Psalms 69:31 — Word Study
WLCוְתִיטַ֣ב לַֽ֭יהוָה מִשּׁ֥וֹר פָּ֗ר מַקְרִ֥ן מַפְרִֽיס׃
BSAto shinehâlal nameshêm Godʼĕlôhîym songshîyr to magnifygâdal thanksgivingtôwdâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְתִיטַ֣ב | so it may be good | Conjunction, verb qal second person masculine singular |
| לַֽ֭יהוָה | to Yahweh | Preposition, noun proper |
| מִשּׁ֥וֹר | more than an ox | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| פָּ֗ר | a young bull | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| מַקְרִ֥ן | having horns | Verb, Hiphil, participle (active) masculine singular |
| מַפְרִֽיס׃ | having hooves | Verb, Hiphil, participle (active) masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | And this will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with horns and hooves. |
| KJV | This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. |
| ASV | And it will please Jehovah better than an ox, Or a bullock that hath horns and hoofs. |
| YLT | And it is better to Jehovah than an ox, A bullock — horned — hoofed. |
| WEB | It will please Yahweh better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs. |
| BBE | This will be more pleasing to the Lord than an ox, or a young ox of full growth. |
All translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse.
The structure consists of a main clause with comparative phrases that highlight the contrast between worship and sacrifices.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהוּא
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 69:31
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 Psalm of Praisegenerated
Psalm 69:31 expresses that the act of praising God is more valuable than traditional sacrifices like oxen or bulls. The psalmist emphasizes that God desires genuine worship over ritualistic offerings. This reflects a common theme in the Psalms, where heartfelt devotion is prioritized over mere compliance with sacrificial laws, as seen in Psalm 50:13-14 and Hosea 14:2.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 50:13–14 | Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? |
| 2 | Hosea 14:2 | Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: “Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips. |
| 3 | Ephesians 5:19–20 | Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, |
| 4 | Hebrews 13:15 | Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name. |
| 5 | 1 Peter 2:5 | you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — וְתִיטַ֣ב, ve.ti.Tavgenerated
The verb יָטַב (yatab) means to be good or pleasing. It encompasses a range of meanings, including being glad or making something right. The parsing indicates it is a second person masculine singular verb in the qal stem, suggesting a direct address to God, implying that the act of worship is intended to bring joy to Him.
This word is not merely about physical goodness; it conveys the idea of joy and satisfaction in a relational context. The psalmist asserts that true worship is what pleases God, contrasting it with animal sacrifices.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse uses please to describe what brings joy to the LORD, which is consistent across the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is וְתִיטַ֣ב, it will please, which governs the entire clause. The structure includes prepositional phrases that clarify the object of the verb, emphasizing the comparison between worship and animal sacrifices.
The Hebrew word order places the verb at the beginning, highlighting the action of pleasing God as the focal point of the verse.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וְתִיטַ֣ב with ὄνομα (onoma), meaning 'name'. This choice shifts the focus from the act of pleasing to the significance of God's name, suggesting a broader interpretation of worship that includes honoring God's character.
This translation indicates a potential interpretive nuance, where the act of worship is tied to the recognition of God's authority and presence.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 69:31 tells us that praising God is more pleasing to Him than offering sacrifices like oxen or bulls. The psalmist emphasizes that true worship is about the heart and relationship with God, rather than just performing rituals.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To please the LORD means to engage in acts of worship and praise that bring joy to Him, reflecting a sincere heart rather than mere ritual.
Sacrifices are mentioned to contrast traditional offerings with the deeper value of heartfelt worship, highlighting that God desires genuine devotion.
We can apply this verse by focusing on sincere worship and praise in our lives, prioritizing our relationship with God over mere religious practices.
The comparison emphasizes that true worship is more valuable to God than ritualistic sacrifices, encouraging believers to seek authentic expressions of faith.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I express genuine worship in my life?
- How does understanding God's desire for worship change my approach to prayer and praise?
- What are some sacrifices I can make to prioritize my relationship with God?
- How can I encourage others to engage in heartfelt worship rather than just going through the motions?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers, such as Augustine of Hippo, referenced this verse to discuss the nature of true worship and its significance in the life of believers.
"The health of Your countenance, O God, has taken Me up." For what purpose? In order that no longer I may be poor, no longer sorrowful? "I will praise the name of the Lord with a song,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 69 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 69:31 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible[This] also shall please the Lord,.... That is, this song of praise and thanksgiving.
