Psalms 119:174 — Word Study
WLCתָּאַ֣בְתִּי לִֽישׁוּעָתְךָ֣ יְהוָ֑ה וְ֝תֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃
BSAI longtâʼab■ [yearn, have a strong desire] for Your salvationyᵉshûwʻâh [rescue, deliverance from trouble] O LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the Lord of Israel] and Your lawtôwrâh [instruction, teachings] is my delightshaʻshuaʻ [pleasure, joy]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תָּאַ֣בְתִּי | I long | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| לִֽישׁוּעָתְךָ֣ | for salvation your | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| יְהוָ֑ה | O Yahweh | Noun proper |
| וְ֝תֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ | and law your | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| שַׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃ | [is] delight my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I long for Your salvation, O LORD, and Your law is my delight. |
| KJV | I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight. |
| ASV | I have longed for thy salvation, O Jehovah; And thy law is my delight. |
| YLT | I have longed for Thy salvation, O Jehovah, And Thy law [is] my delight. |
| WEB | I have longed for your salvation, Yahweh. Your law is my delight. |
| BBE | All my desire has been for your salvation, O Lord; and your law is my delight. |
Where they part company is שַׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of two main clauses connected by a conjunction, emphasizing the relationship between longing for salvation and delight in God's law.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbתָּאַב
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 119:174
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 — Meditation on God's Lawgenerated
Psalms 119:174 reveals the psalmist's heartfelt desire for divine salvation while simultaneously expressing joy in God's law. This longing reflects a deep faith and reliance on God's guidance, as seen throughout the psalm, which emphasizes the importance of God's teachings and precepts in the life of the believer.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 119:81–166 | My soul faints for Your salvation; I wait for Your word. |
| 2 | Genesis 49:18 | I await Your salvation, O LORD. |
| 3 | 2 Samuel 23:5 | Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire? |
| 4 | Proverbs 13:12 | Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. |
| 5 | Song of Solomon 5:8 |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תָּאַ֣בְתִּי, ta.'Av.tigenerated
The verb תָּאַב (ta'ab) is a perfect form in the Qal stem, indicating a completed action in the first person singular. It conveys a strong desire or yearning, as seen in contexts like Psalm 84:2, where the psalmist expresses a longing for God's presence.
This word encapsulates a deep emotional state, emphasizing the intensity of the psalmist's desire for salvation. The use of this verb highlights the personal nature of the relationship between the psalmist and God.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse is structured around two main clauses, with the finite verb תָּאַ֣בְתִּי (I long) serving as the anchor. The first clause expresses the psalmist's longing for salvation, while the second clause states that God's law is his delight.
The syntax emphasizes the psalmist's emotional state, with a clear connection between his longing for salvation and his joy in God's law, highlighting the integral role of divine instruction in his life.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תָּאַ֣בְתִּי as ἐπεπόθησα, which carries a similar meaning of longing or desire. This choice reflects a consistent understanding of the emotional intensity behind the psalmist's yearning for salvation.
The translation for שַׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי is not provided in the data, but it indicates a continuity in the concept of delight or joy across both Hebrew and Greek texts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 119:174 expresses the psalmist's deep longing for God's salvation and his delight in God's law. This verse highlights the connection between yearning for divine help and finding joy in God's teachings.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To long for God's salvation means to have a deep desire for His help and deliverance from trouble, trusting in His ability to rescue.
God's law is described as a delight because it provides guidance, wisdom, and moral direction, which brings joy and satisfaction to those who follow it.
The psalmist's longing reflects a deep faith and reliance on God, indicating that he sees salvation and guidance as essential to his spiritual life.
Joy plays a significant role as it signifies the psalmist's appreciation for God's teachings, showing that following God's law is not just a duty but a source of happiness.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I express my longing for God's help in my life?
- How can I find joy in following God's teachings and commandments?
- What does it mean to me that God's law is a source of delight?
- How can I cultivate a deeper desire for God's salvation in my daily life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The verse is referenced by early church fathers, such as Augustine of Hippo, who comment on the psalmist's longing for God's salvation, illustrating its enduring significance.
"I have longed for Your salvation, O Lord" [Psalms 119:174]: even if all our foes be reluctant,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 119:174 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI have longed for thy salvation, O Lord,.... For temporal salvation and deliverance from enemies; and for spiritual and eternal salvation by the Messiah; and for the Messiah himself, the author of
Read John Gill on Psalms 119 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 119 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleVer. 174. For thy salvation; either, 1. For deliverance from my present straits and calamities, that I may serve thee with more freedom, and may glorify thy name in a more solemn and public manner; or, 2. That thou wouldst completely save me, not only from my outward pressures, but also from my sins, from my dulness and deadness in thy service, from all inclinations and temptations to apostacy and impiety, and from my other indispositions and corruptions, against which he prayeth in divers parts of this Psalm; and that at last thou wouldst crown me with eternal salvation in thy kingdom, which it is apparent that David did believe and expect, and hath been already proved from divers passages…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 119 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 119:174 I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law [is] my delight.Ver. 174. I have longed for thy salvation] So do all men; but then David will take a right course for it (so will not all). And thy law is my delight] This the most men mind not.
