1 Chronicles 16:11 — Word Study
WLCדִּרְשׁ֤וּ יְהוָה֙ וְעֻזּ֔וֹ בַּקְּשׁ֥וּ פָנָ֖יו תָּמִֽיד׃
BSASeek outdârash [diligently, with all your heart] the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and His strengthʻôz [might, power, boldness] seekbâqash [search for, inquire of] His facepânîym [presence, approval] alwaystâmîyd [continually, forevermore]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| דִּרְשׁ֤וּ | seek | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine plural |
| יְהוָה֙ | Yahweh | Noun proper |
| וְעֻזּ֔וֹ | and strength his | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| בַּקְּשׁ֥וּ | seek | Verb, Piel, imperative second person masculine plural |
| פָנָ֖יו | face his | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| תָּמִֽיד׃ | continually | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. |
| KJV | Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. |
| ASV | Seek ye Jehovah and his strength; Seek his face evermore. |
| YLT | Seek ye Jehovah and His strength, Seek His face continually. |
| WEB | Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more. |
| BBE | Let your search be for the Lord and for his strength; let your hearts ever be turned to him. |
Where they part company is in the interpretation of תָּמִֽיד — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is straightforward, with one main command followed by two phrases that clarify what to seek and how often.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbדָּרַשׁ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 16:11
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Call to Seek the LORDgenerated
1 Chronicles 16:11 is part of a passage that calls the people of Israel to worship and remember the greatness of God. The psalmist encourages them to rejoice in the LORD's name and to seek His presence and strength continually. This reflects a broader theme of seeking God throughout the Old Testament, where worship and relationship with God are central to the faith of Israel.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amos 5:6 | Seek the LORD and live, or He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph; it will devour everything, with no one at Bethel to extinguish it. |
| 2 | Zephaniah 2:2–3 | before the decree takes effect and the day passes like chaff, before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the Day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you. |
| 3 | 2 Chronicles 6:41 | Now therefore, arise, O LORD God, and enter Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. May Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and may Your godly ones rejoice in goodness. |
| 4 | Psalm 68:35 | O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God! |
| 5 | Psalm 78:61 | He delivered His strength to captivity, and His splendor to the hand of the adversary. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — דִּרְשׁ֤וּ, dir.Shugenerated
The verb דָּרַשׁ (darash) means to seek or inquire, often with a sense of urgency or diligence. It can involve worshiping God or investigating matters of faith. The imperative form here indicates a command to actively pursue God, suggesting that this seeking is both a duty and a privilege.
This word appears frequently in the context of worship, indicating a deep desire to connect with God. The parsing as a Qal imperative second person masculine plural highlights that this call is directed to a group, emphasizing community in the act of seeking.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the rendering of the key verbs דִּרְשׁ֤וּ and בַּקְּשׁ֥וּ as seek, maintaining the imperative nature of the commands.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses, both beginning with verbs: דִּרְשׁ֤וּ and בַּקְּשׁ֥וּ, which means 'seek' and 'search for' respectively. The structure emphasizes action and urgency in seeking God.
The word order places the verbs first, highlighting the imperative nature of the commands. The second part of the verse elaborates on what to seek — the LORD and His strength, and His face — reinforcing the importance of both His power and presence.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates דִּרְשׁ֤וּ as ζητήσατε (zētēsate), which also means 'seek.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the call to actively pursue God.
The translation reflects a consistent understanding of the imperative nature of seeking God, underscoring the importance of this pursuit in both Hebrew and Greek contexts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 16:11 tells us to seek the LORD and His strength continually. This verse emphasizes the importance of pursuing a relationship with God, encouraging us to search for His presence and approval at all times.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To seek the LORD means to actively pursue a relationship with Him through prayer, worship, and obedience, desiring His presence and guidance.
Seeking God continually emphasizes the importance of maintaining a constant relationship with Him, not just in times of need but as a regular part of life.
Seeking God's strength involves relying on Him for support and power in our lives, recognizing that true strength comes from Him.
Seeking God's face refers to desiring His presence and approval, wanting to be close to Him and to know Him more intimately.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I actively seek the LORD in my daily life?
- What does it mean for me to seek God's strength in challenging times?
- How can I cultivate a habit of seeking God's presence continually?
- What steps can I take to deepen my relationship with God and seek His face?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 16:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryGive thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 16 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments1 Chronicles 16:9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.Ver. 9-11], &c.
Read John Trapp on 1 Chronicles 16 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11) And his strength.—Comp. Exodus 15:2, Isaiah 26:4 : “Jah, Jehovah is a rock of ages” (Heb.). His face.—His presence, especially in the sanctuary. True devotion is the secret of moral strength.
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 16 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges11. and his strength] Perhaps (altering the points only of the Heb. word) and be ye strong. So LXX. καὶἰσχύσατε (in Psalms 105:4 καὶκραταιώθητε). A promise is sometimes expressed in Heb. by the imperative.
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 16 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.
Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more.
Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.
Seek the Lord and the strength he gives! Seek his presence continually!
Tyndale line
Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
Seek ye Jehovah and his strength; Seek his face evermore.
Seek ye the LORD and his strength; seek his face evermore.
Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
Seeke the Lord and his strength: seeke his face continually.
Strictly literal
Seek Jehovah and his strength, Seek his face continually;
Seek ye Jehovah and His strength, Seek His face continually.
Seek YHWH and His strength, || Seek His face continually.
