Psalms 119:36
Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 119:36
Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The psalmist isn't just asking God to help him avoid bad things; he's praying for God to actively realign his deepest desires. The phrase "incline my heart" reveals a profound understanding that our loyalties aren't neutral – they're always being pulled, and it takes divine intervention to straighten our affections toward God's truth instead of the lure of personal gain.
The psalmist is deep in prayer, acknowledging his own inability to follow God's ways perfectly. He's just asked God to teach him and make him understand, but now he recognizes a specific, dangerous pull: the desire for wealth and material gain. This isn't just a general wish for more things, but an inordinate craving that distracts from God's truth and can lead to sin, so he pleads for his heart to be turned toward God's commands instead.
Ever feel like your heart pulls in the wrong direction, even when you know what's right? The Psalmist admits this struggle, but he knows where the power lies.
The verse opens with a powerful prayer: 'Incline my heart.' This isn't just a casual wish; it's an acknowledgment that our natural tendency isn't automatically toward God's ways. The word 'incline' suggests a gentle bending or a purposeful disposition.
A Divine Adjustment
This isn't something we can achieve on our own. The Psalmist recognizes that his very inclination, his inner compass, needs to be set by God. It's God who fashions and can re-orient our hearts. This prayer is a humble admission of dependence on divine grace to align our desires with God's truth, His testimonies.
Why does the Psalmist single out 'selfish gain' or 'covetousness' as the main thing to avoid? It's a specific and powerful warning for all of us.
The second half of the verse presents a stark contrast: '...and not to selfish gain!' The Hebrew word here can imply grasping, eagerness for profit, or even plunder. It points to an inordinate desire for possessions or wealth.
More Than Just Greed
Commentators highlight that covetousness is singled out because it's pervasive and deeply damaging.
Understand the original words
leb · Hebrew Noun
The core of a person’s inner life, encompassing the intellect, emotions, will, and conscience. In Scripture, it is the center of decision-making and the seat of moral character.
edah · Hebrew Noun
The written or spoken witness of God regarding His will, law, and covenant relationship with His people. They serve as a standard for conduct and a revelation of God's character.
betza · Hebrew Noun
An excessive or improper desire for material wealth, profit, or personal advantage, often at the expense of others or God's commands. It represents an idolatrous pursuit of security or status outside of God.
This passage directly contrasts serving God with serving money, highlighting the inherent conflict between devotion to God's ways and the allure of wealth, mirroring the psalmist's plea against selfish gain.
1 Timothy 6:10This verse identifies the love of money as the root of all kinds of evil, underscoring why the psalmist prays to be kept from covetousness, which can derail devotion to God's testimonies.
Philippians 2:13This verse explains that God is the one who works in us to will and to do, which aligns with the psalmist's prayer to have his heart inclined, recognizing that true obedience comes from God's enabling power.
Luke 16:13Jesus' teaching here directly states that no one can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other, and that one cannot serve God and money, reinforcing the theme of divided loyalties.
pulpitPsalms 119:36: "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness."
Verse 36. - Incline my heart unto thy testimonies. The writer recognizes that the right inclination of the heart, which he claims to have (vers. 7, 10, 32, 34, etc.), is itself the gift of God. And not to covetousness; or, "to gain" (comp. ver. 72).
clarkePsalms 119:36: "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness."
Not to covetousness - Let me have no inordinate love for gain of any kind, nor for any thing that may grieve thy Spirit, or induce me to seek my happiness here below.
The psalmist isn't just asking God to help him avoid bad things; he's praying for God to actively realign his deepest desires. The phrase "incline my heart" reveals a profound understanding that our loyalties aren't neutral – they're always being pulled, and it takes divine intervention to straighten our affections toward God's truth instead of the lure of personal gain.
The psalmist is deep in prayer, acknowledging his own inability to follow God's ways perfectly. He's just asked God to teach him and make him understand, but now he recognizes a specific, dangerous pull: the desire for wealth and material gain. This isn't just a general wish for more things, but an inordinate craving that distracts from God's truth and can lead to sin, so he pleads for his heart to be turned toward God's commands instead.
The psalmist is deep in prayer, acknowledging his own inability to follow God's ways perfectly. He's just asked God to teach him and make him understand, but now he recognizes a specific, dangerous pull: the desire for wealth and material gain. This isn't just a general wish for more things, but an inordinate craving that distracts from God's truth and can lead to sin, so he pleads for his heart to be turned toward God's commands instead.
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"Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!" — The psalmist isn't just asking God to help him avoid bad things; he's praying for God to actively realign his deepest desires. The phrase "incline my heart" reveals a profound understanding that…