Read John Gill on Psalms 69 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 69 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis sincere and hearty sacrifice of praise is and shall be more grateful to God than the most glorious legal sacrifices, for so such moral services ever were, , and such sacrifices shall be accepted when those legal ones shall be abolished. That hath horns and hoofs: this is added as a description and commendation of the sacrifice, or bullock, which he supposeth to be of the best sort, both tender and mature, as it is when the horns bud forth, and the hoofs grow hard.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 69 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 69:31 [This] also shall please the LORD better than an ox [or] bullock that hath horns and hoofs.Ver. 31. This also shall please the Lord better, &c.] True thankfulness is opimum et optimum saerificium, those calves of our lips, Hosea 14:3 Hebrews 12:15. These calves or bullocks (as in the text) must, 1. Have horns and hoofs, be young and tender, the very best, of the best. 2. They must be slain; our thanks must proceed from a mortified mind. 3. They must be sacrificed; where is required, (1.) An altar, our praises must be tendered in the mediation of Christ. (2.) Fire, our hearts must be inflamed with zeal and ardency. (3.) Our hands must be laid on the head of the bullock; that is…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 69 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(31, 32) The pre-eminence of praise above sacrifice is not infrequent in the Psalms. (Comp. Psalms 50:14.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 69 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 31. An ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.] Oxen offered in sacrifice had their horns and hoofs gilded; and the psalmist might mention these parts of the victim more particularly, because they were more conspicuous. Others think that full-grown animals are intended, those that had perfect horns, in opposition to calves or steers. I think the first the preferable sense; for the horns, &c., of consecrated animals are thus ornamented in the east to the present day.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 69 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges31. And it shall please Jehovah better than an ox, (Or) a bullock that hath horns and hoofs. The Massoretic accentuation makes one clause of the verse, reading it better than an ox-bullock: but the division of the clauses adopted by R.V. is preferable. The epithets are not merely ornamental: the horns shew that the animal is of full age; the hoofs allude to the definition of ‘clean’ animals in Leviticus 11:3 ff. But spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving are more acceptable than the most perfect animal victim. Cp. Psalms 50, 51.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 69 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThis also shall please the Lord - This will be more acceptable to the Lord. Better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs - Better than a burnt sacrifice - horns, and hoofs, and all.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 69 →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
And this will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with horns and hooves.
It will please Yahweh better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs.
And this will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with horns and hooves.
That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hooves.
Tyndale line
This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
And it will please Jehovah better than an ox, Or a bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
And it shall please the LORD better than an ox, or a bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
This also shall please the Lord better then a yong bullocke, that hath hornes and hoofes.
Strictly literal
And it shall please Jehovah more than an ox, — a bullock with horns and cloven hoofs.
And it is better to Jehovah than an ox, A bullock — horned — hoofed.
And it is better to YHWH than an ox, || A bullock—horned [and] hoofed.
(69:32) And this will please the Lord better than an ox or bullock having horns and cloven hoofs.
That will please Yahweh better than an ox or a bull that has horns and hooves.
Simplified
The Lord is happier with this than with offering animals as sacrifices: cattle, or bulls with horns and hooves.
This will be more pleasing to the Lord than an ox, or a young ox of full growth.
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 on the wording of this verse, with all six words matched in the Hebrew and Greek texts, affirming the consistency in the message of the psalm.
וְתִיטַ֣ב לַֽ֭יהוָה מִשּׁ֥וֹר פָּ֗ר מַקְרִ֥ן מַפְרִֽיס׃
6 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 Psalms 69:31
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.
The Hebrew word יָטַב (yatab) is a primitive root meaning to be good or pleasing. It encompasses a range of meanings including being glad, making something good or right, and dealing well with others. The entries highlight its use in both a literal sense (like sound or beautiful) and a figurative sense (like happy or successful).
[יָטַב] vb. be good, well, glad, pleasing
Qal
be glad, joyful
be well placed
impers. be well for or with, go well with
be pleasing
Hithp.
make glad, rejoice
do good to, deal well with
do well or thoroughly
make a thing good, right, beautiful
do well, right, ethically
base
H3190 יָטַב be good, well, glad, pleasing
3190 yatab yaw-tab'
a primitive root; to be (causative) make well, literally
(sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful,
right):--be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make)
better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, + be content,
diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad,
do (be, make) good((-ness)), be (make) merry, please (+ well),
shew more (kindness), skilfully, X very small, surely, make
sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat,
go, have) well (said, seen).
יָטַב (ya.tav) — be good.
1) to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be glad, be joyful
1a2) to be well placed
1a3) to be well for, be well with, go well with
1a4) to be pleasing, be pleasing to
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to make glad, rejoice
1b2) to do good to, deal well with
1b3) to do well, do thoroughly
1b4) to make a thing good or right or beautiful
1b5) to do well, do right
HC/Vqu2ms — Conjunction · verb qal second person masculine singularHC/Vqu2ms
good (Tobh, Tubh, yaTabh; agathos, agathon, kalos, kalon): In English "good" is used in various senses, most of which are represented in the Bible.
(1) In the Old Testament the commonest word is Tobh, occurring very frequently and translated in a great variety of ways. Of the different shades of meaning, which frequently run into each other, the following may be distinguished:
(a) Possessing desirable qualities, beneficial, agreeable, e.g. "good for food" (Ge 2:9); "We will do thee good" (Nu 10:29); Who will show us any good?" (Ps 4:6); "good tidings of good" (Isa 52:7).