Inquire after the Lord and his strength: seek his presence evermore.
Seek Yahweh and his strength; seek his presence continually.
From the Latin
Seek ye the Lord, and his power: seek ye his face evermore.
Simplified
Look for the Lord, and his strength; always look to be with him.
Let your search be for the Lord and for his strength; let your hearts ever be turned to him.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint show agreement in the overall message of the verse, with four of the six words matched between the two texts. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, but the core command to seek the LORD remains intact.
דִּרְשׁ֤וּ יְהוָה֙ וְעֻזּ֔וֹ בַּקְּשׁ֥וּ פָנָ֖יו תָּמִֽיד׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 16:11
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
דָּרַשׁ (darash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or inquire. It encompasses a range of actions from frequenting a place to consulting deities in prayer and worship. The word can imply a diligent search or demand, and it appears in both Qal and Niphal forms, indicating various nuances of seeking and being sought. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
דָּרַשׁ 162 vb. resort to, seek
Qal
(tread a place,) resort to, frequent
seek, consult, inquire of
seek deity in prayer and worship
seek, with idea of demanding, require
inquire, investigate (a matter)
ask for, require, demand
seek with application, study, follow, practise
seek with care, care for
Niph.
let oneself be inquired of, consulted, only of God
be sought out
be required, of blood
base
H1875 דָּרַשׁ resort to, seek
1875 darash daw-rash'
a primitive root; properly, to tread or frequent; usually to
follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or
ask; specifically to worship:--ask, X at all, care for, X
diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-)mancer,
question, require, search, seek (for, out), X surely.
דָּרַשׁ (da.rash) — to seek.
1) to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place)
1a2) to consult, enquire of, seek
1a2a) of God
1a2b) of heathen gods, necromancers
1a3) to seek deity in prayer and worship
1a3a) God
1a3b) heathen deities
1a4) to seek (with a demand), demand, require
1a5) to investigate, enquire
1a6) to ask for, require, demand
1a7) to practice, study, follow, seek with application
1a8) to seek with care, care for
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God)
1b2) to be sought, be sought out
1b3) to be required (of blood)
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine pluralHVqv2mp
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
עֹז (oz) refers to strength or might, encompassing material, physical, personal, social, and political dimensions. It can denote boldness or impudence and is associated with the might of God. The word is built from the root related to strength and power, with various applications noted in the entries.
עֹז, and (rarely) עוֹז n.m. strength, might
material and physical
personal, social, and political
might of י׳
= boldness, impudence
= stronghold
base
H5797 עֹז, and (rarely) עוֹז strength, might . material and physical
. personal, social, and political
. might of י׳
. = boldness, impudence
. = stronghold
5797 `oz oze
or (fully) rowz {oze}; from 5810; strength in various
applications (force, security, majesty, praise):--boldness,
loud, might, power, strength, strong.
see HEBREW for 05810
עֹז (oz) — strength.
1) might, strength
1a) material or physical
1b) personal or social or political
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
בָּקַשׁ (baqash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or search out, often in the context of worship or prayer. It encompasses a range of actions including asking, desiring, and requiring. The verb can appear in different forms, such as Piel and Pual, indicating various nuances of seeking or being sought.
[בָּקַשׁ] 224 vb. seek
Pi.
seek to find
seek to secure
seek the face
desire, demand
require, exact
exact equivalent or penalty for
(late) ask, request
Pu. be sought
base
H1245 בָּקַשׁ seek
1245 baqash baw-kash'
a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically
in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:--ask,
beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure,
(make) request, require, seek (for).
בָּקַשׁ (ba.qash) — to seek.
1) to seek, require, desire, exact, request
1a) (Piel)
1a1) to seek to find
1a2) to seek to secure
1a3) to seek the face
1a4) to desire, demand
1a5) to require, exact
1a6) to ask, request
1b) (Pual) to be sought
V-Piel-Impv-2mp — Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine pluralHVpv2mp
The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.
[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces
face, faces
presence, person
technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
face of seraphim
face of animals
face (= surface) of ground
as adv.loc. before
for other phrases
with prepositions
base
H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces
. . presence, person
. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
. face of seraphim
. face of animals
. face (= surface) of ground
. as adv. loc. before
. for other phrases
. with prepositions
6440 paniym paw-neem'
plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh
{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);
used in a great variety of applications (literally and
figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a
preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),
against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),
+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,
face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er
time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +
honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +
meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,
open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,
presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right
forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,
X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.
: before/to/front
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.
: face
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…
N-cp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
תָּמִיד (tamiyd) refers to continuity or perpetuity, often used adverbially to mean continually or constantly. It is derived from a root meaning to stretch, indicating indefinite extension. The term is also associated with the regular daily sacrifice in the Old Testament, emphasizing its constant nature.
תָּמִיד n.m. continuity
earliest and oftenest as adv., continually
as subst.
base
H8548 תָּמִיד continuity . earliest and oftenest as adv., continually
. as subst.
8548 tamiyd taw-meed'
from an unused root meaning to stretch; properly, continuance
(as indefinite extension); but used only (attributively as
adjective) constant (or adverbially, constantly); ellipt. the
regular (daily) sacrifice:--alway(-s), continual
(employment, -ly), daily, ((n-))ever(-more), perpetual.
תָּמִיד (ta.mid) — continually.
1) continuity, perpetuity, to stretch
1a) continually, continuously (as adverb)
1b) continuity (subst)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa