Psalms 139:1–4
God searches and knows every step and every word
Study it word by word1For the director. Of David. A psalm. YHWH, you have examined me and known me.
2You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought from afar.
3My path and my lying down you have sifted, and all my ways you are familiar with.
4For there is not a word on my tongue— look, YHWH, you know all of it.
In its context
…
5Behind and before you have hemmed me in, and you have laid on me your palm.
6Too wonderful is knowledge for me; it is high; I cannot reach it.
Its words in the original
- מְנַצֵּחַmenatseach· direct, oversee
Direct: be in charge of a work or of the music of worship. From this word comes the title "for the director" of many psalms.
- דָוִדdavid· David
David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."
- מִזְמוֹרmizmor· psalm
Psalm: a song sung with instruments. It is the title of many of the poems in the book of Psalms.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- חֲקַרְתַּchakarta· search out, examine
Search out: examine something thoroughly.
- תֵּדָעteda· know
Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").
- שִׁבְתִּshivti· sit, dwell
Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.
- קוּמִkumi· rise, stand, establish
Rise, stand up; also stand firm, establish or fulfill something. "Rise against" is to attack.
- בַּנְתָּהbanta· understand, discern
Understand, discern: perceive clearly, distinguish, see what ought to be done.
- רֵעִrei· thought
Thought, what someone thinks or has in mind.
- רָחוֹקrachok· far, distant
Far, distant, remote, in place or in time; often "from afar".
- אָרְחִarchi· path, way
Way, path; one's usual manner. "The way of women" is menstruation. Also a caravan.
- רִבְעִrivi· lying down
Lying down, the time when one stretches out to rest.
- זֵרִיתָzerita· scatter, winnow
Scatter, winnow.
- דְּרָכַderacha· way
Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.
- הִסְכַּנְתָּהhiskanta· be accustomed, serve
Be accustomed, be in the habit of something; also serve, be of use.
- מִלָּהmila· word, speech
A word, a saying; what someone says. It is a poetic word, used very often in the book of Job.
- לְשׁוֹנִleshoni· tongue
Tongue: the organ of the mouth and also language; also something shaped like a tongue (of flame, of land, of gold).