Psalms 119:37
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
Original Language Analysis
הַעֲבֵ֣ר
Turn away
H5674
הַעֲבֵ֣ר
Turn away
Strong's:
H5674
Word #:
1 of 6
to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in
עֵ֭ינַי
mine eyes
H5869
עֵ֭ינַי
mine eyes
Strong's:
H5869
Word #:
2 of 6
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
מֵרְא֣וֹת
from beholding
H7200
מֵרְא֣וֹת
from beholding
Strong's:
H7200
Word #:
3 of 6
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
שָׁ֑וְא
vanity
H7723
שָׁ֑וְא
vanity
Strong's:
H7723
Word #:
4 of 6
evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, object
Cross References
1 John 2:16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.Isaiah 33:15He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;Proverbs 4:25Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.Numbers 15:39And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:Psalms 119:40Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.Matthew 5:28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.Job 31:1I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?Joshua 7:21When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.Proverbs 23:5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.Psalms 119:25My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern cultures bombarded Israelites with visual idolatry—Asherah poles, Baal shrines, Molech altars, Egyptian and Mesopotamian iconography. "Beholding vanity" meant not just seeing idols but gazing with desire, contemplating with attraction. The second commandment forbade not only making graven images but bowing to them (Exodus 20:4-5)—prohibition began with what the eyes beheld. In exile and post-exile, Jews faced Persian and Greek visual cultures promoting different vanities. The prayer remains urgent: guard what captures visual attention.
Questions for Reflection
- What modern "vanities" capture your visual attention and subtly shape your desires away from God?
- How can believers practically guard their eyes in a visually saturated culture?
- What does it mean to be "quickened in God's way," and how does this differ from mere moral effort?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
"Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity" prays for guarded vision. Ha'aver einai mere'ot shav asks God to cause eyes to pass over, avert from seeing shav (vanity, emptiness, worthlessness). The prayer acknowledges that what we behold shapes desire and conduct—hence Job's covenant with his eyes (Job 31:1) and Jesus's warning that the eye is the body's lamp (Matthew 6:22-23). Shav includes idols (worthless things), but extends to anything empty of eternal value that captivates attention. "Quicken thou me in thy way" asks for vitality in God's path. Chayeni (quicken/enliven/preserve alive) recognizes that turning from vanity produces spiritual lethargy unless God simultaneously enlivens through His truth. The verse pairs negative (turn from vanity) with positive (enliven in truth), showing that mere avoidance of sin without pursuit of holiness leaves a vacuum.