Psalms 119:105 — Word Study
WLCנֵר־ לְרַגְלִ֥י דְבָרֶ֑ךָ וְ֝א֗וֹר לִנְתִיבָתִֽי׃
BSAYour worddâbâr [a divine message, instruction] is a lampnîyr [a guiding light, shining brightly] to my feetregel [the path I walk, my steps] and a lightʼôwr [enlightenment, spiritual illumination] to my pathnâthîyb [the way I should go, my journey]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| נֵר־ | [is] a lamp | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לְרַגְלִ֥י | for foot my | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| דְבָרֶ֑ךָ | word your | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וְ֝א֗וֹר | and a light | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| לִנְתִיבָתִֽי׃ | for pathway my | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. |
| KJV | Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. |
| ASV | Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path. |
| YLT | [Nun.] A lamp to my foot [is] Thy word, And a light to my path. |
| WEB | Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path. |
| BBE | Your word is a light for my feet, ever shining on my way. |
Translations agree on the core message of guidance through God's word.
The sentence is structured around a main clause with a conjunction linking two predicate phrases, emphasizing the dual role of God's word.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
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 119:105
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 Value of God's Wordgenerated
Psalm 119:105 highlights the significance of God's word as a source of guidance and illumination. This verse emphasizes that divine instruction serves as a lamp for the psalmist's feet and a light for his path, illustrating the protective and guiding nature of God's teachings. The surrounding verses further develop this theme, showing how understanding and adherence to God's precepts lead to a life free from falsehood, as seen in Psalm 119:104 and Psalm 119:106.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 19:8 | The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. |
| 2 | Psalm 43:3 | Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain, and to the place where You dwell. |
| 3 | Proverbs 6:23 | For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life, |
| 4 | Ephesians 5:13 | But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself. |
| 5 | 2 Peter 1:19 | We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — דְבָרֶךָ, de.va.Re.khagenerated
The word דְבָר (dabar) means 'word' and encompasses various meanings including speech, matter, and instruction. It signifies not just spoken words but also the essence of divine communication.
In this verse, it is in the construct form, indicating possession — 'your word', which emphasizes the personal relationship between the speaker and God's instruction. The parsing as masculine singular suggests a singular focus on the divine message.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the rendering of דְבָרֶךָ as 'your word', reflecting a consistent understanding of its significance.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb is implied in the structure, with the main elements being the noun phrases: נֵר and אוֹר, which serve as predicates describing the nature of God's word. The prepositional phrases indicate the purpose of this illumination, focusing on the psalmist's feet and path.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the lamp and light, suggesting that the guidance provided is both immediate (for feet) and directional (for path).
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נֵר as λύξνος (lamp), which carries a similar connotation of illumination, suggesting that the translators understood this term in the context of guidance.
The choice of φῶς for אוֹר (light) reinforces the idea of divine enlightenment, aligning with the Hebrew understanding of light as a source of clarity and understanding.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 119:105 states that God's word acts as a lamp and a light, guiding the psalmist in his journey. This verse shows the importance of divine instruction in navigating life's paths and avoiding falsehoods.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that God's teachings provide guidance and clarity in decision-making and moral choices.
It offers insight and understanding, helping individuals discern the right way to live.
Light symbolizes knowledge, truth, and divine presence, contrasting with darkness, which represents ignorance and sin.
By seeking to understand and follow God's word, you can find direction and purpose in your daily decisions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need guidance from God's word?
- How can I ensure I am following the light of God's instruction?
- What steps can I take to deepen my understanding of the Scriptures?
- How can I share the light of God's word with others in my community?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers referenced this verse to discuss the role of divine guidance. Their quotations illustrate the enduring significance of God's word in moral and spiritual instruction.
Nevertheless, I remember, when we explained that verse of Psalm 118 [LXX], in which it is written, "Your law, Lord, is a lamp to my feet and a light to my paths," we showed the difference between "lamp" and "light" as best we could.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
“Therefore will I remember you, O Lord, from the land of Jordan and Hermon.” Therefore, one who is troubled, if he takes good counsel, goes out from Egypt and follows the way of light,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
Behold a stone is set for us, a stumbling block, Against which vanity may strike, A sign unto the faithful, scandal to the lax, The one it fells, the other guides.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 119:105 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Biblen, NUN.--The Fourteenth Part. Ver. 105. NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet,.... The same Solomon says of the law and commandment, the preceptive part of the word, Proverbs 6:23; and the
Read John Gill on Psalms 119 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 119 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleNUN Ver. 105. To direct me in all my doubts and difficulties, to preserve from sin and misery, both which oft come under the name of darkness, and to comfort me in all my fears and distresses.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 119 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 119:105 NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.Ver. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet] Without the direction whereof, both for my whole course of life, and for every particular action thereof, I cannot but be in dreadful darkness and desperate downfalls.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 119 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersNUN. (105) See Proverbs 6:23. So Wordsworth calls Duty: “A light to guide.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 119 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleLETTER נ NUN. - Fourteenth Division Verse 105. Thy word is a lamp] This is illustrated thus by Solomon, Proverbs 6:23: "The commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." God's word is a candle which may be held in the hand to give us light in every dark place and chamber; and it is a general light shining upon all his works, and upon all our ways.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 119 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges105–112. Nûn. Knowing the value of God’s law as the guide of life the Psalmist is resolved to keep it, whatever may be the risk.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 119 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThy word is a lamp unto my feet - This begins a new portion of the psalm, indicated by the Hebrew letter Nun (נ n), equivalent to our “n.” The margin here is “candle.” The Hebrew word means a light, lamp, candle.
