Psalms 139–24
Psalm 139:1-24
Psa.139.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- למנצח: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מזמור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- חקרתני: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- ותדע: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 17:10 (verbal): God declares, 'I the LORD search the heart and test the mind,' closely echoing the language of divine searching and knowing in Ps 139:1.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (verbal): David tells Solomon that 'the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought,' a direct echo of God's intimate knowledge of the person.
- Hebrews 4:12-13 (allusion): The NT affirms that God's word judges 'thoughts and intentions' and that nothing is hidden from God's sight, reflecting the same conviction of divine search and knowledge.
- Psalm 44:21 (verbal): The psalmist asks if God will not discover deeds, since 'he knows the secrets of the heart,' thematically mirroring Ps 139:1's emphasis on God's knowledge of the inner person.
Alternative generated candidates
- To the leader. Of David. A psalm. O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
- For the leader. Of David. A psalm. O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
Psa.139.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- ידעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- שבתי: VERB,qal,inf
- וקומי: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,suff
- בנתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לרעי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,suff
- מרחוק: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 139:1 (structural): Immediate parallel within the same psalm: both verses assert God’s intimate knowledge of the psalmist’s actions (sitting and rising) and life.
- Psalm 139:4 (verbal): Closely related line in the same psalm: verse 4 explicitly states that God knows the psalmist’s thoughts from afar, echoing the theme of verse 2.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (thematic): God declares that he searches hearts and tests minds—similar theme of divine insight into inner life and thoughts.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (verbal): David’s statement that the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought parallels the claim that God knows the psalmist’s movements and thoughts.
- Hebrews 4:13 (allusion): New Testament reflection on divine omniscience—nothing hidden from God’s sight—echoes Psalm 139’s theme that God knows our actions and thoughts.
Alternative generated candidates
- You know my sitting down and my rising; from afar you discern my thoughts.
- You know my sitting down and my rising up; from far off you discern my thoughts.
Psa.139.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ארחי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- ורבעי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- זרית: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- דרכי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,1,_,sg
- הסכנתה: VERB,hiph,perf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Ps.139:1-2 (structural): Immediate context — the psalmist declares God knows his sitting, rising, and all his ways (direct continuation of the same theme).
- Prov.5:21 (verbal): Uses similar language about the LORD’s scrutiny of a person’s ways and paths (‘the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD’).
- Job 34:21 (verbal): ‘His eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps’ — closely parallels the verbal idea of divine observation of human movements.
- Jer.23:24 (thematic): God’s omnipresence and inability of humans to hide from him (‘Can a man hide himself in secret places... Do I not fill heaven and earth?’) echoes the psalm’s theme.
- Ps.33:13-15 (thematic): Affirms that the LORD looks from heaven and sees all people and their hearts/ways, paralleling the psalm’s emphasis on God’s seeing and knowing every movement.
Alternative generated candidates
- You search out my path and my lying down; you are acquainted with all my ways.
- You search out my path and my lying down, and you are acquainted with all my ways.
Psa.139.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אין: PART,neg
- מלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בלשוני: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- הן: PART
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ידעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- כלה: ADV
Parallels
- Hebrews 4:13 (thematic): Affirms the same truth that nothing is hidden from God’s sight—everything (words, thoughts, deeds) is open and exposed to him.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (verbal): God declares that he 'searches the heart' and 'tests the mind/intentions,' paralleling the Psalm's claim that even unspoken words and inner thoughts are known by the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (verbal): David tells Solomon that the LORD 'searches all hearts' and knows every intent, echoing the Psalm's assertion of God's intimate knowledge of a person's inner life and words.
- Psalm 139:2 (verbal): Immediate internal parallel within the same Psalm: verse 2 enumerates God’s knowledge of actions and thoughts ('from afar you know my thought'), directly supporting verse 4’s claim about knowing words before they are spoken.
- Job 34:21-22 (thematic): Declares that God’s eyes are on human ways and he sees all steps—sharing the theme that God observes and knows the hidden movements and intentions of people.
Alternative generated candidates
- Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it altogether.
- For there is no word on my tongue—behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
Psa.139.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אחור: ADV
- וקדם: CONJ+ADV
- צרתני: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- ותשת: VERB,qal,imprf,3,fs,sg
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- כפכה: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Ps.139:7-10 (structural): Immediate context: continues the theme of God’s inescapable presence — ‘where can I go… your right hand holds me,’ echoing ‘behind and before’ and ‘your hand upon me.’
- Jer.23:24 (thematic): Affirms God’s omnipresence — ‘Can a man hide himself… Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ — parallels the idea of being hemmed in by God’s presence.
- Prov.15:3 (verbal): ‘The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch’ — similar verbal/thematic motif of God surrounding and observing.
- Ps.125:2 (thematic): ‘As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people’ — imagery of God encircling and protecting like ‘hem me in.’
- Ps.34:7 (thematic): ‘The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him’ — portrays God’s protective presence encircling the faithful, akin to being hemmed in.
Alternative generated candidates
- You hem me in, behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
- You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Psa.139.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- פליאה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- דעת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ממני: PREP,suff,1,m,sg
- נשגבה: VERB,nif,perf,3,f,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- אוכל: VERB,qal,part,1,m,sg
- לה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Job 11:7 (thematic): Rhetorical challenge about whether humans can comprehend the deep things of God; shares the theme of human inability to fathom divine knowledge.
- Isaiah 40:28 (verbal): Declares that God’s understanding is unsearchable—language and concept closely parallel Psalm 139:6’s claim that God’s knowledge is too lofty to reach.
- Psalm 145:3 (verbal): Proclaims the greatness of the LORD and that his greatness is unsearchable, echoing the sense of wonder and the impossibility of fully grasping God.
- Romans 11:33 (verbal): Paul’s doxology speaks of the unsearchable depth of God’s judgments and ways, reflecting the New Testament echo of the Old Testament theme that God’s wisdom exceeds human comprehension.
Alternative generated candidates
- Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is lofty—I cannot attain it.
- Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is lofty, I cannot attain to it.
Psa.139.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אנה: ADV,interrog
- אלך: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- מרוחך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cstr,poss,2,m,sg
- ואנה: ADV,interr
- מפניך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,2m
- אברח: VERB,qal,impf,1,?,sg
Parallels
- Jonah 1:3 (verbal): Jonah 'went down to Joppa... and fled to Tarshish'—explicit instance of attempting to flee from the presence of the Lord, echoing the Psalm's question about fleeing God's Spirit/presence.
- Jeremiah 23:24 (thematic): Rhetorical question—'Can man hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?'—expresses the same doctrine of God's omnipresence and the impossibility of escaping His presence.
- Acts 17:27-28 (thematic): Paul's assertion that 'in him we live and move and have our being' underscores God's pervasive presence everywhere, answering the Psalm's inquiry about where one might flee from God.
- Hebrews 4:13 (verbal): 'Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight'—emphasizes God's all‑pervading knowledge and presence, parallel to the Psalm's claim that one cannot flee God's Spirit or presence.
- Psalm 139:8 (structural): Immediate parallel within the Psalm—'If I ascend to heaven, you are there' directly continues the thought of Ps 139:7 and affirms God's presence everywhere.
Alternative generated candidates
- Where shall I go from your Spirit? Where shall I flee from your presence?
- Where shall I go from your Spirit? Where shall I flee from before you?
Psa.139.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- אסק: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg
- שמים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שם: ADV
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- ואציעה: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנך: PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Jer. 23:23-24 (thematic): Affirms God's omnipresence—‘Am I a God at hand... do I not fill heaven and earth?’ parallels the Psalm’s claim that God is present in heaven and Sheol.
- Prov. 15:3 (verbal): ‘The eyes of the LORD are in every place’ echoes the Psalm’s insistence that God is everywhere and sees/exists wherever the speaker goes.
- Amos 9:2 (thematic): Uses Sheol imagery—‘If they dig into Sheol, from there my hand will take them’—paralleling the Psalm’s assertion of God’s reach even into the realm of the dead.
- Job 34:21-22 (verbal): Speaks of God’s eyes watching human ways and darkness being no cover, echoing the Psalm’s contrast between human movement (heaven/Sheol) and God’s unavoidability.
- Heb. 4:13 (allusion): New Testament statement that nothing is hidden from God’s sight echoes Ps.139’s theme that God is present everywhere and no place excludes Him.
Alternative generated candidates
- If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there.
- If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there.
Psa.139.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשא: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- כנפי: NOUN,f,pl,cstr
- שחר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשכנה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- באחרית: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,const
- ים: NOUN,m,sg,cs
Parallels
- Psalm 139:8 (structural): Immediate parallel within the same psalm — continues the omnipresence theme (if I ascend to heaven, you are there) that frames the 'wings of the morning' line.
