Bible Strands
Psalms 119:36
Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God directly, petitioning for internal realignment within a continuous sequence of requests for guidance and focus recorded in Psalms 119:35–37.
The words — The Hebrew verb הַט (hat-) means "incline" or "turn," appearing only once to command the heart's orientation toward עֵדוֹתֶיךָ ('ēḏōṯekā), "your testimonies," and away from בָּֽצַע (bāṣaʿ), "unjust gain," with the negative clause relying on אַל (ʾal) rather than repeating the verb.
The thread — The directive against covetousness runs into Luke 12:15 and Hebrews 13:5, while the focus on the heart as the source of moral direction parallels Mark 7:21.
Why it lands — The text requires a deliberate shift of desire, asking the reader to actively reject material accumulation in favor of obedience to divine instruction.
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
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
Cross-references
- Luke 12:15 And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
- Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- Mark 7:21 For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
- 1 Kings 8:58 May He incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep the commandments and statutes and ordinances He commanded our fathers.
- Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
- Exodus 18:21 Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
- 2 Peter 2:3 In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
- Psalms 10:3 For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
- Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,