Read Albert Barnes 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
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path.
Tyndale line
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path,
NUN. Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.
NUN. Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete, and a light vnto my path.
Strictly literal
NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
[Nun.] A lamp to my foot [is] Thy word, And a light to my path.
[NUN] Your word [is] a lamp to my foot, || And a light to my path.
NUN. A lamp unto my feet is thy word, and a light unto my path.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Simplified
Your word is a lamp that shows me where to walk, it's a light for my path.
Your word is a light for my feet, ever shining on my way.
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 aligns with the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, confirming the integrity of the verse. All witnesses present the same core message about the guiding nature of God's word, with minor variations in wording.
נֵר־ לְרַגְלִ֥י דְבָרֶ֑ךָ וְ֝א֗וֹר לִנְתִיבָתִֽי׃
5 of the 5 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.
נר לרגל׳י דברי׳כה אור לנתיבות׳י
5 words on the leather.
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 119:105
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.
נֵר (ner) and נִיר (nir) both mean 'lamp' in Hebrew. The word is derived from a root that suggests brightness or glistening, and it can refer to a literal lamp or light as well as a figurative one. The entries indicate that these forms are interchangeable, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
נֵר 43 n.m. lamp
base
נִיר n.[m.] lamp
base
H5216a נֵר lamp H5216b נִיר lamp
5216 niyr neer
or nir {neer}; also neyr {nare}; or ner {nare}; or (feminine)
nerah {nay-raw'}; from a primitive root (see 5214; 5135)
properly, meaning to glisten; a lamp (i.e. the burner) or
light (literally or figuratively):--candle, lamp, light.
see HEBREW for 05214
see HEBREW for 05135
נֵר (ner) — lamp.
lamp
Also means: nir (נִיר "lamp" H5216B)
נִיר (nir) — lamp.
lamp
Another spelling of ner (נֵר "lamp" H5216A)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Lamp
(1.) That part of the candle-sticks of the tabernacle and the temple which bore the light (Ex. 25:37; 1 Kings 7:49; 2 Chr. 4:20; 13:11; Zech. 4:2). Their form is not described. Olive oil was generally burned in them (Ex. 27:20).
(2.) A torch carried by the soliders of Gideon (Judg. 7:16, 20). (R.V., “torches.”)
(3.) Domestic lamps (A.V., “candles”) were in common use among the Hebrews (Matt. 5:15; Mark 4:21, etc.).
That part of the golden candlestick belonging to the tabernacle which bore the light; also of each of the ten candlesticks placed by Solomon in the temple before the holy of holies. (Exodus 25:37; 1 Kings 7:49; 2 Chronicles 4:20; 13:11; Zechariah 4:2) The lamps were lighted every evening and cleansed every morning. (Exodus 30:7,8) A torch or flambeau, such as was carried by the soldiers of Gideon. (Judges 7:16,20) comp. Judg 15:4 The use in marriage processions of lamps fed with oil is alluded to in the parable of…
The lamps of the ancients, sometimes called "candles" in our Bible, were cups and vessels of many convenient and graceful shapes; and might be carried in the hand, or set upon a stand. See CANDLESTICK. The lamp was fed with vegetable oils, tallow, wax, etc., and was kept burning all night. The poorest families, in some parts of the East, still regard this as essential to health and comfort. A darkened house therefore forcibly told of the extinction of its former occupants, Job 18:5,6 Pr 13:9 20:20 Jer 25:10,11; while a constant light was significant of prosperity and perpetuity, 2Sa 21:17 1Ki 11:36
רֶ֫גֶל (regel) means 'foot' and can refer to a foot or leg in various contexts, including anthropomorphic references to God and other beings. It also implies steps or paces. The word is derived from a root meaning related to walking, and it appears in multiple forms, such as feet and paces.
רֶ֫גֶל 247 n.f. foot
foot
three times (feet, paces)
base
H7272 רֶ֫גֶל foot . foot
. three times (feet, paces)
7272 regel reh'-gel
from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a
step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X
according as, X after, X coming, X follow,
((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X
journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.
see HEBREW for 07270
רֶ֫גֶל (re.gel) — foot.
1) foot
1a) foot, leg
1b) of God (anthropomorphic)
1c) of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table
1d) according to the pace of (with prep)
1e) three times (feet, paces)
Aramaic equivalent: re.gal (רְגַל "foot" H7271)
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp1bs
דָּבָר (dabar) means 'word' or 'speech' and encompasses a range of meanings including discourse, saying, and matter. It can refer to anything spoken or a topic of discussion, extending to concepts like business or affairs. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.
