Psalm 119:176
New International Version
I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

New Living Translation
I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.

English Standard Version
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

Berean Standard Bible
I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.

King James Bible
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

New King James Version
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

New American Standard Bible
I have wandered about like a lost sheep; search for Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

NASB 1995
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

NASB 1977
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant, For I do not forget Thy commandments.

Legacy Standard Bible
I have wandered off like a lost sheep; search for Your slave, For I have not forgotten Your commandments.

Amplified Bible
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.

Christian Standard Bible
I wander like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commands.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I wander like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commands.

American Standard Version
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; For I do not forget thy commandments.

Contemporary English Version
I am your servant, but I have wandered away like a lost sheep. Please come after me, because I have not forgotten your teachings.

English Revised Version
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I have wandered away like a lost lamb. Search for me, because I have never forgotten your commandments.

Good News Translation
I wander about like a lost sheep; so come and look for me, your servant, because I have not neglected your laws.

International Standard Version
I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come find your servant, for I do not forget your commands.

Majority Standard Bible
I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.

NET Bible
I have wandered off like a lost sheep. Come looking for your servant, for I do not forget your commands.

New Heart English Bible
I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

Webster's Bible Translation
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

World English Bible
I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I don’t forget your commandments.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I wandered as a lost sheep, [so] seek Your servant, "" For I have not forgotten Your precepts!

Young's Literal Translation
I wandered as a lost sheep, seek Thy servant, For Thy precepts I have not forgotten!

Smith's Literal Translation
I wandered as a lost sheep; seek thy servant, for I forgat not thy commands.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost: seek thy servant, because I have not forgotten thy commandments.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost. Seek out your servant, for I have not forgotten your commandments.

New American Bible
I have wandered like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

New Revised Standard Version
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your Servant, because I have not forgotten your commandments.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant; For I have not forgotten Thy commandments.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I have not forgotten thy commandments.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Your Word is a Lamp to My Feet
175Let me live to praise You; may Your judgments sustain me. 176I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.

Cross References
Isaiah 53:6
We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.

Luke 15:4-7
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? / And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, / comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ ...

Matthew 18:12-14
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? / And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. / In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Ezekiel 34:11-16
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out. / As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. / I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the settlements of the land. ...

John 10:11-16
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. / The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. / The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep. ...

1 Peter 2:25
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Jeremiah 50:6
My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, causing them to roam the mountains. They have wandered from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place.

Matthew 9:36
When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

John 10:27-28
My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. / I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.

Ezekiel 34:5-6
They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild beasts. / My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. They were scattered over the face of all the earth, with no one to search for them or seek them out.’

Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jeremiah 23:1-4
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD. / Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your deeds, declares the LORD. / Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and multiply. ...

Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, / equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Micah 7:14
Shepherd with Your staff Your people, the flock of Your inheritance. They live alone in a woodland, surrounded by pastures. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

Zechariah 10:2
For idols speak deceit and diviners see illusions; they tell false dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.


Treasury of Scripture

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant; for I do not forget your commandments.

gone astray

Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Ezekiel 34:6,16
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them

Matthew 10:6
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

seek

Song of Solomon 1:4
Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

Jeremiah 31:18
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

Luke 19:10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

for I do

Psalm 119:61,93
The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law…

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

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Psalm 119
1. This psalm contains various prayers, praises, and professions of obedience.
2. Aleph.
9. Beth
17. Gimel
25. Daleth
33. He
41. Waw
49. Zayin
57. Heth
65. Teth
73. Yodh
81. Kaph
89. Lamedh
97. Mem
105. Nun
113. Samekh
121. Ayin
129. Pe
137. Tsadhe
145. Qoph
153. Resh
161. Sin and Shin
169. Taw














I have strayed
The phrase "I have strayed" reflects a personal acknowledgment of wandering from the path of righteousness. In Hebrew, the word used here is "ta'ah," which conveys the idea of going astray or being lost. This admission is a humble recognition of human fallibility and the tendency to deviate from God's commandments. Historically, this reflects the Israelites' frequent departures from God's laws, as seen throughout the Old Testament. It serves as a reminder of the need for constant vigilance and reliance on God's guidance to remain on the right path.

like a lost sheep
The imagery of "like a lost sheep" is deeply rooted in the pastoral culture of ancient Israel. Sheep are known for their tendency to wander and become lost without the guidance of a shepherd. This metaphor is used throughout Scripture to describe the relationship between God and His people, emphasizing the need for divine guidance and protection. In the New Testament, Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, highlighting His role in seeking and saving the lost (John 10:11). This phrase underscores the vulnerability of believers and their dependence on God's care.

seek Your servant
The plea "seek Your servant" is a heartfelt request for God to actively pursue and restore the psalmist. The Hebrew word "baqash" implies an earnest search or pursuit. This reflects the biblical theme of God's relentless love and pursuit of His people, even when they stray. It echoes the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:4-7, where the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one that is lost. This phrase reassures believers of God's unwavering commitment to bring them back into His fold.

for I have not forgotten Your commandments
The declaration "for I have not forgotten Your commandments" reveals the psalmist's deep-seated commitment to God's laws, despite having strayed. The Hebrew word "shakach" means to forget or ignore, and the psalmist asserts that, despite his wandering, he has not abandoned God's teachings. This reflects the enduring nature of God's Word in the believer's heart, as emphasized in Psalm 119:11, "I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You." It serves as a reminder that even when believers falter, the foundation of God's commandments remains within them, guiding them back to the path of righteousness.

(176) I have gone astray like a lost sheep.--It would be in accordance with a true religious character that even at the end of a long protestation of obedience to the Divine law the psalmist should confess his weakness and sin. But while this may be a legitimate application of the close of this remarkable composition, and while the LXX. suggest a comparison with our Lord's parable by their rendering (comp. Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10), this could hardly have been the intention of the words of this verse. More likely there is a reference to the condition of the community, for the word rendered "lost" (literally, perishing) is used in Isaiah 27:13 of the exiled Hebrews, and is rendered "outcasts;" the emphatic "I do not forget Thy commandments," which is the real close of the psalm, seems to make this view imperative.

Verse 176. - I have gone astray like a lost sheep (comp. ver. 67). Some see in this verse nothing but a reference to the outward circumstances of the psalmist's life. But this is certainly not the idea generally attached in Scripture to the image of the "lost sheep" (see Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 1:6; Luke 15:4-7; 1 Peter 2:25). Dean Johnson's exposition is probably correct, "I have wandered far from thee and from home, as a sheep lost and ready to perish in the wilderness." Seek thy servant. "Seek him, lest he be not able of himself to seek thee; and bring him again to thy fold." For I do not forget thy commandments. In my worst wanderings I have not fallen away wholly from thee. Thy Law has been ever in my thoughts. I have not "forgotten" it, but meditated on it and longed for it (vers. 15, 20, 40).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I have strayed
תָּעִ֗יתִי (tā·‘î·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8582: To vacillate, reel, stray

like a lost
אֹ֭בֵד (’ō·ḇêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

sheep;
כְּשֶׂ֣ה (kə·śeh)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7716: A member of a, flock, a sheep, goat

seek
בַּקֵּ֣שׁ (baq·qêš)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

Your servant,
עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ (‘aḇ·de·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

for
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I have not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

forgotten
שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃ (šā·ḵā·ḥə·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7911: To mislay, to be oblivious of, from want of memory, attention

Your commandments.
מִ֝צְוֺתֶ֗יךָ (miṣ·wō·ṯe·ḵā)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4687: Commandment


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OT Poetry: Psalm 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 119:175
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