Psalms 119:47 — Word Study
WLCוְאֶשְׁתַּֽעֲשַׁ֥ע בְּמִצְוֹתֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָהָֽבְתִּי׃
BSAI delightshâʻaʻ▸ [take pleasure, find joy] in Your commandmentsmitsvâh [laws, divine instructions] becauseʼăsher I love themʼâhab■ [have affection, cherish, which I have loved, that are dear to me]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶשְׁתַּֽעֲשַׁ֥ע | and I may delight myself | Conjunction, verb hithpael first person common singular |
| בְּמִצְוֹתֶ֗יךָ | in commandments your | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | which | Particle |
| אָהָֽבְתִּי׃ | I love | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I delight in Your commandments because I love them. |
| KJV | And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. |
| ASV | And I will delight myself in thy commandments, Which I have loved. |
| YLT | And I delight myself in Thy commands, That I have loved, |
| WEB | I will delight myself in your commandments, because I love them. |
| BBE | And so that I may take delight in your teachings, to which I have given my love. |
Translations agree on the meaning and sentiment of the verse, emphasizing the joy and love for God's commandments.
The verse is structured with a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase and a relative clause, emphasizing the relationship between delight and love.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbאָהֵב
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 — Psalms 119:47
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 — The Joy of Following God's Commandmentsgenerated
Psalms 119:47 reveals the psalmist's heartfelt response to God's commandments, highlighting a personal connection that brings him joy. This verse is part of a larger meditation on the significance of God's laws, as seen in the surrounding verses that emphasize the importance of obedience and love for divine instructions.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 119:16–24 | I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. |
| 2 | Psalm 112:1 | Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments. |
| 3 | John 4:34 | Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. |
| 4 | Philippians 2:5 | Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: |
| 5 | 1 Peter 2:21 | For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps: |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שָׁעַע, ve.'esh.ta.'a.Sha'generated
The verb שָׁעַע (sha`a`) is a Hithpael form, indicating a reflexive action, meaning 'to delight oneself'. It is built from the root that can convey both the idea of being smeared or blinded and that of taking delight. In this context, it expresses a joyful engagement with God's commandments.
The use of this verb here signifies an active choice to find joy in God's laws, suggesting that delighting in them is a personal and intentional act. The emotional state described is one of pleasure and satisfaction derived from a relationship with divine instructions.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of this verse, focusing on the psalmist's delight in God's commandments due to his love for them.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse centers around two finite verbs: אֶשְׁתַּֽעֲשַׁ֥ע (to delight) and אָהָֽבְתִּי (I love). The first verb expresses the action of delighting, while the second verb indicates the source of that delight — love for the commandments.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the psalmist's delight as a response to his love, creating a direct relationship between the two actions.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שָׁעַע with ἐμελέτων (to take delight), which aligns with the psalmist's expression of joy in God's commandments. This choice reflects a consistent understanding of the emotional response to divine laws.
This connection in translation indicates that the concept of delighting in God's commandments is recognized across both Hebrew and Greek traditions.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 119:47 expresses the psalmist's joy in God's commandments because of his love for them. This verse highlights the importance of finding pleasure in following God's laws, which guide and shape a faithful life.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To delight in God's commandments means to take joy in following His laws and instructions, finding pleasure in living according to His will.
Love for God's commandments leads to delight in them; the psalmist shows that affection for God's laws results in a joyful commitment to obey them.
Yes, believers can still find joy in God's commandments by understanding their significance and applying them in their lives.
Commandments are important because they provide guidance for living a life that is pleasing to God and beneficial to ourselves and others.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What commandments do I find joy in following, and why?
- How can I deepen my love for God's laws in my daily life?
- In what ways can I encourage others to delight in God's commandments?
- How does understanding God's commandments change my perspective on obedience?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church commentary on this verse highlights the importance of meditating on God's commandments and loving them, as seen in Augustine's reflections.
"And I meditated," he says, "on Your commandments, which I have loved" [Psalms 119:47].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 119:47 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd I will delight myself in thy commandments,.... In perusing and practising them; which I have loved; a good man loves the law of God, and the commandments of Christ, and delights in them after the inward man.
Read John Gill on Psalms 119 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 119 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWhereas other princes place their delight in the glories and vanities of this world, and the study and practice of religion is generally irksome and loathsome to them, thy law shall be my chief delight and recreation.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 119 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 119:47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.Ver. 47. And I will delight myself] sc. In contemplation of thy word. Aristotle telleth us that the principal pleasure is to be found in contemplation (Ethic. lib. 10).
Read John Trapp on Psalms 119 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 47. Thy commandments, which I have loved.] O shame to Christians who feel so little affection to the Gospel of Christ, when we see such cordial, conscientious, and inviolate attachment in a Jew to the laws and ordinances of Moses, that did not afford a thousandth part of the privileges!