- Psalm 139:10 (structural): Direct continuation of the same stanza (darkness and light imagery) reinforcing that nowhere, whether on the sea or in darkness, is one hidden from God.
- Job 38:12-13 (verbal): God's rhetorical question about commanding the morning to 'take hold of the ends of the earth' echoes the 'wings of the morning' and the idea of reaching the uttermost parts of the sea.
- Job 9:8 (thematic): Describes God's mastery over the sea ('treads on the waves of the sea'), paralleling the psalmist's claim that even the farthest sea is within God's presence and reach.
- Psalm 18:10 (thematic): Uses wing/flight imagery for divine movement ('he flew upon the wings of the wind'), resonating with the 'wings of the morning' motif of swift, pervasive divine presence.
Alternative generated candidates
- If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell at the farthest sea,
- If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell at the uttermost parts of the sea,
Psa.139.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- גם: ADV
- שם: ADV
- ידך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,poss:2,f,sg
- תנחני: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg,obj-1cs
- ותאחזני: VERB,qal,imprf,3,f,sg
- ימינך: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Ps.139:5 (verbal): Same psalm; close parallel imagery—God ‘lays his hand upon me’ (Heb. yad) describing divine presence and protection.
- Ps.63:8 (verbal): ‘My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me’ — uses the same ‘right hand’ motif of God’s sustaining grip.
- Ps.73:23 (verbal): ‘Yet I am continually with you; you hold my right hand’ — very similar language of God holding the psalmist’s right hand as guidance and support.
- Isa.41:13 (verbal): ‘I—I am the LORD your God... I hold you by your right hand’ — prophetic assurance of God’s personal, grasping care echoing the psalm’s imagery.
Alternative generated candidates
- even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me fast.
- even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me fast.
Psa.139.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אך: PART
- חשך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ישופני: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ולילה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בעדני: PREP+PRON,1,ms,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 139:12 (structural): Immediate continuation/parallel within the same psalm: affirms that for God even the night is as light and darkness is not dark to Him, echoing the exact darkness/light imagery.
- Psalm 23:4 (thematic): Both verses portray God's presence with the speaker amid 'dark' or dangerous circumstances (the valley of the shadow of death), emphasizing divine comfort and protection in darkness.
- Isaiah 50:10 (thematic): Contrasts human experience of walking in darkness with trusting the LORD; shares the theme that divine help/light is present where humans see only darkness.
- John 1:5 (thematic): Presents the motif of divine light shining into darkness and not being overcome by it, paralleling Psalm 139’s claim that darkness cannot hide one from God and is as light before Him.
Alternative generated candidates
- If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light about me will be night,”
- If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the night will be light about me,”
Psa.139.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- גם: ADV
- חשך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- יחשיך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ממך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- ולילה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כיום: ADV
- יאיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כחשיכה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כאורה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 139:11 (verbal): Immediate internal parallel in the same psalm—both verses state that darkness cannot hide from God (’If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me…’).
- John 1:5 (thematic): Light-versus-darkness motif: ’The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ parallels the idea that divine presence renders night as bright.
- 1 John 1:5 (thematic): ’God is light, and in him is no darkness at all’ echoes the theological assertion that darkness has no standing before God.
- Exodus 13:21–22 (thematic): God’s guiding presence by day as a cloud and by night as fire shows divine accompaniment and guidance equally in darkness and in light, akin to Ps 139’s claim that night is as day to God.
- Psalm 23:4 (thematic): ’Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me’—the psalmist’s confidence that God’s presence dispels the threat of darkness parallels Ps 139:12’s assurance.
Alternative generated candidates
- darkness is not dark to you, and the night shines as the day; darkness and light are alike to you.
- indeed darkness is not dark to you; the night shines as the day—darkness is as light before you.
Psa.139.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- קנית: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- כליתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- תסכני: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- בבטן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אמי: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 1:5 (thematic): Both speak of God’s knowledge and involvement with a person before or at formation in the womb—God’s intimate, prior relationship to the unborn.
- Job 10:8-12 (verbal): Job explicitly speaks of God forming him, knitting him together and clothing him in the womb—language and imagery very close to Psalm 139:13.
- Psalm 22:9-10 (verbal): Psalmist recalls God’s care from the womb (“from my mother’s womb you have been my God”/“you took me from the womb”), echoing dependence and divine involvement at birth.
