Psalms 119:36

36 Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies, And not unto dishonest gain.

Psalms 119:36 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 119:36

Incline my heart unto thy testimonies
To read the word of God, to hear it opened and explained, to observe and keep the things contained in it; to which there is a disinclination in men naturally: but the Lord, who fashions the hearts of men, and has them in his hands, can bend and incline them by his efficacious grace to regard these his testimonies; which, as Aben Ezra observes, are more precious than all substance, and so are opposed to what follows:

and not to covetousness;
not to mammon or money, as the Targum; the love of it, which is the root of all evil, and very pernicious and harmful; in hearing the word it chokes it, and makes it unfruitful, ( 1 Timothy 6:9 1 Timothy 6:10 ) ( Matthew 13:22 ) . Not that God inclines the heart to evil, as he does to good; but he may suffer the heart to be inclined, and may leave a man to the natural inclinations of his heart, and to the temptations of Satan, and the snares of the world, which may have great influence upon him; and this is what is here deprecated; see ( Psalms 141:4 ) ( Matthew 6:13 ) .

Psalms 119:36 In-Context

34 Cause me to understand, and I keep Thy law, And observe it with the whole heart.

35 Cause me to tread in the path of Thy commands, For in it I have delighted.

36 Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies, And not unto dishonest gain.

37 Remove mine eyes from seeing vanity, In Thy way quicken Thou me.

38 Establish to Thy servant Thy saying, That [is] concerning Thy fear.