Psalms 119 · Verse 17

Psalms 119:17

ג GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Psalms 119:17, King James Version

Psalms 119:17 in other translations

BSBDeal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word.
WEBDo good to your servant. I will live and I will obey your word.
ASVDeal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live; So will I observe thy word.
YLTGimel. Confer benefits on Thy servant, I live, and I keep Thy word.
DARBYGIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant and I shall live; and I will keep thy word.
BBEGive me, your servant, the reward of life, so that I may keep your word;
WebsterGIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

What does Psalms 119:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 119:17-20
17-20. Life is desirable in order to serve God; that we may do so aright, we should seek to have our eyes opened to behold His truth, and earnestly desire fully to understand it.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 Deal bountifully - גמל gemol, reward thy servant. Let him have the return of his faith and prayers, that the Divine life may be preserved in his soul! Then he will keep thy word. From גמל gamal, to reward, etc., comes the name of ג gimel, the third letter in the Hebrew alphabet, which is prefixed to every verse in this part, and commences it with its own name. This is a stroke of the psalmist's art and ingenuity.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 119:17-24
If God deals in strict justice with us, we all perish. We ought to spend our lives in his service; we shall find true life in keeping his word. Those that would see the wondrous things of God's law and gospel, must beg him to give them understanding, by the light of his Spirit. Believers feel themselves strangers on earth; they fear missing their way, and losing comfort by erring from God's commandments. Every sanctified soul hungers after the word of God, as food which there is no living without. There is something of pride at the bottom of every wilful sin. God can silence lying lips; reproach and contempt may humble and do us good, and then they shall be removed. Do we find the weight of the cross is above that we are able to bear? He that bore it for us will enable us to bear it; upheld by him we cannot sink. It is sad when those who should protect the innocent, are their betrayers. The psalmist went on in duty, and he found comfort in the word of God. The comforts of the word of God are most pleasant to a gracious soul, when other comforts are made bitter; and those that would have God's testimonies to be their delight, must be advised by them. May the Lord direct us in exercising repentance of sin, and faith in Christ.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Psalms 119:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

גְּמֹ֖לge.Moldeal bountifullyH1580
עַֽל\־'al-towardsH5921
עַבְדְּךָ֥'av.de.Khaservant yourH5650
אֶֽחְיֶ֗ה'ech.YehI will liveH2421
וְאֶשְׁמְרָ֥הve.'esh.me.Rahand I will keepH8104
דְבָרֶֽךָ\׃de.va.Re.khaword yourH1697

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 119:17

  • Psalms 13:6

    I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

  • Titus 2:11-12

    For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

  • Ephesians 2:4-5

    But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

  • Psalms 116:7

    Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.

  • Psalms 119:124

    Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes.

  • Psalms 119:65

    ט TETH. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word.

  • 2 Corinthians 9:7-11

    Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) …

  • John 1:16

    And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

  • Psalms 119:132

    Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

  • Ephesians 2:10

    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

  • 1 John 5:3-4

    For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

  • 1 John 2:29

    If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
GIMEL
Deal.{Gemol,} "reward" thy servant: let him have the return of his faith and prayers. From this word is derived the name of [Gîymel,] {gimmel,} the third letter of the alphabet, which is prefixed to every verse in this part: this is a stroke of the Psalmist's art and ingenuity.
65,124,132; 13:6; 116:7; Joh 1:16; 2Co 9:7-11; Php 4:19
I may live.
Ro 8:2-4; Eph 2:4,5,10; Tit 2:11,12; 1Jo 2:29; 5:3,4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 119:16

    I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

  • Psalms 119:17

    ג GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

  • Psalms 119:18

    Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Read all of Psalms 119

Psalms 119:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		GIMEL. Haz bien á tu siervo; que viva y guarde tu palabra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Fais du bien à ton serviteur, et je vivrai et je garderai ta parole.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Tue wohl an deinem Knechte, so werde ich leben; und ich will dein Wort bewahren.