New International Version Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. New Living Translation Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me. English Standard Version Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! Berean Standard Bible Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion. Berean Literal Bible Cause Your face to shine upon Your servant; save me in Your loving devotion. King James Bible Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake. New King James Version Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake. New American Standard Bible Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your faithfulness. NASB 1995 Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness. NASB 1977 Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; Save me in Thy lovingkindness. Legacy Standard Bible Make Your face to shine upon Your slave; Save me in Your lovingkindness. Amplified Bible Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness. Berean Annotated Bible Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion. Christian Standard Bible Make your face shine on your servant; save me by your faithful love. Holman Christian Standard Bible Show Your favor to Your servant; save me by Your faithful love. American Standard Version Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: Save me in thy lovingkindness. Contemporary English Version Smile on me, your servant. Have pity and rescue me. English Revised Version Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me in thy lovingkindness. GOD'S WORD® Translation Smile on me. Save me with your mercy. Good News Translation Look on your servant with kindness; save me in your constant love. International Standard Version May your face shine on your servant; in your gracious love, deliver me. NET Bible Smile on your servant! Deliver me because of your faithfulness! New Heart English Bible Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness. Webster's Bible Translation Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleMake Your face shine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion. World English Bible Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionCause Your face to shine on Your servant, "" Save me in Your kindness. Berean Literal Bible Cause Your face to shine upon Your servant; save me in Your loving devotion. Young's Literal Translation Cause Thy face to shine on Thy servant, Save me in Thy kindness. Smith's Literal Translation Cause thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me in thy mercy. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleMake thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me in thy mercy. Catholic Public Domain Version New American Bible Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your mercy. New Revised Standard Version Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleMake thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me through thy mercies. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Shine your face upon your Servant and save me in your kindness. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; Save me in Thy lovingkindness. Brenton Septuagint Translation and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me in thy mercy. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit…15My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion. 17O LORD, let me not be ashamed, for I have called on You. Let the wicked be put to shame; let them lie silent in Sheol.… Cross References Make Your face shine on Your servant; Psalm 119:135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes. Psalm 80:3 Restore us, O God, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved. Numbers 6:25 may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; save me by Your loving devotion. Psalm 109:26 Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to Your loving devotion. Psalm 6:4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver my soul; save me because of Your loving devotion. Psalm 44:26 Rise up; be our help! Redeem us on account of Your loving devotion. Psalm 4:6 Many ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD. Psalm 67:1 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song. May God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah Psalm 80:7 Restore us, O God of Hosts, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:19 Restore us, O LORD God of Hosts; cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved. Daniel 9:17 So now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, O Lord, cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate sanctuary. Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. Isaiah 60:19 No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor. 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. John 8:12 Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 12:46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness. Treasury of Scripture Make your face to shine on your servant: save me for your mercies' sake. Make Psalm 4:6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Psalm 30:7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. Psalm 67:1 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. save Psalm 6:4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake. Psalm 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Psalm 106:45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies. Jump to Previous Cause Face Kindness Light Loving Mercies Mercy Sake Save Saviour Servant Shine Steadfast UnfailingJump to Next Cause Face Kindness Light Loving Mercies Mercy Sake Save Saviour Servant Shine Steadfast UnfailingPsalm 31 1. David, showing his confidence in God, craves his help7. He rejoices in his mercy 9. He prays in his calamity 19. He praises God for his goodness Make Your face shine on Your servant; David asks the Lord to turn toward him with favor, protection, and restoring grace. The request recalls the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:24–26, where the shining face of God brings peace to His covenant people. As God’s servant, David approaches in humility, depending on the King of heaven rather than his own strength. Psa 119:135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me… save me by Your loving devotion. Deliverance rests on the Lord’s faithful covenant love, not on human merit. David trusts the God who revealed Himself as merciful, gracious, and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6). God’s saving love reaches its fullest revelation in Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection secure redemption for all who trust in Him. Psa 109:26 Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to Your loving… Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 31, David is expressing his trust in God amidst distress. 