I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! He
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "enlarge my heart" isn't just about feeling happier; it's about God freeing you from inner restraints – like fear or corruption – so you can joyfully embrace His commands with all your energy. This means true obedience isn't just about following rules, but about experiencing God's liberating grace that empowers us to "run" the path He’s laid out.
I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! He
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is reflecting on his deep love for God's law and his earnest desire to follow it wholeheartedly. He's describing how he will not just walk, but actively run in obedience to God's commands, expressing his eagerness and joy. This fervent obedience is contingent on God "enlarging his heart," which implies God removing hindrances, granting wisdom, increasing love, and setting him free from troubles or corruptions that would impede his joyful pursuit of God's ways.
Have you ever felt stuck, just going through the motions? This verse speaks about a desire for more than just compliance.
The psalmist doesn't just say he will 'walk' in God's commandments; he declares, 'I will run!'
More Than Just Obedience
This shift from walking to running highlights a heart that's not just managing duty, but is actively pursuing God with enthusiasm.
What does it mean for God to 'enlarge your heart'? It's not about becoming physically bigger, but something far more profound.
The promise, 'when you enlarge my heart,' is not a condition we fulfill, but a grace God provides.
What is Heart Enlargement?
Ask a follow-up
Our obedience isn't just willpower; it's a response to God's gracious work within us.
Understand the original words
mitsvah · Hebrew Noun
General instructions or commands given by God. They function as a roadmap for righteous living, reflecting the divine standard to which believers are called to align their lives.
lebab · Hebrew Noun
The center of human personality, encompassing the intellect, the will, and the emotions. An 'enlarged' heart suggests a state of spiritual capacity, freedom, and openness created by God, enabling one to pursue His path.
This passage describes God granting Solomon great wisdom and understanding, which is seen as an 'enlargement of heart' that enables him to serve God faithfully and wisely, mirroring the psalmist's desire to run in God's ways.
2 Corinthians 6:11Paul speaks of his heart being 'opened wide' to the Corinthians, reflecting a similar expansive love and willingness to embrace God's will, which is akin to the 'enlarged heart' that empowers the psalmist's eager obedience.
Philippians 4:7This verse speaks of the peace of God guarding the heart, suggesting that divine peace brings a freedom and spaciousness that liberates the heart from anxiety and hindrances, allowing for a more willing pursuit of God's commands.
Galatians 5:1The call to stand firm in the freedom Christ has granted speaks to a heart set at liberty, free from the bondage of sin and external pressures, which is essential for 'running' the path of God's commandments with joy and zeal.
Isaiah 60:5This prophecy pictures a future time when people will 'look and be radiant,' their hearts 'swelling with joy,' signifying an outward expression of inner expansion and delight that aligns with the psalmist's aspiration for enthusiastic obedience.
pulpitPsalms 119:32: "I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart."
Verse 32. - I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. The phrase used in the second clause is ambiguous. It may mean, "For thou hast enlarged my heart."
clarkePsalms 119:32: "I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart."
I will run - The particle כי elci, which we translate when, should be translated because: Because thou shalt enlarge, or dilate, my heart; make plain my path by cleansing me from my impurity, and taking the hinderances out of my way. I will then run without dread of stumbling, and every day make sensible progress.
The phrase "enlarge my heart" isn't just about feeling happier; it's about God freeing you from inner restraints – like fear or corruption – so you can joyfully embrace His commands with all your energy. This means true obedience isn't just about following rules, but about experiencing God's liberating grace that empowers us to "run" the path He’s laid out.
The psalmist is reflecting on his deep love for God's law and his earnest desire to follow it wholeheartedly. He's describing how he will not just walk, but actively run in obedience to God's commands, expressing his eagerness and joy. This fervent obedience is contingent on God "enlarging his heart," which implies God removing hindrances, granting wisdom, increasing love, and setting him free from troubles or corruptions that would impede his joyful pursuit of God's ways.
The psalmist is reflecting on his deep love for God's law and his earnest desire to follow it wholeheartedly. He's describing how he will not just walk, but actively run in obedience to God's commands, expressing his eagerness and joy. This fervent obedience is contingent on God "enlarging his heart," which implies God removing hindrances, granting wisdom, increasing love, and setting him free from troubles or corruptions that would impede his joyful pursuit of God's ways.
"I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!
He" — The phrase "enlarge my heart" isn't just about feeling happier; it's about God freeing you from inner restraints – like fear or corruption – so you can joyfully embrace His commands with all your ene…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026