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 119 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges47. Cp. Psalms 119:16; Psalms 119:70. which I love] Cp. vv. [48], 97, 113, 119, 127, 140, 159, 163; and see above, p. 705.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 119 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd I will delight myself ... - See the notes at Psalms 119:16.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 119 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bibleå, Vau.41-48. I trust in thy word—In this section the prevailing element is a prayer for courage, equal to a frank, open confession. It is what Daniel might have uttered in Babylon, and many a martyr since.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 119 →The verse in English, compared — 16 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
I delight in Your commandments because I love them.
I will delight myself in your commandments, because I love them.
I delight in Your commandments because I love them.
I will find delight in your commands, which I love.
Tyndale line
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, Which I have loved.
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
And my delite shalbe in thy commandements, which I haue loued.
Strictly literal
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved;
And I delight myself in Thy commands, That I have loved,
And I delight myself in Your commands, || That I have loved,
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I love.
I delight in your commandments, which I love dearly.
Simplified
I'm so happy for your instructions. I love them!
And so that I may take delight in your teachings, to which I have given my love.
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 agree closely in this verse, with both retaining the core elements of delighting in commandments and loving them. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration but maintain the same essential meaning, confirming the consistency of this verse across different textual traditions.
וְאֶשְׁתַּֽעֲשַׁ֥ע בְּמִצְוֹתֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָהָֽבְתִּי׃
4 of the 4 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.
ואשתעשע [במצותי׳ך] אשר אהבתי
1 word on the leather — 2 partly restored, 1 supplied entire by an editor.
ואשתעשעה במצוותי׳כה אשר אהבתי
2 words on the leather — 2 partly restored.
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 Psalms 119:47
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.
שָׁעַע (sha`a`) has meanings related to both being smeared or blinded and taking delight or sport. It can describe the act of smearing eyes shut or delighting oneself in various activities. The entries indicate a range of uses, from physical actions to emotional states, but do not present any significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[שָׁעַע] vb. be smeared over, blinded
Qal Hithpalp. blind yourselves and be blind!
Hiph. and its eyes besmear!
base
[שָׁעַע] vb. Pilp., etc., sport, take delight in, delight
Pilp. the suckling shall sport on the cobra’s hole
Palp. upon the knees shall ye be fondled.
Hithpalp. in thy statutes will I delight myself
base
H8173a שָׁעַע be smeared over, blinded H8173b שָׁעַע sport, take delight in, delight
8173 sha`a` shaw-ah'
a primitive root; (in a good acceptation) to look upon (with
complacency), i.e. fondle, please or amuse (self); (in a bad
one) to look about (in dismay), i.e. stare:--cry (out) (by
confusion with 7768), dandle, delight (self), play, shut.
see HEBREW for 07768
שָׁעַע (sha.a) — to smear.
1) to be smeared over, be blinded
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be smeared over, be blinded
1a2) to smear eyes shut
1b) (Hiphil) to besmear (of eyes), smear over eyes
1c) (Hithpalpel) to blind oneself, be blinded
שָׁעַע (sha.a) — to delight.
1) to sport, take delight in
1a) (Pilpel) to sport, delight in, take delight in, delight oneself
1b) (Palpal) to be fondled
1c) (Hithpalpel) to delight oneself
Conj | V-f-Imperf-1cs — Conjunction · verb hithpael first person common singularHC/Vtu1cs
מִצְוָה (mitsvah) means 'commandment' and can refer to commands from both humans and God. It encompasses laws, ordinances, and precepts, indicating a range of directives within religious and moral contexts. The term is derived from a root meaning to command, linking it to the broader framework of divine law.
מִצְוָה 181 n.f. commandment
base
H4687 מִצְוָה commandment
4687 mitsvah mits-vaw'
from 6680; a command, whether human or divine (collectively,
the Law):--(which was) commanded(-ment), law, ordinance,
precept.
see HEBREW for 06680
מִצְוָה (mits.vah) — commandment.
1) commandment
1a) commandment (of man)
1b) the commandment (of God)
1c) commandment (of code of wisdom)
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.
אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.
base
בַאֲשֶׁר
in (that) which
adv. in (the place) where
conj. in that, inasmuch as
on account of whom?
base
מֵאֲשֶׁר
from (or than) that which
adv. from (the place) where
conj. from (the fact) that …, since
base
כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when
according to that which, according as, as
with a causal force, in so far as, since
with a temporal force, when
base
H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which
. adv. in (the place) where
. conj. in that, inasmuch as
. on account of whom?
