The Meaning of Psalms 119:2 Explained

Psalms 119:2

KJV: Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

YLT: O the happiness of those keeping His testimonies, With the whole heart they seek Him.

Darby: Blessed are they that observe his testimonies, that seek him with the whole heart;

ASV: Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, That seek him with the whole heart.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Blessed  [are] they that keep  his testimonies,  [and that] seek  him with the whole heart. 

What does Psalms 119:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 119:1-16 - God's Word An Inner Power
This long and noble psalm is devoted to the praise of God's Word, which is mentioned in every verse but one, Psalms 119:122. Probably if we were to substitute Will for Word we should not be far wrong. The earnest desire of the writer was that his will should be brought into blessed and unbroken union with the divine purpose in his life.
In its structure the psalm is an elaborate acrostic. In the original, each verse in a given section begins with the same letter, so that the twenty-two sections present the complete Hebrew alphabet.
It needs to be often used to be understood and valued. Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine, and Luther have left on record high tributes to its worth. There are several key expressions, which recur again and again, such as quicken and teach me thy statutes. It is interesting, also, to construct the psalmist's biography from his confessions. He had gone astray like a lost sheep, was small and despised, had many adversaries, was like a bottle in the smoke; but he accounted God's will and service more than food or gold, and his one desire was to be taught to do that will. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 119

1  This psalm contains various prayers, praises, and professions of obedience
2  Aleph
9  Beth
17  Gimel
25  Daleth
33  He
41  Waw
49  Zayin
57  Heth
65  Teth
73  Yodh
81  Kaph
89  Lamedh
97  Mem
105  Nun
113  Samekh
121  Ayin
129  Pe
137  Tsadhe
145  Qoph
153  Resh
161  Sin and Shin
169  Taw

What do the individual words in Psalms 119:2 mean?

Blessed [are] those who keep His testimonies with whole the heart who seek Him
אַ֭שְׁרֵי נֹצְרֵ֥י עֵדֹתָ֗יו בְּכָל־ לֵ֥ב יִדְרְשֽׁוּהוּ

אַ֭שְׁרֵי  Blessed  [are] 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֶשֶׁר 
Sense: happiness, blessedness.
נֹצְרֵ֥י  those  who  keep 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: נְצוּרִים 
Sense: to guard, watch, watch over, keep.
עֵדֹתָ֗יו  His  testimonies 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: testimony, witness.
בְּכָל־  with  whole 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לֵ֥ב  the  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
יִדְרְשֽׁוּהוּ  who  seek  Him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.