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)
HR/Npt — Preposition · noun properHR/Npt
שׁוֹר (shor) refers to a head of cattle, specifically a bullock or ox, and is associated with agricultural and sacrificial contexts. It is derived from the root meaning to travel, indicating its role in farming and food. The term appears in various forms and usages, including in Aramaic.
שׁוֹר 78 n.m. a head of cattle, bullock, ox, etc.
base
H7794 שׁוֹר a head of cattle, bullock, ox, etc.
7794 showr shore
from 7788; a bullock (as a traveller):--bull(-ock), cow, ox,
wall (by mistake for 7791).
see HEBREW for 07788
see HEBREW for 07791
שׁוֹר (shor) — cattle.
1) ox, bull, a head of cattle
1a) for plowing, for food, as sacrifice
Aramaic equivalent: tor (תּוֹר "bullock" H8450)
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
Ox
Heb. bakar, “cattle;” “neat cattle”, (Gen. 12:16; 34:28; Job 1:3, 14; 42:12, etc.); not to be muzzled when treading the corn (Deut. 25:4). Referred to by our Lord in his reproof to the Pharisees (Luke 13:15; 14:5).
There was no animal in the rural economy of the Israelites, or indeed in that of the ancient Orientals generally, that was held in higher esteem than the ox and deservedly so, for the ox was the animal upon whose patient labors depended all the ordinary operations of farming. Oxen were used for ploughing, (22:10; 1 Samuel 14:14) etc.; for treading out corn, (25:4; Hosea 10:11) etc.; for draught purposes, when they were generally yoked in pairs, (Numbers 7:3; 1 Samuel 6:7) etc.; as beasts of burden, (1 Chronicles 12:40) their flesh was eaten, (14:4; 1 Kings 1:9) etc.…
The male of the beeve kind when grown, synonymous in the Bible with BULL; a clean animal, by the Levitical law; much used for food, 1Ki 19:21, and constituting no small part of the wealth of the Hebrews in their pastoral life, Ge 24:35 Job 1:14 42:12. Oxen were used in agriculture for ploughing, 1Ki 19:19; and for treading out the grain, during which they were not to be muzzled, 1Co 9:9, but well fed, Isa 30:24. The testing of a new yoke of oxen is still a business of great importance in the East, as of old, Lu…
→ See BULLOCK
→ See CATTLE
פַּר (par) refers to a young bull or steer. It is derived from a root that suggests strength or breaking forth. The term encompasses meanings like bullock and calf, indicating its use in contexts related to livestock.
פַּר 132 n.m. young bull, steer
base
H6499 פַּר young bull, steer
6499 par par
or par {pawr}; from 6565; a bullock (apparently as breaking
forth in wild strength, or perhaps as dividing the hoof):--(+
young) bull(-ock), calf, ox.
see HEBREW for 06565
פַּר (par) — bullock.
young bull, steer, bullock
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
קָרַן (qaran) is a Hebrew verb meaning to shine or send out rays, derived from the noun for horn. It can also mean to display or grow horns in its Hiphil form. The word is used in various contexts, reflecting both literal and figurative meanings.
קָרַן vb.
Qal denom. of קֶרֶן 5, send out rays.
Hiph. denom. of קֶרֶן 1a, display (grow) horns (be fully developed)
base
H7160 קָרַן
7160 qaran kaw-ran'
a primitive root; to push or gore; used only as denominative
from 7161, to shoot out horns; figuratively, rays:--have
horns, shine.
see HEBREW for 07161
קָרַן (qa.ran) — to shine.
1) to shine
1a) (Qal) to send out rays
1b) (Hiphil) to display or grow horns, be horned
HVhrmsa — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singularHVhrmsa
פָּרַס (parac) is a Hebrew verb meaning to break in two or divide. It can refer to breaking up or dividing something, often without violence, and is associated with the division of hoofs in its Hiphil form. The word has an Aramaic equivalent, פְּרַס (pe.ras), which also means 'to divide.'
[פָּרַס, erron. פָּרַשׂ] vb. break in two, divide
Qal they have broken up bones, as in kettle
Hiph.
divide hoof, i.e. have divided hoof
having hoofs
base
H6536 [פָּרַס, erron. פָּרַשׂ] break in two, divide
6536 parac paw-ras'
a primitive root; to break in pieces, i.e. (usually without
violence) to split, distribute:--deal, divide, have hoofs,
part, tear.
פָּרַס (pa.ras) — to divide.
1) to divide, break in two
1a) (Qal) to break, break up
1b) (Hiphil) to be divided (of hoofs)
Aramaic equivalent: pe.ras (פְּרַס "to divide" H6537A)
HVhrmsa — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singularHVhrmsa