Psalms 119:170 — Word Study
WLCתָּב֣וֹא תְּחִנָּתִ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ כְּ֝אִמְרָתְךָ֗ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃
BSAMay my pleatᵉchinnâh [humble, heartfelt, supplication, prayer] comebôwʼ▸ before Youpânîym [into Your presence, face to face] rescue menâtsal [deliver, save] according to Your promiseʼimrâh [faithful, promised, word, saying]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תָּב֣וֹא | may it come | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person feminine singular |
| תְּחִנָּתִ֣י | supplication my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| לְפָנֶ֑יךָ | before you | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| כְּ֝אִמְרָתְךָ֗ | according to word your | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃ | deliver me | Verb hiphil imperative second person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | May my plea come before You; rescue me according to Your promise. |
| KJV | Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word. |
| ASV | Let my supplication come before thee: Deliver me according to thy word. |
| YLT | My supplication cometh in before Thee, According to Thy saying deliver Thou me. |
| WEB | Let my supplication come before you. Deliver me according to your word. |
| BBE | Let my prayer come before you; take me out of trouble, as you have said. |
The translations agree on the essence of the plea and the request for deliverance.
The main verb leads the request, with supporting phrases clarifying the direction and nature of the plea.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbבּוֹא
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 119:170
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 Plea for Deliverancegenerated
Psalm 119:170 is part of a longer reflection where the psalmist expresses deep dependence on God’s word and seeks understanding and rescue. This verse emphasizes the urgency of the psalmist's request for help, highlighting the relationship between prayer and divine promise. The surrounding verses further illustrate the psalmist's commitment to God’s statutes and the desire for divine intervention in times of need.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 119:41 | May Your loving devotion come to me, O LORD, Your salvation, according to Your promise. |
| 2 | Psalm 89:20–25 | I have found My servant David; with My sacred oil I have anointed him. |
| 3 | Genesis 32:9–12 | Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the LORD who told me, ‘Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,’ |
| 4 | 2 Samuel 7:25 | And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You have promised, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תָּב֣וֹא, ta.Vo'generated
The verb בּוֹא (bo) means to come or go, and in this context, it expresses the psalmist's desire for his plea to reach God's presence. The parsing indicates it is in the imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing action or a wish that the plea may continually come before God.
This verb is used throughout the Hebrew Bible in various contexts, from entering a place to approaching someone. Here, it signifies the psalmist's longing for intimacy with God, as he seeks to bring his heartfelt request directly before Him.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the essence of the plea in Psalm 119:170, with each rendering the request for God’s attention and rescue based on His promise.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb תָּב֣וֹא (may it come) governs the verse, establishing the psalmist's request. The structure includes a noun phrase for the subject, a prepositional phrase indicating direction towards God, and a second clause that contains the plea for deliverance.
The arrangement emphasizes the psalmist's heartfelt approach to God, with the plea positioned prominently before the request for rescue, indicating the priority of seeking God's presence.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint renders תָּב֣וֹא as εἰσέλθοι, which also means 'may it enter' or 'come in.' This choice reflects a similar intent of bringing the plea into God's presence, aligning with the psalmist's desire for closeness.
The translation maintains the urgency of the request, emphasizing the importance of the plea being acknowledged by God.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 119:170 expresses a heartfelt request for God to hear the psalmist's plea and deliver him according to His promises. The psalmist seeks God's presence and intervention, emphasizing the importance of prayer and reliance on God's word.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The plea refers to a humble request made to God, seeking His attention and mercy.
The psalmist appeals to God's faithfulness, trusting that God will act based on His word and previous commitments.
This verse highlights the psalmist's deep reliance on God's word and the importance of prayer in seeking understanding and deliverance.
The psalmist models a sincere and humble approach to God, demonstrating the importance of bringing our needs and requests directly to Him.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I bring my own pleas before God in prayer?
- In what ways do I rely on God's promises in my life?
- What does it mean to me to seek God's presence in my requests?
- How can I encourage others to trust in God's faithfulness when they seek help?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo references this verse to illustrate the importance of bringing requests before God, emphasizing the psalmist's earnestness in seeking deliverance.
"Let my request come before Your presence, O Lord: deliver me, according to Your word" [Psalms 119:170]. He repeats what he has asked.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 119:170 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleLet my supplication come before thee,.... The same with his "cry" in Psalms 119:169; only expressed by another word, signifying a petition for grace and favour, in an humble and submissive manner;
Read John Gill on Psalms 119 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryLet my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word. Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 119 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 119:170 Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.Ver. 170. Let my supplication, &c.] The same again; neither is this battology, but fervency in begging audience. A needless and tiresome repetition in speaking or writing.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 119 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges169–176. Tâv. Concluding petitions for understanding and deliverance, for the grace of thankfulness, for help and guidance.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 119 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleLet my supplication come before thee - The word here rendered “supplication” properly means “favor, mercy, pity,” Joshua 11:20; Ezra 9:8; then, that by which favor or mercy is sought - prayer or petition, Psalms 6:9; Psalms 55:1.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 119 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bibleú, Tav.169-176. Let thine hand help me—Finally, the two great wants of man, strength of soul to live righteously and deliverance from outward evils, are rehearsed. The writer is persecuted for his faith.
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
May my plea come before You; rescue me according to Your promise.
