His life was written in the book of life, and each of his days was numbered.” (VanGemeren). All Rights Reserved. Some search, but know not; thou dost both.” (Trapp). I hate them with perfect hatred; 139:6 "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me" The Septuagint puts Ps. 13. i. Psalm 139:5b is a statement of YHWH's sovereignty and control of His human creature (cf. Some of the Jewish doctors are of opinion that this is the most excellent of all the psalms of David; and a very pious devout meditation it is upon the doctrine of God's omniscience, which we should therefore have our hearts fixed upon and filled with in singing this psalm. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. “He is not alarmed at the fact that God knows all about him; on the contrary, he is comforted, and even feels himself to be enriched, as with a casket of precious jewels. (Read Psalm 139:1-6) God has perfect knowledge of us, and all our thoughts and actions are open before him. When as yet there were none of them. Click on the different category headings to find out more. 8 hIf I ascend into heaven, You are there; iIf I make my bed in 3hell, behold, You are there. Psalms 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. You know my sitting down and my rising up: David used this proverbial phrase to say that God knew everything about him, even the most everyday things. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. God hears every word we speak. That God should think upon him is the believer’s treasure and pleasure.” (Spurgeon). "For the Chief Musician" (Hebrew: menasseah––leader). He only said, ‘Get out of the road;’ but it was a king who said it, so the man felt greatly gratified thereby. Home × New King James Version Update. “Here he argueth God’s omniscience from his omnipresence.” (Trapp), ii. 139:10). 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. Psalm 139 demonstrates that God sees another person in the mother’s womb. The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. No disguise can save any person or action from being seen in the true light by him. God has searched within David and his life and knows everything there is to know about him. 2 You q know when I sit down and when I rise up; you r discern my thoughts from afar. A Psalm of David. A Psalm of David. A psalm. If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. “The rejection of evil arises from the psalmist’s spirit of commitment to the Lord and not from pride. “Crimes committed before the face of the Judge are not likely to go unpunished…. He uses the personal pronoun "me" to refer to himself while still in the womb, and the Hebrew word for embryo appears as "substance, being yet unformed" (verse 16). NKJV 1 For the Chief Musician. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. “Much of the formation of our inner man still proceeds in secret; hence the more of solitude the better for us.” (Spurgeon). “We have been going in ways of grief. Words in brackets, ( ), are not in the *Hebrew Bible. i. David took his theological understanding of God’s nature and attributes and applied it to his own personal discipleship. Search me, O God — Do thou, who art the searcher of hearts, judge whether I do not speak this from my very heart, and deal with me accordingly. No outward circumstances can separate him from his Lord. i. How precious: “The root meaning of the word rendered ‘precious’ is weighty. The workings of the human body are stunning in their design and execution. c. See if there is any wicked way in me: David opened his soul completely before God, asking if there were any unknown or unperceived sins. Psalm 139. Long before God “fearfully and wonderfully made” you, he knew what you would be like and what you would do. Too wonderful for me: “I cannot grasp it. i. 266 - Our Internal Flight Data Recorder. i. 1 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. i. God knows our words before we speak them, and there is nothing of us hidden from the all-knowing God. Psalm 51:1; Psalm 69:28) refers to God’s knowledge and blessing of his child ‘all the days’ of his life (cf. It is precious that God should think of us at all; it is beyond precious that He would think well of us and think so often of us. 35:8Contemplation of David. Pray that God will give you a heart to understand and claim Psalm 139, and that it will bring complete joy to your life. In the psalms, this word is often used to mean the music leader. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. e. And laid Your hand upon me: As with the hedge, this was an expression of God’s love and care for David. “All my postures, gestures, practices…whether I sit, stand, walk, lie; thou searchest and knowest all. My frame was not hidden from You, There has been considerable debate about the precise genre of this psalm. “The psalmist is not trying to evade God, but he further amplifies that God’s knowledge is beyond the ability of humans to grasp. David knew that he could not know his heart at its depths, so he asked God to know it. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. b. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: David the son of Jesse was a remarkable man. 139. Yet our unease is based on the fact that we doubt the good intentions or good will of those who watch us. David said that God saw him from the moment when he was conceived, when he was but an embryo and totally unformed. And lead me in the way everlasting. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. i. David went against a spirit also evident in our day – against the idea that we can love God without hating evil. We desire to go in the way everlasting – the way of eternal life; the way which we shall never need to retrace; the way that touches the deepest life possible to the creature.” (Meyer), ii. b. King James Version. d. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed: What David (and others) could not see, God could see perfectly. But you and I, beloved, can rejoice that God, before whom kings are as grasshoppers, actually thinks of us, and thinks of us often.” (Spurgeon). It is more profitable to meditate on Divine truths, applying them to our own cases, and with hearts lifted to God in prayer, than with a curious or disputing frame of mind. e. Even there Your hand shall lead me: David was so assured of the constant presence of God’s hand of love and care that not even death and the grave could separate him from God’s love – as Paul would later write in Romans 8:38-39. We have to ask God to do the same thing in our lives, especially during the time before Passover.Human nature is blind to problems in our character, so we have to ask God to show us the things that we cannot see. 139 O L ord, you have p searched me and known me! From Your presence: “Mippaneycha, ‘from thy faces.’ Why do we meet with this word so frequently in the plural number, when applied to God? Yet while we shun them we should pray for them; with God their conversion and salvation are possible. Psalm 139:2 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Psalm 139:2, NIV: "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar." David’s adoration filled him with zeal for God’s honor. 139:10). Psalm 139:13-14. Such anxieties could be evidence of unbelief or misplaced trust. Each person has existed in the mind of God eternally. Notice that the topic in Psalms 139:15-16 was David's forming body while hidden in the womb. Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? Ps. 263 - A God Near at Hand. f. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me: David understood that God knew him better than he knew himself, a wonderful and humble place to be. Of David. i. “He awakes from sleep, and is conscious of glad wonder to find that, like a tender mother by her slumbering child, God has been watching over him, and that all the blessed communion of past days abides as before.” (Maclaren), ii. Nothing past, present or future is hidden from Him. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Should the persecutor take his life, his soul will the sooner ascend to heaven. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Still it is what every wise believer should desire.” (Boice), ii. A Psalm of David. b. f. Even the night shall be light about me: God’s presence with David was like a constant light in the darkness. 139:10). To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Psalm 139. Your presence? Psalm 139 1 Psalm 139 For the director of music. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. When I was made in secret, And that my soul knows very well. A Psalm of David. A Psalm by David. There is not a vain word, not a good word, but thou knowest from what thought it came, and with what design it was uttered. And why have we his Spirit, and his appearances or faces, both here? In Psalm 139 David acknowledges, in great wonder and awe, God's omniscient care in guiding his life and expresses his solidarity with God against the wicked. What shall we not say of that new birth which is even more mysterious than the first, and exhibits even more the love and wisdom of the Lord.” (Spurgeon). God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man For the Chief Musician. That fact that God knows and cares for children in the womb means that God’s concern for life begins at conception. Psalm 139 - For the Chief Musician. Yet God’s presence in hell will radiate none of His love and grace – only His righteous judgment. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. In the psalms, this word is often used to mean the music leader. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Psalm 139:13 Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament The fact that man is manifest to God even to the very bottom of his nature, and … The nature and attributes of God were not mere theories; they were guides to David’s spiritual growth. VanGemeren points out that when looking You know (verse 2) and You covered (verse 13) in the Hebrew grammar, the emphasis is on You. c. When I awake, I am still with You: Day or night, David thought of God because he knew the greatness of God’s thoughts to him. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. In fact, David boasted I hate them with perfect hatred, regarding them as enemies. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.You know my sitting down and my rising up;You understand my thought afar off.You comprehend my path and my lying down,And are acquainted with all my ways.For there is not a word on my tongue,But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.You have hedged me behind and before,And laid Your hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;It is high, I cannot attain it.a. A Plea for Relief from PersecutorsA #Ps. “The Psalmist speaks of God as a Person everywhere present in creation, yet distinct from creation. For You formed my inward parts: The God of all knowledge and constant presence had the care and concern to personally form the child in his mother’s womb. 139 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) i. “The Lord’s writing in the book (cf. While in the path of duty, he may be happy in any situation, by the exercise of faith, hope, and prayer. Psalms 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. JOSEPH A ALEXANDER Psalms Commentary (1864) Spurgeon had high praise for Alexander's work writing that it "Occupies a first place among expositions. “Thy infinite power and wisdom, manifested in the rare and curious structure of man’s body, doth fill me with wonder and astonishment, and with the dread of thy majesty.” (Poole), iii. 5 You have 2 hedged me behind and … 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. But our immortal and rational souls are a still more noble work and gift of God. It is a clear and judicious explanation of the text, and cannot be dispensed with. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Find that perfect Scripture card, add a personalized message, then press send! Psalms chapter 139 KJV (King James Version) 1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) Psalm 139. NKJV 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. On the other hand, the believer cannot be removed from the supporting, comforting presence of his Almighty Friend. New King James Version (NKJV) Bible Book List. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Psalms 139:4 Context. 139:6 " Such knowledge is too wonderful for me" The Septuagint puts Ps. “The piety and charity which are patiently endured in the field, and on the bed of sickness; the misery and torment inflicted by persecution in the mines, the galleys, and the dungeons; all are under the inspection of Jehovah, and are noted down by him against the day of recompense.” (Horne). He wanted to be on God’s side, and therefore even allowed himself to hate those who hated God. Or where can I flee from Your presence? When I am withdrawn from all company, thou knowest what I have in my heart. Long before God “fearfully and wonderfully made” you, he knew what you would be like and what you would do. This is a somewhat elementary, perhaps even a crude, illustration that clearly pictures why the relationship with God is absolutely necessary. Send this FREE Psalm 139:1-3 NKJV eCard to a friend or family member! It is personal and active.” (Kidner). “The greatest miracle in the world is man; in whose very body (how much more in his soul!) It also extended to the future, and God knew David’s days as if they had been written in a book. As the pillar of cloud illuminated Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21), so with God’s presence the night shines as the day. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. are miracles enough (between head and feet) to fill a volume.” (Trapp), v. “If we are marvelously wrought upon even before we are born, what shall we say of the Lord’s dealings with us after we quit his secret workshop, and he directs our pathway through the pilgrimage of life? ... Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16, 23-24 Commentary. This knowledge is comforting to faithful followers and terrifying to the disobedient. With the mind of a trained biologist but the skill of a poet, David declared that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. The Art and Force of Psalm 119:1-8: Part 2 When I awake, I am still with You. This is clear from his prayer, asking for God to discern his motives and his actions.” (VanGemeren), v. “I call upon you to be cautious in using this prayer. Learn more today! O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. And Your right hand shall hold me. What has been already said of deeds and thoughts is now extended to "words." d. You have hedged me behind and before: The normal sense of a hedge in the Bible is of a protective barrier. i. The psalmist gives God credit for preparing him in the womb. This was not the hand of oppression, but the hand of grace. 2 b You know my sitting down and my rising up; You c understand my thought afar off. It means that God’s people have a responsibility to also know and care for children in the womb. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. For the director of music. Psalm 139 is the 139th psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. God hedged David on every side, so that nothing could come to David unless it first passed through God’s permission. Some people argue for the moral right to have an abortion because the mother has the right to do as she pleases with her own body. ii. Many secret sins may hide under a cloak of zeal for the Lord.” (Maclaren), iv. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. “Very beautifully does the lowly prayer for searching and guidance follow the psalmist’s burst of fire. (1-6) He is every where present. “Darkness is light to Him, and has no hiding place from Him.” (Morgan). A Prayer #Ps. Psalm 139:13. Ponder the words of this Psalm; they will truly bring joy to your heart. At the waking of the day, the wonderful presence of God was still with him. To the tune of “Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Such knowledge not only surpasses my comprehension, but even my imagination.” (Spurgeon). Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Explanation and Commentary of Psalm 139:16. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. “The hymnic nature of the first eighteen verses seems to support the claims of Hermann Gunkel and Claus Westermann” (915). See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. You can check these in your browser security settings. Thoughts of our pardon, renewal, upholding, supplying, educating, perfecting, and a thousand more kinds perpetually well up in the mind of the Most High.” (Spurgeon), ii. 5 There has been considerable debate about the precise genre of this psalm. Psalm 139:10 "Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, e You know it altogether. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Psalm 100 Commentary: Seven Commands and Two Motivations of Our Praise. ii. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. It speaks of the fact that God knew David from before his birth, as a child conceived and developing in the womb. It is easy to mock God, by asking him to search you whilst you have made but little effort to search yourselves, and perhaps still less to act upon the result of the scrutiny.” (Melvill, cited in Spurgeon). The Puritan commentator John Trapp had a strange statement on the phrase was not hidden: “Aquinas saith that at the resurrection the bodies of the saints shall be so clear and transparent that all the veins, humours, nerves, and bowels shall be seen, as in a glass. Even the night shall be light about me; In these verses he says, ‘Thy spirit…thy presence…thou art there…thy hand…thy right hand…darkness hideth not from thee.’ God is everywhere, but he is not everything.” (Jones, cited in Spurgeon). It is easier to glow with indignation against evildoers than to keep oneself from doing evil. David admits someone else made him; he did not arise to life fully formed out of nothing. You have searched me and known me: David prayed to Yahweh, understanding … “When I awake may therefore have its strongest sense, a glimpse of resurrection.” (Kidner). 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