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Selected Verse: Psalms 139:23 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ps 139:23 |
King James |
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Search me, O God - The word "search" here is the same as in Psa 139:1. See the notes at that verse. The psalmist had stated the fact that it is a characteristic of God that he "does" search the heart; and he here prays that God "would" exercise that power in relation to himself; that as God could know all that there is within the heart, he would examine him with the closest scrutiny, so that he might be under no delusion or self-deception; that he might not indulge in any false hopes; that he might not cherish any improper feelings or desires. The prayer denotes great "sincerity" on the part of the psalmist. It indicates also self-distrust. It is an expression of what all must feel who have any just views of themselves - that the heart is very corrupt; that we are liable to deceive ourselves; and that the most thorough search "should" be made that we be "not" deceived and lost.
And know my heart - Know or see all that is within it.
Try me - As metal is tried or proved that is put to a "test" to learn what it is. The trial here is that which would result from the divine inspection of his heart.
And know my thoughts - See what they are. The word rendered "thoughts" occurs only in one other place, Psa 94:19. The idea is, Search me thoroughly; examine not merely my outward conduct, but what I think about; what are my purposes; what passes through my mind; what occupies my imagination and my memory; what secures my affections and controls my will. He must be a very sincere man who prays that God will search his thoughts, for there are few who would be willing that their fellow-men, even their best friends, should know all that they are thinking about. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
| He sees in them the danger which threatens himself, and prays God not to give him over to the judgment of self-delusion, but to lay bare the true state of his soul. The fact "Thou hast searched me," which the beginning of the Psalm confesses, is here turned into a petitioning "search me." Instead of רעים in Psa 139:17, the poet here says שׂרעפּים, which signifies branches (Eze 31:5) and branchings of the act of thinking (thoughts and cares, Psa 94:19). The Resh is epenthetic, for the first form is שׂעפּים, Job 4:13; Job 20:2. The poet thus sets the very ground and life of his heart, with all its outward manifestations, in the light of the divine omniscience. And in Psa 139:24 he prays that God would see whether any דּרך־עצב cleaves to him (בּי as in Sa1 25:24), by which is not meant "a way of idols" (Rosenmller, Gesenius, and Maurer), after Isa 48:5, since an inclination towards, or even apostasy to, heathenism cannot be an unknown sin; nor to a man like the writer of this Psalm is heathenism any power of temptation. דוך בּצע (Grהtz) might more readily be admissible, but דוך עצב is a more comprehensive notion, and one more in accordance with this closing petition. The poet gives this name to the way that leads to the pain, torture, viz., of the inward and outward punishments of sin; and, on the other hand, the way along which he wishes to be guided he calls דּרך עולם, the way of endless continuance (lxx, Vulgate, Luther), not the way of the former times, after Jer 6:16 (Maurer, Olshausen), which thus by itself is ambiguous (as becomes evident from Job 22:15; Jer 18:15), and also does not furnish any direct antithesis. The "everlasting way" is the way of God (Psa 27:11), the way of the righteous, which stands fast for ever and shall not "perish" (Psa 1:6). |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| Search me, O God - Investigate my conduct, examine my heart, put me to the test, and entwine my thoughts. |
19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!