Psalms 4 · Verse 6

Psalms 4:6

There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Psalms 4:6, King James Version

Psalms 4:6 in other translations

BSBMany ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD.
WEBMany say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, let the light of your face shine on us.
ASVMany there are that say, Who will show us any good? Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
YLTMany are saying, ‘Who doth show us good?' Lift on us the light of Thy face, O Jehovah,
DARBYMany say, Who shall cause us to see good? Lift up upon us the light of thy countenance, O Jehovah.
BBEThere are numbers who say, Who will do us any good? the light of his face has gone from us.
WebsterThere are many that say, Who will show us any good? LORD, lift thou upon us the light of thy countenance.

What does Psalms 4:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 4:6-7
6-7. Contrast true with vain confidence. light of thy countenance upon us--figure for favor (Nu 6:26; Psa 44:3; 81:16).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Who will show us any good? - This is not a fair translation. The word any is not in the text, nor any thing equivalent to it; and not a few have quoted it, and preached upon the text, placing the principal emphasis on this illegitimate word. The place is sufficiently emphatic without this. There are multitudes who say, Who will show us good? Man wants good; he hates evil as evil, because he has pain, suffering, and death through it; and he wishes to find that supreme good which will content his heart, and save him from evil. But men mistake this good. They look for a good that is to gratify their passions; they have no notion of any happiness that does not come to them through the medium of their senses. Therefore they reject spiritual good, and they reject the Supreme God, by whom alone all the powers of the soul of man can be gratified. Lift thou up the light of thy countenance - This alone, the light of thy countenance - thy peace and approbation, constitute the supreme good. This is what we want, wish, and pray for. The first is the wish of the worldling, the latter the wish of the godly.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 4:6-8
Wordly people inquire for good, not for the chief good; all they want is outward good, present good, partial good, good meat, good drink, a good trade, and a good estate; but what are all these worth? Any good will serve the turn of most men, but a gracious soul will not be put off so. Lord, let us have thy favour, and let us know that we have it, we desire no more; let us be satisfied of thy loving-kindness, and will be satisfied with it. Many inquire after happiness, but David had found it. When God puts grace in the heart, he puts gladness in the heart. Thus comforted, he pitied, but neither envied nor feared the most prosperous sinner. He commits all his affairs to God, and is prepared to welcome his holy will. But salvation is in Christ alone; where will those appear who despise him as their Mediator, and revile him in his disciples? May they stand in awe, and no longer sin against the only remedy.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Psalms 4:6 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.

רַבִּ֥יםra.Bimmany [people]H7227
אֹמְרִים֮'o.me.Rim[are] sayingH559
מִֽי\־mi-who?H4310
יַרְאֵ֪נ֫וּyar.'E.nuwill he show usH7200
ט֥וֹבTovgoodH2896
נְֽסָה\־ne.sah-lift up !H5375
עָ֭לֵינוּ'A.lei.nuon usH5921
א֨וֹר'or[the] light ofH216
פָּנֶ֬יךָpa.Nei.khaface yourH6440
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehO YahwehH3068

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

Cross references for Psalms 4:6

  • Psalms 80:19

    Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

  • Numbers 6:26

    The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

  • Psalms 80:7

    Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

  • Psalms 119:135

    Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.

  • Psalms 67:1

    To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

  • Psalms 89:15

    Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.

  • Psalms 49:16-20

    Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. …

  • Psalms 44:3

    For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

  • James 5:1-5

    Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. …

  • Luke 16:19

    There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

  • Ecclesiastes 2:3-26

    I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: …

  • Psalms 39:6

    Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
many.
39:6; 49:16-20; Ec 2:3-26; Isa 55:2; Lu 12:19; 16:19; Jas 4:13
Jas 5:1-5
lift.
21:6; 42:5; 44:3; 67:1; 80:1-3,7,19; 89:15; 119:135; Nu 6:26

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

Context

  • Psalms 4:5

    Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

  • Psalms 4:6

    There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

  • Psalms 4:7

    Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

Read all of Psalms 4

Psalms 4:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Muchos dicen: ¿Quién nos mostrará el bien? Alza sobre nosotros, oh Jehová, la luz de tu rostro.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Offrez des sacrifices de justice, et confiez-vous en l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Viele sagen: Wer wird uns Gutes schauen lassen? Erhebe, Jehova über uns das Licht deines Angesichts!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sacrificate sacrificium justitiæ, et sperate in Domino. Multi dicunt: Quis ostendit nobis bona?