- Job 31:15 (verbal): Job appeals to the same idea of being made/fashioned in the womb—affirming God (or the Creator) as the maker of human life in the womb.
Alternative generated candidates
- For you formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
- For you formed my inward parts; you wove me in my mother's womb.
Psa.139.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אודך: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- על: PREP
- כי: CONJ
- נוראות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- נפליתי: VERB,niphal,perf,1,_,sg
- נפלאים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- מעשיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,2,ms
- ונפשי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:1cs,pref:CONJ
- ידעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- מאד: ADV
Parallels
- Psalm 139:13 (structural): Immediate context: speaks of God forming the speaker in the womb—directly parallels and elaborates the claim 'fearfully and wonderfully made.'
- Jeremiah 1:5 (thematic): God's intimate knowledge and formation of a person before birth ('Before I formed you in the womb I knew you') echoes the theme of being known and made by God.
- Job 10:8-12 (verbal): Job describes God fashioning him and knitting him in the womb—language of divine craftsmanship parallels the psalm's depiction of being wonderfully made.
- Psalm 104:24 (thematic): A hymn to the Creator's many wondrous works ('How many are your works, O LORD!') complements the psalmist's praise of God's marvelous creative activity.
- Psalm 119:73 (verbal): 'Your hands have made me and fashioned me' uses similar language of being shaped by God's hands, connecting creation and praise in a personal way.
Alternative generated candidates
- I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and my soul knows it well.
- I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and my soul knows it well.
Psa.139.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לא: PART_NEG
- נכחד: VERB,niph,perf,3,m,sg
- עצמי: PRON,1,ms,sg
- ממך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- בסתר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רקמתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- בתחתיות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 139:13 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same psalm: both verses speak of God forming/knitting the speaker in the womb—'you formed my inward parts' and 'I was woven' share the same imagery of intimate formation.
- Job 10:8-12 (verbal): Job uses similar language of being fashioned and 'knit together' by God and placed in secret, echoing the motif of divine workmanship and hidden formation.
- Job 31:15 (thematic): Job asks whether the one who made him in the womb did not also make others, invoking the same theme of being formed by God before birth.
- Jeremiah 1:5 (allusion): God’s declaration that he knew and formed Jeremiah before his birth parallels the psalm’s claim of divine knowledge and workmanship in secret prior to emergence.
- Psalm 22:10 (thematic): Both verses portray a lifelong divine relationship beginning at or before the womb—'from my mother's womb you have been my God' complements the psalm’s emphasis on being known and made in secret.
Alternative generated candidates
- My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
- My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, skillfully woven in the depths of the earth.
Psa.139.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- גלמי: NOUN,m,sg,suff-1cs
- ראו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
- עיניך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+2ms
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- ספרך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2ms
- כלם: PRON,3,m,pl
- יכתבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יצרו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ולו: CONJ+PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- בהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Jeremiah 1:5 (verbal): God’s statement 'before I formed you in the womb I knew you' parallels the idea of divine knowledge/formation prior to birth in Ps 139:16.
- Psalm 139:13-15 (verbal): Immediate internal parallel — the same psalm speaks of God forming and knitting the psalmist in the womb, complementing the 'your eyes saw my unformed substance' motif.
- Job 14:5 (thematic): Affirms the theme that a person’s days are fixed by God ('you have determined his number of months and have set limits for him'), paralleling 'all my days were written'.
- Isaiah 49:5 (verbal): Isaiah’s language of being formed and known by the LORD from the womb ('the LORD called me from the womb; from the belly he named me') resonates with the prenatal divine knowledge and purpose in Ps 139:16.
- Psalm 56:8 (verbal): Uses the metaphor of a divine register ('you have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle—are they not in your book?'), paralleling Ps 139:16’s image of God’s book recording days.
Alternative generated candidates
- Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written all the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
- Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when yet there was none of them.
Psa.139.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולי: CONJ+PREP+PRON,1,sg
- מה: PRON,int
- יקרו: VERB,qal,imperf,3,pl
- רעיך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- מה: PRON,int
- עצמו: PRON,3,m,sg
- ראשיהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Ps.139:18 (structural): Direct continuation of v.17 in the same psalm—v.18 expands the idea that God’s thoughts toward the psalmist are countless and cannot be fully enumerated.
