Psalms 139:23

THE MESSAGE

Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Search me, God, and know my heart;test me and know my concerns.

Hebrew Names Version
Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.

King James Version
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

English Standard Version
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!

New Century Version
God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

New English Translation
Examine me, and probe my thoughts! Test me, and know my concerns!

Amplified Bible
Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts;

New American Standard Bible
Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;

World English Bible
Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Try mee, O God, and knowe mine heart: prooue me and know my thoughtes,

Legacy Standard Bible
Search me, O God, and know my heart;Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

Berean Standard Bible
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.

Contemporary English Version
Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking.

Complete Jewish Bible
Examine me, God, and know my heart; test me, and know my thoughts.

Darby Translation
Search me, O God, and know my heart; prove me, and know my thoughts;

Easy-to-Read Version
God, examine me and know my mind. Test me and know all my worries.

George Lamsa Translation
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my ways,

Good News Translation
Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts.

Lexham English Bible
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Literal Translation
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Trye me (o God) and seke the grounde of myne hert: proue me, & examen my thoughtes.

American Standard Version
Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts;

Bible in Basic English
O God, let the secrets of my heart be uncovered, and let my wandering thoughts be tested:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts;

King James Version (1611)
Search me, O God, and knowe my heart: trie mee, and knowe my thoughts:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Searche me to the quicke O Lorde, and knowe thou myne heart: proue me and knowe thou my thoughtes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Prove me, O God, and know my heart; examine me, and know my paths;

English Revised Version
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
God, preue thou me, and knowe thou myn herte; axe thou me, and knowe thou my pathis.

Update Bible Version
Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts;

Webster's Bible Translation
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts:

New King James Version
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

New Living Translation
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

New Life Bible
Look through me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts.

New Revised Standard
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Search me, O GOD, and observe my heart, Try me, and observe my cares;

Douay-Rheims Bible
(138-23) Prove me, O God, and know my heart: examine me, and know my paths.

Revised Standard Version
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!

Young's Literal Translation
Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

Contextual Overview

¹⁷Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them— any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers—out of here!— all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations. See how I hate those who hate you, God , see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Your enemies are my enemies! ²³Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Search me: Psalms 139:1, Psalms 26:2

know: Deuteronomy 8:2, Deuteronomy 8:16, Job 31:6, Proverbs 17:3, Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:2, Malachi 3:3, 1 Peter 1:7

Reciprocal: Exodus 33:5 - I may 2 Chronicles 32:31 - to try him Job 9:21 - yet would Job 10:2 - show me Job 13:9 - search Job 13:23 - make me Job 34:21 - General Job 34:32 - which Psalms 11:5 - trieth Psalms 19:12 - secret Psalms 77:6 - and Proverbs 4:23 - Keep Proverbs 12:5 - thoughts Jeremiah 12:3 - knowest Jeremiah 17:10 - the Lord Jeremiah 20:12 - that Lamentations 3:40 - search Luke 9:47 - perceiving John 3:21 - he that 2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Search me, O God, and know my heart,.... He had searched him, and knew his heart thoroughly;

try me, and know my thoughts; he had tried him, and knew every thought in him, Psalms 139:1. This therefore is not said for the sake of God; who, though he is the trier of hearts, and the searcher of the reins, is indeed a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart at once, and knows immediately what is in man; and needs no testimony of him, nor to make use of any means in order to know him and what is within him: but David said this for his own sake, that God would search and make known to him what was in his heart, and try him by his word, as gold is tried in the fire; or by anything difficult and self-denying, as he tried Abraham; or by any afflictive providence; or in any way he thought fit to make him acquainted thoroughly with himself. His sense is this, that if he knew his own heart and thoughts, and the inward frame and disposition of his soul, it was as he had expressed it; that he was grieved with sinners, and hated those that hated the Lord, even with a perfect hatred, and reckoned them as his enemies; but if it was otherwise, he desired to be searched and tried thoroughly, that it might be discovered: and he might say this also on account of others, who charged him falsely with things he was not conscious of; that never entered into his thoughts, and his heart knew nothing of, and could not accuse him with; and therefore he appeals to the heart searching God, that he would so lay open things that his integrity and innocence might appear to all; see Genesis 22:1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Search me, O God - The word “search” here is the same as in Psalms 139:1. See the notes at that verse. The psalmist had stated the fact that it is a characteristic of God that he “does” search the heart; and he here prays that God “would” exercise that power in relation to himself; that as God could know all that there is within the heart, he would examine him with the closest scrutiny, so that he might be under no delusion or self-deception; that he might not indulge in any false hopes; that he might not cherish any improper feelings or desires. The prayer denotes great “sincerity” on the part of the psalmist. It indicates also self-distrust. It is an expression of what all must feel who have any just views of themselves - that the heart is very corrupt; that we are liable to deceive ourselves; and that the most thorough search “should” be made that we be “not” deceived and lost.

And know my heart - Know or see all that is within it.

Try me - As metal is tried or proved that is put to a “test” to learn what it is. The trial here is that which would result from the divine inspection of his heart.

And know my thoughts - See what they are. The word rendered “thoughts” occurs only in one other place, Psalms 94:19. The idea is, Search me thoroughly; examine not merely my outward conduct, but what I think about; what are my purposes; what passes through my mind; what occupies my imagination and my memory; what secures my affections and controls my will. He must be a very sincere man who prays that God will search his thoughts, for there are few who would be willing that their fellow-men, even their best friends, should know all that they are thinking about.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 139:23. Search me, O God — Investigate my conduct, examine my heart, put me to the test, and examine my thoughts.