Psalms 43:3
in Psalms 43Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain, and to the place where You dwell.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me: Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, And to thy tabernacles.
KJV
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
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This verse in Psalms 43
Commentary
16 notes on this verseO send out thy light and thy truth,.... By light is meant, not the law, as Arama; but rather, as some Jewish (p) interpreters understand it, the Messiah, the sun of righteousness, and light of the world; who is the author of all light, natural, spiritual, and eternal; and whose coming into the world is often signified by being sent into it. The Spirit of God also is the enlightener of men, both at first conversion and afterwards, and is sent down into their hearts as a comforter of them, by being the Spirit of adoption.
This site's exposition
plead my case against
on Psalms 43:1-4
The psalm opens in court language: Vindicate me, O God, plead my case against an ungodly nation. Light and truth are asked as guides to the holy mountain, and to the place where God dwells. The altar and the harp stand at the end.
This site's exposition
Send out Your light and Your truth
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read light and truth as messengers sent to lead him to the holy place of worship. Barnes took light as God's favour and truth as His faithfulness. Augustine found both names fulfilled in Christ.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Send your light and overcome my shadows. Send your truth and conquer my lying. Your light and truth lead me to your holy mountain and into your tabernacle. When I draw near, you lead me to the altar of God, where, although old, I become …
The holy mount of God is Christ. His tabernacle indwells the virtues of the righteous.
The beam that emanates from light does not come after the light. True light never lacks a beam, having it as part of its substance to shine, just as it always has it as part of its substance to exist. But the manifestation of this beam has been called a "sending," by which Christ appeared to the world. Although he filled all things with his invisible majesty, he came, nevertheless, to those who had not known him, as if from a very remote and deep seclusion.
Dispatch your reliable assistance (by "light" referring to the support, and by "truth" to its reliability) … so that your reliable help may conduct me to the holy places and your holy temple.
But in order that she may do this, hear what she says, what she supplicates, what she prays for. Pray thou for what thou hearest; pray for it when thou hearest it; let these words be the voice of us all: "O send out Thy Light and Thy Truth. They have led me, and brought me on unto Thy holy hill, and into Thy Tabernacles." For that very "Light" and "Truth" are indeed two in name; the reality expressed is but One. For what else is the "Light" of God, except the "Truth" of God? Or what else is the "Truth" of God, except the "Light" of God? And the one Person of Christ is both of these. "I am the Light of the world: he that believeth on Me, shall not walk in darkness." "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." He is Himself "the Light:" He is Himself "the Truth." Let Him come then and rescue us, and "separate at once our cause from the ungodly nation; let Him deliver us from the deceitful and unjust man," let him separate the wheat from the tares, for at the time of harvest He will Himself send His Angels, that they may "gather out of His kingdom all things that offend," and cast them into flaming fire, while they gather together the corn into the garner. He will send out His "Light," and His "Truth;" for that they have already "brought us and led us to His holy hill, and into His Tabernacles." We possess the "earnest;" we hope for the prize. "His holy Hill" is His holy Church. It is that mountain which, according to Daniel's vision, grew from a very small "stone," till it crushed the kingdoms of the earth; and grew to such a size, that it "filled the face of the earth." This is the "hill," from which he tells us that his prayer was heard, who says, "I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill." Let no one of those that are without that mountain, hope to be heard unto eternal life. For many are heard in their prayers for many things. […]
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Send forth." Here he sets forth advancement in good. And first he asks for the divine goods by which he is advanced; second, he asks for the advancement itself. He asks for two goods: light and truth. One arrives at God by steps of the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Send out - That is, actually discover them. Truth - Thy favour, or the light of thy countenance, and the truth of thy promises made to me; or the true-light, the illumination of thy spirit, and the direction of thy gracious providence, whereby I may be led in the right way, to thy holy hill. Hill - Of Zion, the place of God's presence and worship.
In order to this he prays, " Send out thy light and thy truth; let me have this as a fruit of thy favour, which is light, and the performance of thy promise, which is truth." We need desire no more to make us happy than the good that flows from God's favour and is included in his promise.
