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Psalm 119:37
Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways.
35Direct me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in them.
36Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain.
37Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways.
38Fulfill your promise to your servant, that you may be feared.
39Take away my disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good.
Notice
The eyes need direction in this prayer, and the plea for renewed life raises the question of what is worth your attention.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What, if anything, draws your eyes toward things you would call worthless?
Write on thisHow might asking God to revive you in his ways shape what you choose to look at?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Proverbs 4:25Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.Both passages concern the direction of the eyes: Proverbs urges a fixed gaze ahead, while the psalm asks God to turn eyes from worthlessness.
1 John 2:16For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s.John names the lust of the eyes as belonging to the world; the psalm asks God to turn eyes away from worthless things.
Job 31:1“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?Job describes a covenant with his eyes concerning lust; the psalm asks God for help directing the eyes away from worthless things.
Psalm 101:3I will set no vile thing before my eyes. I hate the deeds of faithless men. They will not cling to me.Psalm 101 declares a refusal to set vile things before the eyes; Psalm 119 asks God to turn the eyes from worthless things.
Isaiah 33:15He who walks righteously and speaks blamelessly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his …Isaiah includes shutting the eyes to evil in his description of righteous conduct; the psalm connects redirected eyes with life in God's ways.
Proverbs 30:8Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,Both prayers ask for something harmful to be removed and for life to be sustained, though Proverbs names falsehood and needed food.
Numbers 15:39It shall be to you for a fringe, that you may see it, and remember all the LORD’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’t follow your own heart and your …Numbers connects what people see with remembering God's commandments and warns against following their eyes; the psalm asks God to redirect the eyes.
Matthew 5:28but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.Matthew addresses a lustful gaze and adultery in the heart; the psalm makes the broader request to turn eyes away from worthless things.
Proverbs 23:5Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.Proverbs questions setting the eyes on something that vanishes; the psalm asks God to turn the eyes away from worthless things.
Psalm 119:40Behold, I long for your precepts! Revive me in your righteousness. VAVBoth verses ask God to revive the speaker, locating renewed life in God's ways and righteousness.
Psalm 71:20You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.Both address God as the source of life, though Psalm 71 speaks from bitter troubles and Psalm 119 asks for redirected attention.
2 Samuel 11:2At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to …The shared detail is looking: David sees a woman bathing, while the psalm asks God to direct the eyes away from worthless things.
Where this verse fits
Temptation. an ordinary day. wanting a steady prayer habit.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
Your attention belongs within the reach of prayer. The psalmist asks God to turn his eyes and renew his life; both requests depend on God's help.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).