Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising . All that I do from one end of the day to the other. Thou understandest my thought afar off; i . e . while it is just forming—long before it is a fully developed thought. read more
O Lord, thou hast searched me - The word rendered searched, has a primary reference to searching the earth by boring or digging, as for water or metals. See Job 28:3. Then it means to search accurately or closely.And known me - As the result of that search, or that close investigation. Thou seest all that is in my heart. Nothing is, or can be, concealed from thee. It is with this deep consciousness that the psalm begins; and all that follows is but an expansion and application of this idea. It... read more
Thou knowest my downsitting ... - In the various circumstances of life, thou knowest me. Thou knowest me in one place as well as in another. I cannot so change my position that thou will not see me, and that thou wilt not be perfectly acquainted with all that I say, and all that I do. In every posture, in every movement, in every occupation, thou hast a full knowledge of me. I cannot go out of thy sight; I cannot put myself into such a position that thou wilt not see me.Thou understandest my... read more
Psalms 139:1-3. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me That is, known me exactly, as men know those things which they diligently search out. Thou knowest my down-sitting, &c. All my postures and motions; my actions, and my cessation from action. Thou understandest my thoughts All my secret counsels, designs, and imaginations; afar off Before they are perfectly formed in my own mind. Thou knowest what my thoughts will be in such and such circumstances, long before I know it,... read more
Psalms 139:0 The all-knowing, ever-present GodGod knows all about the psalmist - what he does, what he thinks, where he goes and what he says (139:1-4). Because of the realization that God is all around him, the psalmist sometimes feels helpless (5-6). A person may be tempted to look for some escape from such an overpowering presence, but no escape is possible. This may bring fear to rebels but it brings comfort to believers (7-8). Wherever they travel, God is with them (9-10). In darkness or... read more
Title. A Psalm. Hebrew. mizmor. App-65 . of David = by David. The words alleged to be Chaldaisms in verses: Psalms 139:3 , Psalms 139:4 , Psalms 139:8 , Psa 3:20 , are found in the earlier books such as Leviticus 1:0 and 2 Samuel. There is no internal evidence of non-Davidic authorship. LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . searched = search out as for treasures or secrets. known = seen, so as to understand. read more
downsitting . . . uprising. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), App-6 , put for all movements. thoughts inward thought. Occurs only here and in Psalms 139:17 . read more
PSALM 139THE OMNISCIENCE; OMNIPRESENCE; AND OMNIPOTENCE OF GODThis writer's love of this psalm is enhanced by his remembrance of the frequent reading of it in the chapel services of Abilene Christian College by Dean Henry Eli Speck in the years of 1923-1924.Scholars have exhausted their vocabularies extolling the glory and greatness of Psalms 139. "This poem is not only one of the chief glories of the Psalter, but in its religious insight and devotional warmth, it is conspicuous among the great... read more
Psalms 139:0. David praiseth God for his all-seeing providence, and for his infinite mercies: he defieth the wicked: he prayeth for sincerity. To the chief musician, A Psalm of David. Title. מזמור לדוד למנצה lamnatseach ledavid mizmor.— This psalm is generally thought to have been composed by David when he lay under the imputation of having evil designs against Saul: in which view, it is a solemn appeal to the divine omnipresence and omniscience, for his innocence in that matter: the Psalmist... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 139:1-24
Lord, thou knowest altogether. This psalm, one of the most sublime of them all, is of unknown authorship. It seems to be the composition of some saint of God who lived after the Captivity. If so , what proof it gives of the blessing of sanctified sorrow (cf. the probably companion psalm, Psalms 119:1-176 ; Psalms 119:67 , Psalms 119:71 , Psalms 119:75 )! The furnace of the Exile, the husks of the far country, did bring prodigal Israel to himself; and this psalm is one clear... read more