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
O send out thy light and thy truth. The joy of thy presence and the faithfulness of thy heart; let both of these be manifest to me. Reveal my true character by thy light, and reward me according to thy truthful promise.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
light--as in Ps 27:1. truth--or, "faithfulness" (Ps 25:5), manifest it by fulfilling promises. Light and truth are personified as messengers who will bring him to the privileged place of worship. tabernacles--plural, in allusion to the various courts.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
O send out thy light and thy truth. The joy of thy presence and the faithfulness of thy heart; let both of these be manifest to me. Reveal my true character by thy light, and reward me according to thy truthful promise. As the sun darts forth his beams, so does the Lord send forth his favour and his faithfulness towards all his people; and as all nature rejoices in the sunshine, even so the saints triumph in the manifestation of the love and fidelity of their God, which, like the golden sunbeam, lights up even the darkest surroundings with delightful splendour. Let them lead me. Be these my star to guide me to my rest. Be these my Alpine guides to conduct me over mountains and precipices to the abodes of grace. Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. First in thy mercy bring me to thine earthly courts, and end my weary exile, and then in due time admit me to thy celestial palace above. We seek not light to sin by, nor truth to be exalted by it, but that they may become our practical guides to the nearest communion with God: only such light and truth as are sent us from God will do this, common light is not strong enough to show the road to heaven, nor will mere moral or physical truths assist to the holy hill; but the light of the Holy Spirit, and the truth as it is in Jesus, these are elevating, sanctifying, perfecting; and hence their virtue in leading us to the glorious presence of God. It is beautiful to observe how David's longing to be away from the oppression of man always leads him to sigh more intensely for communion with God.
O send out thy light and thy truth - We are in darkness and distress, O send light and prosperity; we look for the fulfillment of thy promises, O send forth thy truth. Let thy fight guide me to thy holy hill, to the country of my fathers; let thy truth lead me to thy tabernacles, there to worship thee in spirit and in truth.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
O send out thy light and thy truth - Send them forth as from thy presence; or, let them be made manifest. The word light here is equivalent to favor or mercy, as when one prays for the “light of God’s countenance” (see the notes at Psa 4:6); and the idea is, that now, in the time of darkness and trouble, when the light of God’s countenance seemed to be withdrawn or hidden, he prays that God would impart light; that he would restore his favor; that he would conduct him back again to his former privileges. The word truth here is equivalent to truthfulness or faithfulness; and the prayer is, that God would manifest his faithfulness to him as one of his own people, by restoring him to the privileges and blessings from which he had been unjustly driven. Compare the notesat Psa 25:5. Let them lead me - That is, Let them lead me back to my accustomed privileges; let me go under their guidance to the enjoyment of the blessings connected with the place of public worship. Let them bring me unto thy holy hill - Mount Zion; the place where the worship of God was then celebrated, and hence called the “holy hill” of God. And to thy tabernacles - The tabernacle was the sacred tent erected for the worship of God (see the notes at Psa 15:1), and was regarded as the place where Yahweh had his abode. The tabernacle was divided, as the temple was afterward, into two parts or rooms, the holy and the most holy place (see the notes at Heb 9:1-5); and hence the plural term, tabernacles, might be employed in speaking of it. The language here implies, as in Psa 42:1-11, that the author of the psalm was now exiled or banished from this, and hence, also it may be inferred that the two psalms were composed by the same author, and with reference to the same occasion. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Send Your light and Your truth The King Messiah, who is compared to light, as it is stated (below:17): “I have set up a lamp for my anointed,” and Elijah the prophet, who is true, a faithful prophet.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
to the God To the Holy One, blessed be He, who is the joy of my exultation.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁלַח־ | shelach- | send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אוֹרְךָ֣ | ʾorkha | light your | H216 → | 121 times |
| וַ֭אֲמִתְּךָ | vaamitekha | and truth your | H571 → | 127 times |
| הֵ֣מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| יַנְח֑וּנִי | yanchuni | may they lead me | H5148 → | 39 times |
| יְבִיא֥וּנִי | yeviuni | may they bring me | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַֽר־ | har- | [the] mountain of | H2022 → | 546 times |
| קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ | kodshecha | holiness your | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ | mishkenoteikha | dwelling place<s> your | H4908 → | 139 times |
שְׁלַח־send
shelach-H7971 →845 times
אוֹרְךָ֣light your
ʾorkhaH216 →121 times
וַ֭אֲמִתְּךָand truth your
vaamitekhaH571 →127 times
הֵ֣מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
יַנְח֑וּנִיmay they lead me
yanchuniH5148 →39 times
יְבִיא֥וּנִיmay they bring me
yeviuniH935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַֽר־[the] mountain of
har-H2022 →546 times
קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗holiness your
kodshechaH6944 →469 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶֽיךָ׃dwelling place<s> your
mishkenoteikhaH4908 →139 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
John 1:4In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
it leads to
- John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 5:26
For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.
- 1 John 1:5–7
And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
- John 9:5
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
- John 8:12
Through
Psalms 143:10Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
it leads to
- Psalms 25:4–5
Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.
- John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
- Psalms 25:4–5
Through
Psalms 36:9For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.
it leads to
- John 4:14
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
- John 4:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Arnobius the Younger, COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 43; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 43; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Diodorus of Tarsus, COMMENTARY ON PSALM 43; Evagrius Ponticus, NOTES ON THE PSALMS 42[43].3; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Leo the Great, SERMON 25:3.2-4:1; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.