Psalms 27:8

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

[ When thou saidst], Seek ye my face; My heart said unto thee, Thy face, Jehovah, will I seek.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃

Transliteration

ləkā ׀ ʾāmar libbî baqqəšû pānāy ʾet-pāneykā YHWH ʾăbaqqēš

Grammar Details

*ləkā*: preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - to/for you
*ʾāmar*: qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular - it said
*libbî*: noun masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix - my heart
*baqqəšû*: piel imperative plural - seek
*pānāy*: noun masculine plural + 1st person singular suffix - my face
*ʾet*: direct object marker
*pāneykā*: noun masculine plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your face
*YHWH*: divine name - tetragrammaton
*ʾăbaqqēš*: piel imperfect 1st person singular - I will seek

Word Meanings

*ʾāmar*: said/spoke/thought
*libbî*: my heart/mind/inner being
*baqqəšû*: seek/search for/inquire after
*pānāy*: my face/presence
*pāneykā*: your face/presence/person
*ʾăbaqqēš*: I will seek/search for/inquire after

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

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Ps 105:4 : 4 Seek ye Jehovah and his strength; Seek his face evermore.
Jer 29:12-13 : 12 And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Ps 119:58 : 58 I entreated thy favor with my whole heart: Be merciful unto me according to thy word.
Ps 24:6 : 6 This is the generation of them that seek after him, That seek thy face, [even] Jacob. {H5542}
Ps 63:1-2 : 1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, In a dry and weary land, where no water is. 2 So have I looked upon thee in the sanctuary, To see thy power and thy glory.
Isa 55:6-7 : 6 Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near: 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isa 45:19 : 19 I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness; I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I, Jehovah, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
Hos 5:15 : 15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

Ps 27:7
81%
7Hear, O Jehovah, when I cry with my voice: Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
Ps 27:9
79%
9Hide not thy face from me; Put not thy servant away in anger: Thou hast been my help; Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
1 Chr 16:11
78%
11Seek ye Jehovah and his strength; Seek his face evermore.
Ps 30:7-8
2 verses
78%
7Thou, Jehovah, of thy favor hadst made my mountain to stand strong. Thou didst hide thy face; I was troubled.
8I cried to thee, O Jehovah; And unto Jehovah I made supplication:
Ps 105:4
78%
4Seek ye Jehovah and his strength; Seek his face evermore.
Ps 140:6
78%
6I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God: Give ear unto the voice of my supplications, O Jehovah.
Ps 102:1-2
2 verses
77%
1A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah. Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And let my cry come unto thee.
2Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress: Incline thine ear unto me; In the day when I call answer me speedily.
Ps 69:17
77%
17And hide not thy face from thy servant; For I am in distress; answer me speedily.
Ps 119:10
77%
10With my whole heart have I sought thee: Oh let me not wander from thy commandments.
Ps 31:22
76%
22As for me, I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications When I cried unto thee.
Jer 29:12-13
2 verses
76%
12And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Ps 17:6
76%
6I have called upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God: Incline thine ear unto me, [and] hear my speech.
Ps 13:1
76%
1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou forget me for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
Ps 141:1
76%
1A Psalm of David. Jehovah, I have called upon thee; Make haste unto me: Give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee.
Ps 27:4
76%
4One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of Jehovah, And to inquire in his temple.
Ps 143:7-8
2 verses
76%
7Make haste to answer me, O Jehovah; My spirit faileth: Hide not thy face from me, Lest I become like them that go down into the pit.
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.
Prov 7:15
75%
15Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
Ps 31:16
75%
16Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: Save me in thy lovingkindness.
Ps 25:16
75%
16Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; For I am desolate and afflicted.
Ps 119:58
75%
58I entreated thy favor with my whole heart: Be merciful unto me according to thy word.
Ps 5:2-3
2 verses
75%
2Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God; For unto thee do I pray.
3O Jehovah, in the morning shalt thou hear my voice; In the morning will I order [my prayer] unto thee, and will keep watch.
Ps 17:15
74%
15As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with [beholding] thy form.
Ps 88:13-14
2 verses
74%
13But unto thee, O Jehovah, have I cried; And in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14Jehovah, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me?
Jonah 2:4
74%
4And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes; Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
Job 13:24
74%
24Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And holdest me for thine enemy?
Ps 30:10
74%
10Hear, O Jehovah, and have mercy upon me: Jehovah, be thou my helper.
Ps 51:9
74%
9Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities.
Ps 142:5
74%
5I cried unto thee, O Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.
Ps 139:1
74%
1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known [me].
Ps 38:9
74%
9Lord, all my desire is before thee; And my groaning is not hid from thee.
Ps 130:2
74%
2Lord, hear my voice: Let thine ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.
Ps 24:6
74%
6This is the generation of them that seek after him, That seek thy face, [even] Jacob. {H5542}
Ps 30:2
73%
2O Jehovah my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
Ps 138:3
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3In the day that I called thou answeredst me, Thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul.
Ps 4:6
73%
6Many there are that say, Who will show us [any] good? Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Ps 63:1
73%
1A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, In a dry and weary land, where no water is.
Ps 143:1
73%
1A Psalm of David. Hear my prayer, O Jehovah; Give ear to my supplications: In thy faithfulness answer me, [and] in thy righteousness.
Lam 3:56
73%
56Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
Ps 42:2
73%
2My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God?
Ps 139:23
73%
23Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts;
Ps 88:1
73%
1A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.
Ps 28:2
73%
2Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
Ps 31:14
73%
14But I trusted in thee, O Jehovah: I said, Thou art my God.
Ps 5:8
73%
8Lead me, O Jehovah, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; Make thy way straight before my face.