Psalms 36:9
For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
Original Language Analysis
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
1 of 7
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
עִ֭מְּךָ
H5973
עִ֭מְּךָ
Strong's:
H5973
Word #:
2 of 7
adverb or preposition, with (i.e., in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then
מְק֣וֹר
For with thee is the fountain
H4726
מְק֣וֹר
For with thee is the fountain
Strong's:
H4726
Word #:
3 of 7
properly, something dug, i.e., a (general) source (of water, even when naturally flowing; also of tears, blood (by euphemism, of the female pudenda);
חַיִּ֑ים
of life
H2416
חַיִּ֑ים
of life
Strong's:
H2416
Word #:
4 of 7
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin
אֽוֹר׃
in thy light
H216
אֽוֹר׃
in thy light
Strong's:
H216
Word #:
5 of 7
illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)
Cross References
John 8:12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.John 4:14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.John 4:10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.1 John 1:7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.Revelation 21:6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.Isaiah 60:19The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.Jeremiah 2:13For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.2 Corinthians 4:6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.James 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.Job 29:3When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern cultures associated life with water (crucial in arid climates) and light with truth, order, and divine presence. David combines these to express comprehensive dependence on God for existence and understanding.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's 'light' help you see reality more clearly?
- In what ways are spiritual life and spiritual understanding inseparably connected?
Analysis & Commentary
The metaphor shifts from eating (v. 8) to drinking from 'the fountain of life,' portraying God as the ultimate source of vitality. 'In thy light shall we see light' indicates that divine illumination enables true perception—without God's revelation, we remain in darkness, unable to discern reality. This verse is foundational to Reformed epistemology: all knowledge depends on God's self-disclosure. Jesus claims to be both 'the light of the world' (John 8:12) and 'the life' (John 14:6), fulfilling this psalm christologically.