Let my supplication come before you. Deliver me according to your word.
May my plea come before You; rescue me according to Your promise.
Listen to my appeal for mercy! Deliver me, as you promised.
Tyndale line
Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.
Let my supplication come before thee: Deliver me according to thy word.
Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.
Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.
Let my supplication come before thee, and deliuer me according to thy promise.
Strictly literal
Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy *word.
My supplication cometh in before Thee, According to Thy saying deliver Thou me.
My supplication comes in before You, || Deliver me according to Your saying.
Let my supplication come before thee: according to thy promise do thou deliver me.
May my plea come before you; help me, as you have promised in your word.
Simplified
Please hear what I have to say to you, and save me, as you promised.
Let my prayer come before you; take me out of trouble, as you have said.
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 all five words matching. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the plea for divine attention and the request for rescue.
תָּב֣וֹא תְּחִנָּתִ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ כְּ֝אִמְרָתְךָ֗ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃
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.
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 119:170
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.
בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.
בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go
Qal
come in
come (approach, arrive)
go, i.e. walk, associate with
go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
Hiph.
cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
Hoph.
be brought in (of pers. and things)
be brought
be introduced, put
base
H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in
. come (approach, arrive)
. go, i.e. walk, associate with
. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
. . be brought in (of pers. and things)
. be brought
. be introduced, put
935 bow' bo
a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of
applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +
besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X
certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,
upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,
(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be
fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),
grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,
pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken
(in age), X surely, take (in), way.
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.
: come/go_in
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
1a5) to go
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to lead in
1b2) to carry in
1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon
1b4) to bring to pass
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be brought, brought in
1c2) to be introduced, be put
לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).
This name means to go in, enter
Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.
: towards/entrance
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singularHVqi3fs
kum: The translation of many Hebrew and Greek words. In the phrase "The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon him" (Jud 14:6,19; 15:14; 1Sa 10:10; 11:6; 16:13), the word is tsaleah; Jud 14:6; 15:14 "came mightily," which is the uniform translation of the Revised Version (British and American) (compare Jud 13:25 "to move," i.e. to disturb or stir up). In Jud 6:34; 1Ch 12:18; 2Ch 24:20, it is labhesh, "to clothe"; the Revised Version, margin "The Spirit .... clothed itself with Gideon" and .... "with Zechariah,"…
תְּחִנָּה (tchinnah) refers to a type of supplication or request for favor, emphasizing graciousness and entreaty. It is built from the root associated with grace and has a range that includes both favor and the act of supplication. The entries consistently highlight its meaning without significant disagreement.
תְּחִנָּה n.f. favour, supplication for favour
base
H8467 תְּחִנָּה favour, supplication for favour
8467 tchinnah tekh-in-naw'
from 2603; graciousness; causatively, entreaty:--favour,
grace, supplication.
see HEBREW for 02603
תְּחִנָּה (te.chin.nah) — supplication.
1) favour, supplication, supplication for favour
1a) favour
1b) supplication for favour
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
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…
Prep | N-cp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncmpc/Sp2ms
אִמְרָה (imrah) refers to an utterance, speech, or word, and can denote a word of God, including commands and promises. It also has a connotation of a threat, particularly in the context of divine judgment. The term is feminine and is derived from a related root, אֶמְרָה (emrah), which shares similar meanings.
ref
H565a אִמְרָה utternace, speech, word H565b אֶמְרָה id. [565a]
565 'imrah im-raw'
or memrah {em-raw'}; feminine of 561, and meaning the
same:--commandment, speech, word.
see HEBREW for 0561
אִמְרָה (im.rah) — word.
1) utterance, speech, word
1a) word of God (command and promise)
אֶמְרָה (im.rah) — threat.
threat (of judgement from God)
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word נָצַל (natsal) is built from a primitive root meaning to snatch away, with various usages across different stems. It covers a range of meanings including to rescue, deliver, plunder, and strip. The word appears in contexts of delivering oneself or being delivered, as well as rescuing from enemies or sin.
[נָצַל] 212 vb. not in Qal; Pi. strip, plunder; Niph. deliver oneself, be delivered Hiph. snatch away, deliver
Niph.
reflex. tear oneself away, deliver oneself
passive, be torn out or away
Pi.
strip off, spoil
deliver
Hiph.
take away, snatch away
rescue, recover
deliver from
deliver from sin and guilt
Hoph. as a brand plucked out of the burning
Hithp. and they stripped themselves of their ornaments.
base
H5337 נָצַל not in Qal; Pi. strip, plunder; Niph. deliver oneself, be delivered Hiph. snatch away, deliver
5337 natsal naw-tsal'
a primitive root; to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad
sense:- X at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, X without
fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save,
spoil, strip, X surely, take (out).
נָצַל (na.tsal) — to rescue.
1) to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder
1a)(Niphal)
1a1) to tear oneself away, deliver oneself
1a2) to be torn out or away, be delivered
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to strip off, spoil
1b2) to deliver
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to take away, snatch away
1c2) to rescue, recover
1c3) to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death)
1c4) to deliver from sin and guilt
1d) (Hophal) to be plucked out
1e) (Hithpael) to strip oneself
Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsal (נְצַל "to rescue" H5338)
V-Hiphil-Impv-2ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperative second person masculine singular · suffixHVhv2ms/Sp1bs