Psalms 119:36
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Psalms 119:36
36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
Chapter Context
Psalms 119 is a poetic and liturgical chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of prayer, wisdom, mercy. Written during various periods (c. 1000-400 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Temple worship utilized these compositions across various periods of Israel's history.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-176: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it foreshadows Christ's work through typology and prophetic elements. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Psalms and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Psalms 119:36
36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
Analysis
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies (הַט־לִבִּי אֶל־עֵדְוֺתֶיךָ)—Natah (to stretch out, incline, turn) pictures God bending the lev (heart) toward His edut (testimonies). The heart naturally inclines toward self; God must supernaturally tilt it toward His revealed truth. This is effectual grace—not violating will but renewing affections so we freely choose what we couldn't choose before. And not to covetousness (וְאַל אֶל־בָּצַע)—Betsa (dishonest gain, greed) is the antithesis of delighting in God's testimonies. Covetousness is heart-worship of creation instead of Creator (Romans 1:25), violating the tenth commandment's prohibition against desiring what God forbids.
The psalmist recognizes two magnetic poles competing for the heart: God's testimonies and covetous gain. Without divine intervention, hearts incline toward greed automatically. This prayer requests radical heart-reorientation—affections transferred from wealth to Word, from possessions to precepts. This is the New Covenant's 'new heart' (Ezekiel 36:26) and Jesus's warning that 'you cannot serve God and money' (Matthew 6:24). Only God can incline hearts away from idolatry toward Himself.
Historical Context
Ancient Israel's history is marked by cycles of covenant faithfulness and covetous apostasy (Achan's theft, Solomon's wealth, prophetic denunciations of greed). The psalmist writes from a culture where prosperity could lead to forgetting God (Deuteronomy 8:11-14), needing divine heart-inclination to resist materialism's magnetic pull.
Reflection
- What does it reveal about human nature that we need God to actively 'incline' our hearts toward His testimonies?
- Where is your heart currently inclined—toward God's Word or toward covetous gain (money, possessions, status, comfort)?
- How do you actively seek God's heart-inclining grace when you feel affections drifting from Scripture toward material things?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Psalms 10:3, 51:10, 141:4, Exodus 18:21, 1 Kings 8:58, Ezekiel 33:31