Psalms 139:5

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3 ^aYou¹ comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, ^aYou know it altogether.

5 You have¹ hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.

6 ^aSuch knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 ^aWhere can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 ^aIf I ascend into heaven, You are there;
^bIf I make my bed in¹ hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall¹ fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, ^athe darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

<< Psalms 139:4

Psalms 139:6 >>

Psalms 139:5

Thou hast beset me behind and before - The word rendered "beset" - tsûr - means properly to press; to press upon; to compress. It has reference commonly to the siege of a city, or to the pressing on of troops in war; and then it comes to mean to besiege, hem in, closely surround, so that there is no way of escape. This is the idea here - that God was on every side of him; that he could not escape in any direction. He was like a garrison besieged in a city so that there was no means of escape. There is a transition here (not an unnatural one), from the idea of the Omniscience of God to that of His Omnipresence, and the remarks which follow have a main reference to the latter.

And laid thine hand upon me - That is, If I try to escape in any direction I find thine band laid upon me there. Escape is impossible.

<< Psalms 139:4

Psalms 139:6 >>

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