Psalms 119:147
in Psalms 119I rise before dawn and cry for help; in Your word I have put my hope.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I anticipated the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy words.
KJV
I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.
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This verse in Psalms 119
Commentary
9 notes on this verse"I have prevented in midnight," he says, "and have cried: In Your words have I trusted" [Psalm 119:147]. If we refer this to each of the faithful, and to the literal character of the act; it oft happens that the love of God is awake in that hour of the night, and, the love of prayer strongly urging us, the time of prayer, which is wont to be after the crowing of the cock, is not awaited, but prevented. But if we understand night of the whole of this world's duration; we indeed cry unto God at midnight, and prevent the fullness of time in which He will restore us what He has promised, as is elsewhere read, "Let us prevent His presence with confession." Although if we choose to understand the unripe season of this night, before the fullness of time had come, [Galatians 4:4] that is, the ripe season when Christ should be manifested in the flesh; neither was the Church then silent, but preventing this fullness of time, in prophecy cried out, and trusted in the words of God, who was able to do what He promised, that in the seed of Abraham all nations should be blessed.
This site's exposition
I call with all my heart
on Psalms 119:145-152
The praying runs from before dawn into the night watches. Verse 150 has those who follow wickedness drawing near, and verse 151 has the LORD near with all His commandments true. Verse 152 says the testimonies were established long ago.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
prevented--literally, "came before," anticipated not only the dawn, but even the usual periods of the night; when the night watches, which might be expected to find me asleep, come, they find me awake (Ps 63:6; Such is the earnestness of the desire and love for God's truth.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
An intelligent devotion is led by divine promises and is directed to an increase of gracious affections, arising from a contemplation of revealed truth.
"I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried." He was up before the sun, and began his pleadings before the dew began to leave the grass. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing speedily. This is the third time that he mentions that he cried. He cried, and cried, and cried again. His supplications had become so frequent, fervent, and intense, that he might hardly be said to be doing anything else from morning to night but crying unto his God. So strong was his desire after salvation that he could not rest in his bed; so eagerly did he seek it that at the first possible moment he was on his knees. "I hoped in thy word." Hope is a very powerful means of strengthening us in prayer. Who would pray if he had no hope that God would hear him? Who would not pray when he has a good hope of a blessed issue to his entreaties? His hope was fixed upon God's word, and this is a sure anchorage, because God is true, and in no case has he ever run back from his promise, or altered the thing that has gone forth from his mouth. He who is diligent in prayer will never be destitute of hope. Observe that as the early bird gets the worm, so the early prayer is soon refreshed with hope.
"I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried." He was up before the sun, and began his pleadings before the dew began to leave the grass. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing speedily. This is the third time that he mentions that he cried. He cried, and cried, and cried again. His supplications had become so frequent, fervent, and intense, that he might hardly be said to be doing anything else from morning to night but crying unto his God.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
I prevented the dawning - קדמתי kiddamti, “I went before the dawn or twilight.”
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried - I anticipated it; I rose up to pray before the morning dawned. On the word “prevent,” see the notes at 1Th 4:15; notes at Psa 21:3; notes at Psa 59:10; notes at Psa 79:8. The meaning here is, that he rose up before the dawn, to pray. Thus the Saviour did, Mar 1:35. (a) It is proper thus to pray, for our earliest thoughts should be those of devotion; our earliest acts should be in acknowledgment of God. (b) Such a time is eminently favorable to devotion. Calm, still, quiet; before the thoughts are engaged in the world, and before the cares of life press upon us when the thoughts are clear, and the mind tranquil, the soul is in the best state for devotion. (c) All people, if they will, can secure this time, before the “dawning of the morning,” to pray. Compare Psa 5:3, note; Psa 88:13, note; see also Psa 130:6. The word rendered “dawning of the morning,” is from a verb which means to blow; to blow gently; and is usually applied to the evening, when the breezes blow gently. It may be applied, however, as it clearly is here, also to the morning. I hoped in thy word - I prayed because I had hope in thy word; I exercised hope in thy word then. Alone with thee in the morning, I found consolation by trusting in thy gracious promises.
The words behind it
5 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| קִדַּ֣מְתִּי | kidamti | I am early | H6923 → | 26 times |
| בַ֭נֶּשֶׁף | vaneshef | in the twilight | H5399 → | |
| וָאֲשַׁוֵּ֑עָה | vaashaveah | and I cried for help ! | H7768 → | 21 times |
| לִדְבָרְךָ֥ | lidvareikha | for word your | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יִחָֽלְתִּי׃ | yichalti | I hope | H3176 → | 41 times |
קִדַּ֣מְתִּיI am early
kidamtiH6923 →26 times
בַ֭נֶּשֶׁףin the twilight
vaneshefH5399 →
וָאֲשַׁוֵּ֑עָהand I cried for help !
vaashaveahH7768 →21 times
לִדְבָרְךָ֥for word your
lidvareikhaH1697 →1440 times
יִחָֽלְתִּי׃I hope
yichaltiH3176 →41 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 5:3In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.
it leads to
- Mark 1:35
Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 88:13
But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
- Psalms 130:6
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning— more than watchmen wait for the morning.
- Mark 1:35
Through
Mark 1:35Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.
it leads to
- Luke 6:12
In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.
- Psalms 5:3
In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 5:16
Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.
- Luke 22:39–46
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him.
- Ephesians 6:18
Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.
- Luke 6:12
Where this verse is studied
About Psalms
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 119; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 6; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).