- Ps.40:5 (verbal): Speaks of 'thy thoughts which are to us‑ward' and their innumerable/unspeakable character—language and theme closely echoing Ps 139:17 about God's thoughts toward people.
- Jer.29:11 (thematic): God’s declared ‘plans’ for his people (welfare, future, hope) resonates with the theme that God’s thoughts toward individuals are intentional, caring, and precious.
- Isa.55:8–9 (thematic): Contrasts human and divine thought—emphasizes the transcendence and otherness of God’s thoughts, underscoring their magnitude and inscrutability as in Ps 139:17.
- Rom.11:33 (thematic): Paul’s doxology on the depth and unsearchable nature of God’s wisdom and judgments parallels the awe expressed in Ps 139:17 at the abundance and value of God’s thoughts.
Alternative generated candidates
- How precious to me are your thoughts, O God; how vast is the sum of them!
- How precious to me are your thoughts, O God; how vast is the sum of them!
Psa.139.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אספרם: VERB,qal,impf,1,m,sg
- מחול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ירבון: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- הקיצתי: VERB,hiph,perf,1,m,sg
- ועודי: CONJ
- עמך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2m
Parallels
- Genesis 22:17 (verbal): Uses the same sand-as-myriad imagery (“as the sand of the sea”) to describe innumerable descendants—echoes Ps 139’s ‘more than the sand.’
- Hebrews 11:12 (allusion): Speaks of descendants ‘as numerous as the stars…and as the innumerable grains of sand,’ directly echoing the biblical sand/star motif of countless number.
- Matthew 28:20 (verbal): Jesus’ promise ‘I am with you always’ parallels the psalm’s assurance of continued divine presence (‘when I awake, I am still with thee’).
- Psalm 23:4 (thematic): Both verses emphasize God’s intimate, sustaining presence with the speaker (‘you are with me’), a central pastoral theme of trust and companionship.
- Psalm 147:4 (thematic): Speaks of God numbering and naming the stars—connects to the psalm’s concern with counting/number and God’s comprehensive knowledge of the innumerable.
Alternative generated candidates
- Were I to count them, they outnumber the sand; when I awake I am still with you.
- If I would count them, they are more than the sand; when I awake I am still with you.
Psa.139.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- תקטל: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אלוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רשע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואנשי: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- דמים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- סורו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- מני: PREP+PRON,1,_,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 139:21-22 (structural): Immediate continuation of Psalm 139 expressing hatred of the wicked and those who oppose God; develops the same sentiment as v.19.
- Psalm 26:5 (verbal): Uses the language of hating the company of evildoers—'I hate the assembly of evildoers'—parallel in emotional stance toward the wicked.
- Psalm 5:5-6 (verbal): Speaks of God hating evildoers and violent men, echoing the idea of separating from 'bloodthirsty' people in Ps.139:19.
- Proverbs 6:16-19 (thematic): Lists things the LORD hates, including 'hands that shed innocent blood,' thematically linked to the denunciation of bloodthirsty men.
- Psalm 11:5 (thematic): Declares that the LORD 'hates' those who love violence; thematically parallels the condemnation of violent, bloodthirsty people.
Alternative generated candidates
- O that you would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, you men of blood.
- If only you would slay the wicked, O God—away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
Psa.139.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יאמרך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- למזמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נשא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לשוא: PREP
- עריך: NOUN,f,pl,const
Parallels
- Psalm 139:21-22 (structural): Immediate context and continuation of the same thought: the psalmist intensifies his denunciation of those who oppose God, explicitly expressing hatred of them as enemies.
- Psalm 5:5-6 (verbal): Uses similar language of hatred toward the wicked — God (and by extension the righteous) 'hates all workers of iniquity' — paralleling the psalmist's hostility to those who rise against God.
- Psalm 26:5 (verbal): First‑person declaration 'I hate the assembly of evildoers' closely echoes the personal hatred of evildoers expressed in Psalm 139:20.
- Romans 12:19 (thematic): New Testament contrast: while Psalm 139 articulates imprecatory hatred of God's enemies, Romans counsels believers to leave vengeance to God — a theological counterpoint on handling enemies.
Alternative generated candidates
- They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain.
- For they devise malicious schemes against you; your enemies take your name in vain.
