Psalms 139:23 (WEB)

Passage

Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.

Nearby Context

Psalms 139:21 Yahweh, don’t I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?

Psalms 139:22 I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies.

Psalms 139:23 Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.

Psalms 139:24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "search", "heart", and "thoughts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "search" and "heart", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "I hate them with perfect hatred They..." into verse 24's "See if there is any wicked way...", so "search" and "heart" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "search" and "heart" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.