deut 4:6Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 119:34 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.