דָּבָר 1439 n.m. speech, word
sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken
sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse
sg. a word, words
sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks
base
H1697 דָּבָר speech, word . sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken
. sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse
. sg. a word, words
. sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks
1697 dabar daw-baw'
from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or
thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X
any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case,
cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X
commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, +
dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, +
eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt,
+ iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter,
message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, +
please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose,
question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said,
sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness),
somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that,
X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings,
what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.
see HEBREW for 01696
דָּבָר (da.var) — word.
: word/speech/command
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: speaking.
: speaking
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: thing.
: thing/matter
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: promised.
: promised/duty
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: deed.
: deed
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp2ms
אוֹר (or) means 'light' and encompasses various forms of illumination, including daylight, dawn, and the light of heavenly bodies like the sun and stars. It can also refer to metaphorical concepts such as the light of life, prosperity, and instruction, as well as Yahweh as a source of light.
אוֹר 121 n.m. light
light as diffused in nature, light of day
morning light, dawn
light of the heavenly luminaries
daylight
lightning
light of lamp
light of life
light of prosperity
light of instruction
light of face
Yahweh
base
H216 אוֹר light . light as diffused in nature, light of day
. morning light, dawn
. light of the heavenly luminaries
. daylight
. lightning
. light of lamp
. light of life
. light of prosperity
. light of instruction
. light of face
. Yahweh
216 'owr ore
from 215; illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every
sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.):--bright, clear,
+ day, light (-ning), morning, sun.
see HEBREW for 0215
אוֹר (or) — light.
1) light
1a) light of day
1b) light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars)
1c) day-break, dawn, morning light
1d) daylight
1e) lightning
1f) light of lamp
1g) light of life
1h) light of prosperity
1i) light of instruction
1j) light of face (fig.)
1k) Jehovah as Israel's light
Conj | N-cs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/Ncfsa
lit ('or, ma'or; phos; many other words):
1. Origin of Light
2. A Comprehensive Term
(1) Natural Light
(2) Artificial Light
(3) Miraculous Light
(4) Mental, Moral, Spiritual Light
3. An Attribute of Holiness
(1) God
(2) Christ
(3) Christians
(4) The Church
4. Symbolism
5. Expressive Terms
1. Origin of Light:
The creation of light was the initial step in the creation of life. "Let there be light" (Ge 1:3) was the first word of God spoken after His creative Spirit "moved" upon the primary material out of which He created the heavens and the earth, and which lay, until the utterance of that word, in the chaos of darkness and desolation. Something akin, possibly, to the all-pervasive electro-magnetic activity of the aurora borealis penetrated the chaotic night of the world. The ultimate focusing of light (on the 4th day of creation,
Light
The offspring of the divine command (Gen. 1:3). “All the more joyous emotions of the mind, all the pleasing sensations of the frame, all the happy hours of domestic intercourse were habitually described among the Hebrews under imagery derived from light” (1 Kings 11:36; Isa. 58:8; Esther 8:16; Ps. 97:11). Light came also naturally to typify true religion and the felicity it imparts (Ps. 119:105; Isa. 8:20; Matt. 4:16, etc.), and the glorious inheritance…
One of the most wonderful, cheering, and useful of all the works of God; called into being on the first of the six days of creation, by his voice: "Let there be light;" and there was light. No object better illustrates whatever is pure, glorious, spiritual, joyful, and beneficent. Hence the beauty and force of the expressions, "God is light," 1Jo 1:5, and "the Father of lights," Jas 1:17; Christ is the "Sun of righteousness," and "the light of the world," Joh 1:9 8:12. So also the word of God is "a light," Ps 119:105; truth and Christians are lights, Joh 3:19 12:36; prosperity is "light," Es 8:16; and heaven is full of…
נָתִיב (nathiyb) refers to a path or pathway, emphasizing a trodden track. It can denote both a physical path and the concept of travel or a traveler. The feminine form נְתִיבָה (nethiybah) shares the same meaning. The word is derived from an unused root meaning to tramp.
נָתִיב n.m. path, pathway
base
נְתִיבָה n.f. id. [n.gd.ab];—path
base
H5410a נָתִיב path, pathway H5410b נְתִיבָה id. [5410a]
5410 nathiyb naw-theeb'
or (feminine) nthiybah {neth-ee-baw'}; or nthibah (Jeremiah
6:16) {neth-ee-baw'}; from an unused root meaning to tramp; a
(beaten) track:--path((-way)), X travel(-ler), way.
נָתִיב (na.tiv) — path.
1) trodden with the feet, path, pathway
2) path, pathway, traveller
נְתִיבָה (ne.ti.vah) — path.
1) trodden with the feet, path, pathway
2) path, pathway, traveller
Also means: na.tiv (נָתִיב "path" H5410A)
Prep | N-cs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp1bs