2. God The central figure to whom David is praying, seeking His favor and salvation. 3. Servant Refers to David himself, who positions himself humbly before God, acknowledging his dependence on divine grace. Teaching Points Seeking God's FavorDavid's plea for God's face to shine upon him is a request for divine favor and presence. In our lives, we should continually seek God's favor through prayer and obedience. Understanding God's Loving Devotion The Hebrew word for "loving devotion" is "chesed," which encompasses God's steadfast love and mercy. Recognizing this attribute of God can deepen our trust in His salvation and care. Dependence on God for Salvation David's cry for salvation underscores the belief that true deliverance comes from God alone. We are encouraged to rely on God for both spiritual and physical salvation. The Power of God's Presence The shining of God's face symbolizes His presence and blessing. As believers, we should strive to live in the light of God's presence, which brings peace and guidance. Humility in Prayer David's identification as a servant reflects humility. Our prayers should be marked by a humble acknowledgment of our need for God's grace and intervention. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Psalm 31:16?2. How can we trust God's timing as in Psalm 31:16? 3. What does "make Your face shine" mean in our daily lives? 4. How does Psalm 31:16 connect with Numbers 6:25 about God's favor? 5. How can we seek God's deliverance in challenging situations today? 6. How does trusting God's timing impact our faith and patience? 7. How does Psalm 31:16 reflect God's sovereignty in our lives? 8. What historical context influenced the writing of Psalm 31:16? 9. How does Psalm 31:16 relate to the theme of divine protection? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 31? What Does Psalm 31:16 Mean Make Your face shine- David asks, “Make Your face shine” (Psalm 31:16). In Scripture, God’s shining face is a literal picture of His personal favor and pleasure. When the Lord’s face turns toward someone, blessing follows (Numbers 6:24-26). - Darkness lifts under that light. Just as sunlight dispels night, God’s attentive presence scatters fear and confusion (Psalm 4:6; Psalm 80:3). - This is not a vague wish; it is confidence that the Creator truly looks, listens, and responds (1 Peter 3:12). on Your servant - David identifies himself as “Your servant.” He stands in a real, covenant relationship with God, gladly acknowledging God’s authority (Psalm 119:125). - Servant language reminds us that submission invites grace (James 4:6-10). Those who humble themselves under God’s mighty hand are lifted up. - Because Scripture is accurate and literal, we know that the title “servant” is not empty; it carries the promise that the Master cares for His own (Isaiah 54:17; John 12:26). save me - The request is direct: “save me.” David expects tangible rescue—physical, emotional, and spiritual (Psalm 34:17-19). - Salvation in the Old Testament often includes deliverance from enemies, but it points ahead to the fuller salvation God provides in Christ (Romans 10:13). - The verse shows that calling on God for help is rooted in certainty, not wishful thinking (2 Samuel 22:3-4). by Your loving devotion - The ground of David’s plea is God’s “loving devotion.” This steadfast love is the unbreakable covenant mercy that never runs dry (Psalm 36:7; Lamentations 3:22-23). - David is not appealing to his own merit. He anchors his hope in God’s proven faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 57:10). - Because God’s love is immutable, the rescue requested in this verse is secure and sure (Psalm 13:5; Ephesians 2:4-5). summary Psalm 31:16 is a compact but powerful prayer. David, the Lord’s servant, seeks the literal, shining favor of God’s face, confident that such attention brings life and blessing. He asks for concrete salvation, resting entirely on God’s unwavering, covenant love. The verse teaches that believers today can call on the same faithful God, expecting His light and deliverance because His loving devotion never fails. (16) Make thy face to shine.—As in Psalm 4:6, an echo of the priestly blessing. (Numbers 6:24-26.)Verse 16. - Make thy face to shine upon thy servant. This expression is first used in the blessing of Moses (Numbers 6:25). Its intrinsic beauty and poetry recommended it to the psalmists, with whom it recurs frequently (camp. Psalm 4:6; Psalm 67:1; Psalm 80:5, 7, 19; Psalm 119:135). It may be regarded as equivalent to "Be thou favourable and gracious unto thy servant." Save me for thy mercies' sake; literally, save me in thy mercy.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Make Your faceפָ֭נֶיךָ (p̄ā·ne·ḵā) Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 6440: The face shine הָאִ֣ירָה (hā·’î·rāh) Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 215: To be or become light on עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against Your servant; עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ (‘aḇ·de·ḵā) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 5650: Slave, servant save me ה֖וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי (hō·wō·šî·‘ê·nî) Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular Strong's 3467: To be open, wide, free, to be safe, to free, succor by Your loving devotion. בְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ (ḇə·ḥas·de·ḵā) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty Additonal Resources Psalm 31:16 Blue Letter BiblePsalm 31:16 Bible Gateway Psalm 31:16 Bible.com Psalm 31:16 NIV |
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