H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which
. adv. from (the place) where
. conj. from (the fact) that …, since
H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as
. with a causal force, in so far as, since
. with a temporal force, when
834 'aher ash-er'
a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)
when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X
alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +
from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,
wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where
(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +
whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is
indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun
expletively, used to show the connection.
אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.
A: 1) (relative part.)
1a) which, who
1b) that which
2) (conj)
2a) that (in obj clause)
2b) when
2c) since
2d) as
2e) conditional if
B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which
2) (adv)
2a) where
3) (conj)
3a) in that, inasmuch as
3b) on account of
C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which
2) from (the place) where
3) from (the fact) that, since
D: Kaph+
1) (conj.), according as, as, when
1a) according to that which, according as, as
1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since
1c) with a temporal force: when
בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.
1) in (that) which
2) (adv)
2a) where
3) (conj)
3a) in that, inasmuch as
3b) on account of
מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.
1) from (or than) that which
2) from (the place) where
3) from (the fact) that, since
כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.
conj
1) according as, as, when
1a) according to that which, according as, as
Rel — ParticleHTr
The Hebrew word אָהֵב (*'ahab*) means 'to love' and encompasses various forms of affection, including human love for others, love for God, and even appetites for things like food and wisdom. It can also refer to friendship and divine love towards humanity, particularly Israel. The entries indicate that it can function in different grammatical forms, such as participles for 'lovely' or 'loveable'.
אָהֵב 216 vb. love
Qal
human love to human object
less oft. of appetite
love to God
esp. Pt.
of divine love
Niph. Pt. pl. lovely, loveable
Pi.
friends
lovers
base
H157 אָהֵב love
157 'ahab aw-hab'
or raheb {aw-habe'}; a primitive root; to have affection for
(sexually or otherwise):--(be-)love(-d, -ly, -r), like,
friend.
אָהֵב (a.hav) — to love: lover.
: lover
1) to love
1a) (Qal)
1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
1a3) human love for or to God
1a4) act of being a friend
1a4a) lover (participle)
1a4b) friend (participle)
1a5) God's love toward man
1a5a) to individual men
1a5b) to people Israel
1a5c) to righteousness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) lovely (participle)
1b2) loveable (participle)
1c) (Piel)
1c1) friends
1c2) lovers (fig. of adulterers)
2) to like
Also means: a.hav (אָהֵב ": friend" H0157H)
אָהֵב (a.hav) — to love: friend.
: friend
1) to love
1a) (Qal)
1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
1a3) human love for or to God
1a4) act of being a friend
1a4a) lover (participle)
1a4b) friend (participle)
1a5) God's love toward man
1a5a) to individual men
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
luv ('ahebh, 'ahabhah, noun; phileo, agapao, verb; agape, noun): Love to both God and man is fundamental to true religion, whether as expressed in the Old Testament or the New Testament. Jesus Himself declared that all the law and the prophets hang upon love (Mt 22:40; Mr 12:28-34). Paul, in his matchless ode on love (1Co 13), makes it the greatest of the graces of the Christian life--greater than speaking with tongues, or the gift of prophecy, or the possession of a faith of superior excellence; for without love all these gifts and graces, desirable and useful as they are in themselves, are as nothing, certainly of no permanent value in the sight of God. Not that either Jesus or Paul underestimates the faith from which all the graces proceed, for this grace is recognized as…
Love
This word seems to require explanation only in the case of its use by our Lord in his interview with “Simon, the son of Jonas,” after his resurrection (John 21:16, 17). When our Lord says, “Lovest thou me?” he uses the Greek word agapas; and when Simon answers, he uses the Greek word philo, i.e., “I love.” This is the usage in the first and second questions put by our Lord; but in the third our Lord uses Simon’s word. The distinction between these two Greek words is thus fitly described by Trench:, ”Agapan has more of judgment and deliberate choice; philein has more of attachment and peculiar personal affection. Thus the ‘Lovest thou’ (Gr. agapas) on the lips of the Lord seems to Peter at this moment too cold a word, as though his Lord were keeping him at a distance, or at least not inviting him to draw near, as in the…
GOD IS LOVE; AND HE THAT DWELLETH IN LOVE DWELLETH IN GOD, AND GOD IN HIM, 1Jo 4:16. Love is a chief attribute of Jehovah, the length and breadth and height and depth of which are beyond comprehension, for they are infinite, Eph 3:18,19. Between the three Persons of the Godhead, love is unutterable full, perfect, and blissful; towards holy angels and Christians, God’s love is an infinite fatherly complacency and affection; towards sinners, it is immeasurable compassion. It is shown in all his works and ways, and dictated his holy law, but is most signally displayed in the gospel, Joh 3:16. "Herein is love."
Holy love in man would make the whole heart and soul supremely delight in and obey God, and cordially and practically love all beings according to their character-the good…
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