Bible Strands
Isaiah 26:9
My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet addresses the LORD in a communal reflection on waiting for divine guidance and observing how the earth responds to God's actions.
The words — אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ ('a.sha.cha.re.kha) = I will seek You and נַפְשִׁי (naf.shi) = my soul/self anchor the verse's declaration of persistent spiritual pursuit.
The thread — The pattern of earnestly seeking God runs through Matthew 6:33 and Psalm 63:1, while the connection between divine judgments and the acquisition of righteousness echoes Psalm 119:62.
Why it lands — The text demands that readers recognize God's judgments as the active instrument for teaching righteousness, requiring a response of continuous seeking rather than passive acceptance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Cross-references
- Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
- Psalms 63:1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.
- Psalms 119:62 At midnight I rise to give You thanks for Your righteous judgments.
- Song of Solomon 3:1 On my bed at night I sought the one I love; I sought him, but did not find him.
- Psalms 63:6 When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night.
- Psalms 58:11 Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”
- Mark 1:35 Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.
- Luke 6:12 In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.
- Revelation 11:13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the quake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
- Psalms 77:2 In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted.