Psalms 139

The Inescapable God

¹LORD, you have searched me, and you know me.

²You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar.

³You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

⁴For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, LORD, you know it altogether.

⁵You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me.

⁶This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it.

⁷Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence?

⁸If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!

⁹If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea,

¹⁰even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me.

¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me. The light around me will be night,”

¹²even the darkness doesn’t hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.

¹³For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well.

¹⁵My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth.

¹⁶Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.

¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is their sum!

¹⁸If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.

¹⁹If only you, God, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

²⁰For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain.

²¹LORD, don’t I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?

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

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

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

Previous Psalms 138

Next Psalms 140

Psalm 139 is a profound meditation on God's omniscience, omnipresence, and intimate involvement in human life. The psalmist marvels at how God knows every thought, word, and action, is present everywhere from heaven to Sheol, and personally crafted each person in the womb. After expressing wonder at God's comprehensive knowledge and care, the psalm shifts to a prayer for divine examination and guidance away from wickedness.

Context

This wisdom psalm stands among the most theologically rich in the Psalter, exploring themes of divine attributes that resonate throughout the collection.

Key Themes

Outline

1-6
God's Complete Knowledge The psalmist acknowledges that God knows every detail of human thoughts, words, and actions.
7-12
God's Universal Presence No location exists where one can escape from God's presence, from heaven to the depths.
13-18
God's Creative Involvement God personally forms each person in the womb and has predetermined all their days.
19-22
Opposition to God's Enemies The psalmist expresses hatred toward those who oppose God and speak wickedly against him.
23-24
Prayer for Divine Examination A request for God to search the heart and lead away from any wicked path.

The Inescapable God

139:1–139:24

poetry prayer contemplative

A meditation on God's omniscience and omnipresence, celebrating divine knowledge of human thoughts and actions from conception to death. The psalm concludes with a prayer for purification from wickedness.

theme_rarity

David's intimate address "LORD, you have searched me" (v.1) uniquely pairs the covenant name YHWH with the verb "searched," creating the Bible's most personal declaration of divine omniscience.

Insight Rare Theme

David's intimate address "LORD, you have searched me" (v.1) uniquely pairs the covenant name YHWH with the verb "searched," creating the Bible's most personal declaration of divine omniscience.