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Where, O Lord, is Your loving devotion of old, which You faithfully swore to David?
Psalms 89:49 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Lord, where are your former loving kindnesses, which you swore to David in your faithfulness?
  • KJV Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
  • NKJV Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses, Which You swore to David in Your truth?
  • NASB ¶Where are Your former acts of favor, Lord, Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
  • NLT Lord, where is your unfailing love? You promised it to David with a faithful pledge.

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 where God's former covenant love is, the love sworn faithfully to David.

Overview

The plea returns to the covenant: where now is the steadfast love God promised on oath? The psalmist holds God to His own sworn faithfulness even amid apparent silence. This appeal to God's reliable word finds its sure answer in Christ, the unfailing fulfillment of every promise to David (Acts 13:32-34).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 10

  • 2 Sam 7:15But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I moved out of your way.
  • Heb 7:21but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”
  • Ps 77:9–10Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah
  • Ps 89:35Once and for all I have sworn by My holiness—I will not lie to David—
  • Isa 63:7–15I will make known the LORD’s loving devotion and His praiseworthy acts, because of all that the LORD has done for us—the many good things for the house of Israel according to His great compassion and loving devotion.
  • Ps 89:3–4You said, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David My servant:
  • Ps 54:5He will reward my enemies with evil. In Your faithfulness, destroy them.
  • Ps 132:11–12The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.
  • 2 Sam 3:9May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
  • Isa 55:3Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 89:49YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 89:49 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.