Psalms 66:19
in Psalms 66But God has surely heard; He has attended to the sound of my prayer.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But verily God hath heard; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
KJV
But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
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This verse in Psalms 66
Commentary
11 notes on this verseBut verily God hath heard me. Sure sign this that the petitioner was no secret lover of sin. The answer to his prayer was a fresh assurance that his heart was sincere before the Lord. See how sure the psalmist is that he has been heard; it is with him no hope, surmise, or fancy, but he seals it with a verily. Facts are blessed things when they reveal both God's heart as loving, and our own heart as sincere. He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
This site's exposition
Come and listen, all you who fear God
on Psalms 66:16-20
Come and listen answers the come and see of verse 5. Sight was offered to the whole earth; the testimony is offered to those who fear God. Verse 18 names the condition the answer rests on, a heart that does not keep hold of iniquity.
This site's exposition
But God has surely heard
Verse 18 set a condition, and verse 19 answers it: God has surely heard. Albert Barnes reasons that the hearing proved the heart sincere. The prayer God attended to is the evidence of the heart.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
...Consider now, brethren, how easily, how daily men blushing for fear of men do censure iniquities; He hath done ill, He hath done basely, a villain the fellow is: this perchance for man's sake he saith. See whether thou beholdest no iniquity in thy heart, whether perchance that which thou censurest in another, thou art meditating to do, and therefore against him dost exclaim, not because he hath done it, but because he hath been found out. Return to thyself, within be to thyself a judge. Behold in thy hid chamber, in the very inmost recess of the heart, where thou and He that seeth are alone, there let iniquity be displeasing to thee, in order that thou mayest be pleasing to God. Do not regard it, that is, do not love it, but rather despise it, that is, contemn it, and turn away from it. Whatever pleasing thing it hath promised to allure thee to sin; whatever grievous thing it hath threatened, to drive thee on to evil doing; all is nought, all passeth away: it is worthy to be despised, in order that it may be trampled upon; not to be eyed lest it be accepted. ... "Therefore God hath hearkened to me" (ver. 19). Because I have not beheld iniquity in my heart. "And He hath listened to the voice of my prayer."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): " But verily God has heard me; though, being conscious to myself of much amiss in me, I began to fear that my prayers would be rejected, yet, to my comfort, I found that God was pleased to regard them." This God did for his soul, by answering his prayer, he gave him a token of his favour and an evidence that he had wrought a good work in him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
But verily God hath heard me,....
If we have learned in every thing to give thanks for ancient and modern mercies, public and personal mercies, we shall know how to sing this psalm with grace and understanding. All Mankind Exhorted to Praise God. 1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
With these he unites his public thanks, inviting those who fear God (Ps 60:4; 61:5, His true worshippers) to hear. He vindicates his sincerity, inasmuch as God would not hear hypocrites, but had heard him.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
But verily God hath heard me. Sure sign this that the petitioner was no secret lover of sin. The answer to his prayer was a fresh assurance that his heart was sincere before the Lord. See how sure the psalmist is that he has been heard; it is with him no hope, surmise, or fancy, but he seals it with a verily. Facts are blessed things when they reveal both God's heart as loving, and our own heart as sincere. He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. He gave his mind to consider my cries, interpreted them, accepted them, and replied to them; and therein proved his grace and also my uprightness of heart. Love of sin is a plague spot, a condemning mark, a killing sign, but those prayers, which evidently live and prevail with God, most clearly arise from a heart which is free from dalliance with evil. Let the reader see to it, that his inmost soul be rid of all alliance with iniquity, all toleration of secret lust, or hidden wrong.
Verily God hath heard me - A sure proof that my prayer was upright, and my heart honest, before him.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But verily God hath heard me ... - That is, He has given me evidence that he has heard my prayer; and, in doing this, he has thus given me the assurance also that I do not regard iniquity in my heart. The evidence that he has heard me is at the same time proof to my mind that I do not love sin. As it is a settled and universal principle that God does not hear prayer when there is in the heart a cherished love and purpose of iniquity, so it follows that, if there is evidence that he has heard our prayers, it is proof that he has seen that our hearts are sincere, and that we truly desire to forsake all forms of sin.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָ֭כֵן | ʾakhen | nevertheless | H403 → | 18 times |
| שָׁמַ֣ע | shama' | he has heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֑ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הִ֝קְשִׁ֗יב | hikshiv | he has paid attention | H7181 → | 46 times |
| בְּק֣וֹל | bekol | to [the] sound of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃ | tefilati | prayer my | H8605 → | 72 times |
אָ֭כֵןnevertheless
ʾakhenH403 →18 times
שָׁמַ֣עhe has heard
shama'H8085 →1159 times
אֱלֹהִ֑יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
הִ֝קְשִׁ֗יבhe has paid attention
hikshivH7181 →46 times
בְּק֣וֹלto [the] sound of
bekolH6963 →506 times
תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃prayer my
tefilatiH8605 →72 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 5:7During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His…
it leads to
- Luke 22:41–44
And He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, where He knelt down and prayed,
- Matthew 27:46
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
- Mark 14:32–39
Then they came to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus told His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
- John 17:1
When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.
- John 17:4–5
I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.
- Luke 22:41–44
Through
Psalms 6:9The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
it leads to
- Psalms 66:19–20
But God has surely heard; He has attended to the sound of my prayer.
- Psalms 120:1
In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me.
- Psalms 118:5
In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered and set me free.
- Psalms 66:19–20
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 66; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; 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.