Psalm Chapter 139 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
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.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Key Takeaways from This Psalm:
Psalm 139:1
Verse: יְהוָה, חָקַרְתָּנִי
Transliteration: Adonai, chakar’ta’ni
English: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.”
Focus Word: חָקַר (Chakar)
- Root: ח-ק-ר (Chet-Qof-Resh)
- Meaning: “To search,” “to examine,” “to investigate.”
- Deeper Insight: Chakar conveys thorough knowledge and scrutiny, emphasizing God’s intimate understanding of every aspect of our lives.
| Hebrew Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning | Scholarly Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| חָקַר — chakar | Verse 1 — “O LORD, You have searched me…” | “To search,” investigate. | Chakar (“to search”) denotes deep, penetrating examination. It highlights intimate divine knowledge. The word opens the Psalm’s theme of omniscience. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| יָדַע — yada | Verse 1 — “…and known me.” | “To know,” understand intimately. | Yada (“to know”) signifies personal, experiential knowledge. It expresses relational depth beyond mere awareness. The term anchors God’s intimate involvement. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary |
| בִּין — bin | Verse 2 — “You understand my thought…” | “To understand,” perceive. | Bin (“to understand”) captures analytical comprehension of internal motives. It reinforces divine discernment. The word magnifies God’s psychological knowledge. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary |
| זֵרָה — zera | Verse 3 — “You sift my path…” | “To winnow,” scrutinize. | Zera (“to winnow”) signifies examination of one’s conduct. It reflects God’s ability to distinguish motives. The term deepens the Psalm’s scrutiny imagery. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| סָכַךְ — sakhakh | Verse 13 — “You knit me together…” | “To weave,” cover, knit. | Sakhakh (“to weave/knit”) portrays God’s intimate formation of life. It emphasizes intentionality in creation. The word enriches the Psalm’s embryological imagery. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary |
| יָרֵא — yare | Verse 14 — “I am fearfully… made.” | “To fear,” awe. | Yare (“to awe”) highlights reverence felt toward God’s craftsmanship. It reflects wonder at human formation. The term elevates the Psalm’s tone of praise. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Commentary |
| פָּלָא — pala | Verse 14 — “…and wonderfully made.” | “To be wonderful,” extraordinary. | Pala (“wonderfully made”) depicts God’s workmanship as miraculous. It emphasizes uniqueness of creation. The term affirms divine artistry. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| יָצַר — yatsar | Verse 16 — “Your eyes saw my substance…” | “To form,” shape. | Yatsar (“to form”) conveys potter imagery of intentional creation. It emphasizes divine sovereignty over life’s design. The word supports the Psalm’s theological anthropology. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary |
| סָפַר — safar | Verse 16 — “…written in Your book…” | “To count,” record. | Safar (“to record”) signifies divine ordering of life’s days. It stresses meticulous providence. The term highlights comprehensive divine oversight. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Commentary |
| נָטָה — natah | Verse 23 — “Search me, O God…” | “To examine,” incline. | Natah (“to examine”) expresses invitation to divine probing. It welcomes God’s corrective insight. The word concludes the Psalm with submission to guidance. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon |
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar (Institution & Dates) | Work | View on Psalm 139 |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Scott (University of Edinburgh, 1747–1821) | Commentary on the Holy Bible | Scott observes that the Psalm beautifully portrays God’s intimate knowledge of human life and thought. |
| John Owen (University of Oxford, 1616–1683) | A Commentary on the Psalms | Owen stresses that recognition of God’s omniscience calls for both reverence and moral accountability. |
| George Buchanan (St Andrews / Paris, 1506–1582) | Commentaries on the Psalms | Buchanan highlights that the Psalm reassures believers that they are continually within God’s care. |
| Philip Doddridge (Northampton Academy, 1702–1751) | Family Expositor | Doddridge underscores the Psalm’s invitation to trust God’s guidance in all aspects of life. |
| John Brown (Edinburgh, 1722–1787) | Self-Interpreting Bible | Brown interprets the Psalm as showing the inseparability of God’s presence from human experience. |
THE ALL-KNOWING GOD.
Psl. 139 where our text for today was taken is an interesting part of the scripture which reveals one of the awesome power of God. We know that our God is the Almighty, but that’s not all about him. An awesome part of him is his all-knowing nature.
In the nature of God, he knows the ending from the beginning and that is why he is called the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13)
In his all-knowing power, he knows you before you were formed in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). So, there is absolutely nothing hidden from God. He was the one who covered us in our mother’s womb. (Psl. 139:13)
No amount of darkness can keep anything away from him because darkness and light are the same before him. (Psl. 139:12)
The whole of Psl. 139 teaches a great lesson. It teaches us that, no matter what we are experiencing, no matter what we are going through, God knows it all. (Psl. 139:2-4). Instead of getting worried about the ugly situation, tell the all-knowing God about it. Even before you ask, he already knows what you need (Matthew 6:8). All that is needed is for you to do your part wholehearted in your prayers. What you need is already ready but you can’t access it until you request it in prayers. (Matthew 7:7) 1 John 5:14-15 says, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petition that we desired of him.”
We may say since God knows about our needs before we ask and also our troubles before we pray, why couldn't he just give us our desires before we pray or save us from troubles before we ever fall into them. The answer to this is that He wants us to trust Him by asking and not to rely on our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5). God is able to keep that which is entrusted to Him. The Apostle Paul, while going through persecution because of the gospel, said in 2Timothy 1:12 that “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
Peter would have remained in prison and even been killed if prayers were not made for him without ceasing by the Church. (Acts 12:5). Does it mean God was not aware of Peter’s persecution and arrest by Herod? Of Course, he knew but there is a need to reckon him as the all-knowing and almighty God through our prayers. When we pray, we show reverence to him as the one who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ever ask. (Ephesians 3:20)
Prayer
Father, please help me to trust you more in prayers and to know that everything I need is in you because you know my rising up and my sitting down. (Psl. 139:2) Amen.