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 BibleI have longed for thy salvation, O Lord - See the notes at Psalms 119:166. The word rendered “I have longed” denotes an earnest desire or wish. Compare the notes at Psalms 42:1, and the notes at Psalms 119:20.
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
I long for Your salvation, O LORD, and Your law is my delight.
I have longed for your salvation, Yahweh. Your law is my delight.
I long for Your salvation, O LORD, and Your law is my delight.
I long for your deliverance, O Lord; I find delight in your law.
Tyndale line
I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.
I have longed for thy salvation, O Jehovah; And thy law is my delight.
I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.
I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.
I haue longed for thy saluation, O Lord, and thy Lawe is my delite.
Strictly literal
I have longed for thy salvation, O Jehovah, and thy law is my delight.
I have longed for Thy salvation, O Jehovah, And Thy law [is] my delight.
I have longed for Your salvation, O YHWH, || And Your law [is] my delight.
I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delights.
I long for your rescue, Yahweh, and your law is my delight.
Simplified
I long for your salvation, Lord; your teachings make me happy.
All my desire has been for your salvation, O Lord; and your law is my delight.
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 their wording, with five words matched exactly. The Dead Sea Scrolls also align with the Masoretic Text, confirming the consistency of this verse across different manuscripts.
תָּאַ֣בְתִּי לִֽישׁוּעָתְךָ֣ יְהוָ֑ה וְ֝תֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃
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.
תאבתי לישועת׳כה יהוה תורת׳כה שעשוע׳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 119:174
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.
תָּאֵב (ta'ab) is a primitive root meaning to desire or long for. The entries consistently emphasize this notion of longing, particularly in the Qal form. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.
[תָּאֵב, תָּאַב] vb. long
base
H8373 תָּאֵב, תָּאַב long
8373 ta'ab taw-ab'
a primitive root; to desire:--long.
תָּאַב (ta.av) — to long for.
(Qal) to long for
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
יְשׁוּעָה (yeshu'ah) refers to concepts of salvation, deliverance, and welfare, often with a spiritual dimension. It is derived from a root meaning to save and encompasses ideas of victory and prosperity. The term is used in contexts related to divine aid and protection, emphasizing both physical and spiritual deliverance.
יְשׁוּעָה n.f. salvation
welfare, prosperity
deliverance
salvation by God, primarily from external evils, but often with added spiritual idea
victory
base
H3444 יְשׁוּעָה salvation . welfare, prosperity
. deliverance
. salvation by God, primarily from external evils, but often with added spiritual idea
. victory
3444 yshuw`ah yesh-oo'-aw
feminine passive participle of 3467; something saved, i.e.
(abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory,
prosperity:--deliverance, health, help(-ing), salvation, save,
saving (health), welfare.
see HEBREW for 03467
יְשׁוּעָה (ye.shu.ah) — salvation.
1) salvation, deliverance
1a) welfare, prosperity
1b) deliverance
1c) salvation (by God)
1d) victory
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms
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)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
תּוֹרָה (towrah) encompasses concepts of direction, instruction, and law, particularly relating to divine or human guidance. It refers to legal directives, customs, and teachings, including the Decalogue and the Pentateuch. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, such as prophetic and priestly instruction, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
תּוֹרָה n.f. direction, instruction, law
instruction
law (prop. direction)
custom, manner
base
H8451 תּוֹרָה direction, instruction, law . instruction
. law (prop. direction)
. custom, manner
8451 towrah to-raw'
or torah {to-raw'}; from 3384; a precept or statute,
especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch:--law.
see HEBREW for 03384
תּוֹרָה (to.rah) — instruction.
1) law, direction, instruction
1a) instruction, direction (human or divine)
1a1) body of prophetic teaching
1a2) instruction in Messianic age
1a3) body of priestly direction or instruction
1a4) body of legal directives
1b) law
1b1) law of the burnt offering
1b2) of special law, codes of law
1c) custom, manner
1d) the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms
שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים (sha`shua`) refers to delight or enjoyment, derived from the root word for pleasure. It encompasses both the concept of delight itself and the objects that bring delight. The term appears in contexts that emphasize joy and satisfaction.
[שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים], שׁוּעִים– n.[m.]pl.intens. delight
base
H8191 [שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים], שׁוּעִים– delight
8191 sha`shua` shah-shoo'-ah
from 8173; enjoyment:--delight, pleasure.
see HEBREW for 08173
שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים (sha.shu.a) — delight.
1) delight, enjoyment
1a) delight
1b) object of delight
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs