Psalms 139:23

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

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

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

חָקְרֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל וְדַ֣ע לְבָבִ֑י בְּ֝חָנֵ֗נִי וְדַ֣ע שַׂרְעַפָּֽי׃

Transliteration

ḥāqrēnî ʾēl and-daʿ ləbābî; bəḥānēnî and-daʿ śarʿappāy

Grammar Details

*ḥāqrēnî*: verb, Qal imperative masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix - search me
*ʾēl*: noun, masculine singular - God
*daʿ*: verb, Qal imperative masculine singular - know
*ləbābî*: noun, masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix - my heart
*bəḥānēnî*: verb, Qal imperative masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix - test me
*śarʿappāy*: noun, masculine plural + 1st person singular suffix - my thoughts

Word Meanings

*ḥāqrēnî*: search me/examine me/investigate me
*ʾēl*: God/deity/mighty one
*daʿ*: know/understand/perceive
*ləbābî*: my heart/my mind/my inner self
*bəḥānēnî*: test me/try me/examine me
*śarʿappāy*: my thoughts/my anxieties/my concerns

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

🔄 Compare with

ESVNIVCSBNLTNASBNET

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Ps 26:2 : 2 Examine me, O Jehovah, and prove me; Try my heart and my mind.
Job 31:6 : 6 (Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity);
1 Pet 1:7 : 7 that the proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ:
Prov 17:3 : 3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; But Jehovah trieth the hearts.
Zech 13:9 : 9 And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.
Deut 8:2 : 2 And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not.
Ps 139:1 : 1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known [me].
Mal 3:2-3 : 2 But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap: 3 and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness.
Jer 11:20 : 20 But, O Jehovah of hosts, who judgest righteously, who triest the heart and the mind, I shall see thy vengeance on them; for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
Deut 8:16 : 16 who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not; that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end:

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Ps 26:1-2
2 verses
86%
1[ A Psalm of David.] Judge me, O Jehovah, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in Jehovah without wavering.
2Examine me, O Jehovah, and prove me; Try my heart and my mind.
Ps 139:1-8
8 verses
85%
1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known [me].
2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off.
3Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.
4For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.
5Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thy hand upon me.
6[ Such] knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
Ps 139:24
84%
24And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Ps 17:3
80%
3Thou hast proved my heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me, and findest nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Jer 12:3
79%
3But thou, O Jehovah, knowest me; thou seest me, and triest my heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Ps 44:21
78%
21Will not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
Jer 17:9-10
2 verses
77%
9The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?
10I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.
Ps 139:17-18
2 verses
77%
17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.
Ps 139:21-22
2 verses
76%
21Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22I hate them with perfect hatred: They are become mine enemies.
Ps 119:10-11
2 verses
76%
10With my whole heart have I sought thee: Oh let me not wander from thy commandments.
11Thy word have I laid up in my heart, That I might not sin against thee.
Job 10:6
76%
6That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin,
Ps 69:5
75%
5O God, thou knowest my foolishness; And my sins are not hid from thee.
Job 13:23
75%
23How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.
Ps 51:6
75%
6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.
Ps 51:9-10
2 verses
75%
9Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.
Ps 7:9
75%
9O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous: For the righteous God trieth the minds and hearts.
Ps 64:6
74%
6They search out iniquities; We have accomplished, [say they], a diligent search: And the inward thought and the heart of every one is deep.
Jer 20:12
74%
12But, O Jehovah of hosts, that triest the righteous, that seest the heart and the mind, let me see thy vengeance on them; for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
Jer 18:23
74%
23Yet, Jehovah, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me; forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight; but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thou with them in the time of thine anger.
Lam 3:40
73%
40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
Ps 142:3
73%
3When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walk Have they hidden a snare for me.
Ps 51:1-3
3 verses
73%
1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
3For I know my transgressions; And my sin is ever before me.
Ps 39:4
73%
4Jehovah, make me to know mine end, And the measure of my days, what it is; Let me know how frail I am.
Ps 94:11
73%
11Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity.
Ps 19:12
73%
12Who can discern [his] errors? Clear thou me from hidden [faults].
Ps 27:8
73%
8[ When thou saidst], Seek ye my face; My heart said unto thee, Thy face, Jehovah, will I seek.
Ps 53:2
73%
2God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, That did seek after God.
Ps 19:14
73%
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.
Job 31:6
72%
6(Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity);
Ps 25:19
72%
19Consider mine enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred.
Ps 143:8
72%
8Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; For in thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; For I lift up my soul unto thee.
Ps 119:34
72%
34Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Ps 73:21
72%
21For my soul was grieved, And I was pricked in my heart:
Ps 131:1
72%
1A Song of Ascents; of David. Jehovah, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, Or in things too wonderful for me.
Ps 101:4
72%
4A perverse heart shall depart from me: I will know no evil thing.