Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him.
Parallel translations
- WEB But know that Yahweh has set apart for himself him who is godly: Yahweh will hear when I call to him.
- KJV But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
- NKJV But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.
- NASB But know that the Lord has set apart the godly person for Himself; The Lord hears when I call to Him.
- NLT You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him.
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
David is confident that God sets apart the godly for Himself and hears their prayers. Belonging to God assures us He listens.
Overview
In contrast to the scoffers, David rests in the certainty that the Lord has set apart the faithful as His own. This setting apart is God's gracious choice, the ground of confident prayer. The same truth comforts believers, whom God has chosen and consecrated in Christ, assuring them that their prayers are heard.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- John 15:16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
- Ps 34:15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
- 2 Th 2:13–14But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth.
- Ps 91:14–15“Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.
- 2 Tim 2:19Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”
- 2 Pet 2:9if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
- Titus 2:14He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
- Exod 33:16For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
- 1 Pet 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- Eph 2:10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- Ps 6:8Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
- Ps 31:23Love the LORD, all His saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but fully repays the arrogant.
- Ps 50:5“Gather to Me My saints, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
- Ps 55:16–17But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.
- Ps 56:9Then my enemies will retreat on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God is on my side.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 4:3 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.