Psalms 119:58
in Psalms 119I have sought Your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I entreated thy favor with my whole heart: Be merciful unto me according to thy word.
KJV
I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.
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This verse in Psalms 119
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"I intreated thy favour with my whole heart." A fully assured possession of God does not set aside prayer, but rather urges us to it; he who knows God to be his God will seek his face, longing for his presence. Seeking God's presence is the idea conveyed by the marginal reading, "thy face, "and this is true to the Hebrew. The presence of God is the highest form of his favour, and therefore it is the most urgent desire of gracious souls: the light of his countenance gives us an antepast of heaven. O that we always enjoyed it! The good man entreated God's smile as one who begged for his life, and the entire strength of his desire went with the entreaty. Such eager pleadings are sure of success; that which comes from our heart will certainly go to God's heart. The whole of God's favours are ready for those who seek them with their whole hearts. "Be merciful unto me according to thy word." He has entreated favour, and the form in which he most needs it is that of mercy, for he is more a sinner than anything else. He asks nothing beyond the promise, he only begs for such mercy as the word reveals. And what more could he want or wish for? God has revealed such an infinity of mercy in his word that it would be impossible to conceive of more. See how the Psalmist dwells upon favour and mercy, he never dreams of merit. He does not demand, but entreat; for he feels his own unworthiness. Note how he remains a suppliant, though he knows that he has all things in his God. God is his portion, and yet he begs for a look at his face. The idea of any other standing before God than that of an undeserving but favoured one never entered his head. Here we have his "Be merciful unto me" rising with as much intensity of humble pleading as if he still remained among the most trembling of penitents.
This site's exposition
The LORD is my portion
on Psalms 119:57-64
Portion is priestly language: at Numbers 18:20 the LORD tells Aaron that He Himself is Aaron's portion and inheritance. Here an ordinary worshiper claims it. He turns his steps at once, hurrying without hesitating, and rises at midnight to give thanks.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Let us hear what followeth: "I have promised to keep Thy law." What meaneth, "My portion, O Lord: I have promised to keep Thy law" (ver. 57); save because the Lord will be each man's portion then, when he hath kept His law? Consider therefore what he subjoineth: "I entreated Thy face, with my whole heart:" and saying in what manner he prayed: "O be merciful," he saith, "unto me, according to Thy word" (ver. 58). And as if he had been heard and aided by Him whom he prayed unto, "I thought," he saith, "on mine own ways, and turned away my feet unto Thy testimonies" (ver. 59). That is, I turned them away from mine own ways, which displeased me, that they might follow Thy testimonies, and there might find a path. For most of the copies have not, "Because I thought," as is read in some; but only, "I thought." But what is here written, "and I turned away my feet:" some read, "Because I thought, Thou also hast turned away my feet:" that this may rather be ascribed to the grace of God, according to the Apostle's words, "For it is God who worketh in us." ...
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
I entreated thy favour with my whole heart,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Sincere desires for God's favor, penitence, and activity in a new obedience, truly evince the sincerity of those who profess to find God a portion (Nu 18:20;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
"I intreated thy favour with my whole heart." A fully assured possession of God does not set aside prayer, but rather urges us to it; he who knows God to be his God will seek his face, longing for his presence. Seeking God's presence is the idea conveyed by the marginal reading, "thy face, "and this is true to the Hebrew. The presence of God is the highest form of his favour, and therefore it is the most urgent desire of gracious souls: the light of his countenance gives us an antepast of heaven. O that we always enjoyed it!
Fourthly. Being determined in his heart, he tells us, I entreated thy favor with my whole heart. He found he had sinned; that he needed mercy; that he had no time to lose; that he must be importunate; and therefore he sought that mercy with all his soul. Fifthly. Feeling that he deserved nothing but wrath, that he had no right to any good, he cries for mercy in the way that God had promised to convey it: “Be merciful unto me!” And to this he is encouraged only by the promise of God; and therefore prays, “Be merciful unto me According to thy Word.”
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I entreated thy favor - Margin, as in Hebrew, “face.” That is, he prayed that God would lift upon him the light of his countenance; that he would not avert his face from him in anger. With my whole heart - With sincere, undivided affections. See Psa 119:2, Psa 119:10, Psa 119:34; Psa 9:1. Be merciful unto me according to thy word - See the notes at Psa 119:41.
The words behind it
6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חִלִּ֣יתִי | chiliti | I have entreated | H2470 → | 76 times |
| פָנֶ֣יךָ | faneikha | face your | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בְכָל־ | vekhol- | with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לֵ֑ב | lev | [the] heart | H3820 → | 595 times |
| חָ֝נֵּ֗נִי | choneni | show favor to me | H2603 → | 78 times |
| כְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ׃ | keimratekha | according to word your | H565 → | 37 times |
חִלִּ֣יתִיI have entreated
chilitiH2470 →76 times
פָנֶ֣יךָface your
faneikhaH6440 →2123 times
בְכָל־with all
vekhol-H3605 →5413 times
לֵ֑ב[the] heart
levH3820 →595 times
חָ֝נֵּ֗נִיshow favor to me
choneniH2603 →78 times
כְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ׃according to word your
keimratekhaH565 →37 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
Hebrews 10:22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 36:25
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.
- John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
- Ephesians 5:26
to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
- 1 Peter 3:21
And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- Ezekiel 36:25
Through
Psalms 27:8My heart said, “Seek His face.” Your face, O LORD, I will seek.
it leads to
- Psalms 105:4
Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.
- Jeremiah 29:12–13
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
- Isaiah 55:6–7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
- Psalms 105:4
Through
Psalms 119:10With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments.
it leads to
- Psalms 119:34
Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart.
- Psalms 119:34
Where this verse is studied
About Psalms
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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, Vol. 6; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.