Psalms 4:6
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Study Note
Study Note
The juxtaposition between 'there be many that say, Who will shew us any good?' and the psalmist's counter-prayer 'Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us' contrasts the materialist security-question with the covenant-based confidence of the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:25-26). The 'light of thy countenance' (or tōr penekha) draws on the divine throne-room imagery of God's face shining as light, a metaphor for favor, accessibility, and covenantal proximity. The context of the psalm (evening prayer, verse 8: 'I will both lay me down in peace and sleep') suggests a spirituality of confident rest grounded not in resolved circumstances but in divine presence. The verse became influential in Christian mystical theology's language of the beatific vision as the ultimate goal of prayer.
Other Translations
Many there are that say, Who will show us any good? Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Many are saying, `Who doth show us good?' Lift on us the light of Thy face, O Jehovah,
There are numbers who say, Who will do us any good? the light of his face has gone from us.
Cross References
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth …
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for …
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but …
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine …
Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.