Psa.139.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הלוא: PART
- משנאיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:2ms
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשנא: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- ובתקוממיך: CONJ+PREP,PTCP,qal,act,masc,pl,abs,poss:2ms
- אתקוטט: VERB,hitpael,impf,1,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 26:5 (verbal): Uses the same first‑person declaration of hatred toward evildoers: “I hate the assembly of evildoers,” paralleling the psalmist’s personal loathing of those who oppose the LORD.
- Psalm 119:104 (verbal): “Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.” Shares the language of hatred for that which opposes God’s ways — a moral/ideological parallel.
- Psalm 5:5–6 (thematic): Speaks of God’s hatred of the wicked and his opposition to liars and evildoers. The theme of divine enemies and hatred of evil connects the psalmist’s hatred of those who rise against the LORD.
- Romans 12:9 (thematic): “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” New Testament ethical teaching parallels the psalmist’s stance: hatred of evil/opposition to God while maintaining commitment to God’s good.
- Psalm 139:22 (structural): Immediate continuation of v.21: intensifies the sentiment (“I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies”), making this the closest direct parallel within the same psalm.
Alternative generated candidates
- Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
- Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? Do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
Psa.139.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תכלית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שנאה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שנאתים: NOUN,f,sg,abs+3,m,pl
- לאויבים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 139:21 (verbal): Immediate context and verbal parallel—v.21 asks, 'Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?' and v.22 continues with declared hatred of such enemies.
- Psalm 26:5 (thematic): Personal repudiation of the wicked: 'I hate the assembly of evildoers; I will not sit with the wicked,' echoing the psalmist's hatred of enemies/evildoers.
- Psalm 119:104 (thematic): Expression of moral aversion—'I hate every false way'—paralleling the psalmist's hatred rooted in fidelity to God's ways.
- Proverbs 8:13 (allusion): 'The fear of the LORD is to hate evil,' linking hatred of evil (and thus of those who oppose God) to reverent devotion—an underlying motive in Ps 139:21–22.
- Psalm 101:3 (thematic): Commitment to avoid and hate wickedness: 'I will set no worthless thing before my eyes... I hate the work of those who fall away,' similar personal stance toward evildoers.
Alternative generated candidates
- I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies.
- I hate them with a complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
Psa.139.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- חקרני: VERB,piel,imp,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- ודע: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- לבבי: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- בחנני: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- ודע: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- שרעפי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
Parallels
- Ps.26:2 (verbal): Uses the same petitionary vocabulary—'examine/prove me'—requesting God to test inner life as in Ps 139:23.
- Ps.17:3 (thematic): Speaks of God testing the heart and examining by night, echoing the theme of divine scrutiny of inner motives.
- Ps.7:9 (verbal): Addresses God as one who 'searches minds and hearts,' closely paralleling the language of divine searching in Ps 139:23.
- Jer.17:10 (thematic): God declares that he searches hearts and tests minds—an explicit theological parallel about God's investigative knowledge of human inner life.
Alternative generated candidates
- Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts.
- Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts.
Psa.139.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וראה: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- אם: CONJ
- דרך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עצב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ונחני: VERB,hiph,impv,2,m,sg
- בדרך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עולם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 139:23 (verbal): Immediate literary pair: the preceding verse petitions God to search and test the speaker—closely linked to asking God to see any evil way and then to guide him.
- Psalm 23:3 (thematic): Both requests for divine guidance—'He leads me in paths of righteousness' parallels 'lead me in the way everlasting,' focusing on being led by God into right/eternal ways.
- Psalm 25:4-5 (thematic): A penitential plea to be shown God's ways and led in truth—similar language of asking God to teach and guide the worshiper on the right path.
- Jeremiah 6:16 (allusion): Call to 'ask for the ancient paths' and walk the good way echoes the plea to be led in the 'way everlasting'—both contrast human error with God's enduring way.
- Psalm 119:35 (thematic): 'Make me walk in the path of your commandments' parallels the desire in Ps 139:24 to be directed by God into the enduring/true way.
Alternative generated candidates
- See if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
- See if there be any harmful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
You sift my going out and my coming in; you are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is no word on my tongue—behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
Behind and before you have enclosed me; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is lofty—I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell at the farthest sea,
even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely darkness shall overtake me, and the night shall be my light,”
indeed, darkness is not dark to you; the night shines as the day—darkness and light are alike to you.
For you formed my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, skillfully woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written all the days that were ordained for me, when none of them yet existed.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them—they are more than the sand; when I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, O God, would slay the wicked; depart from me, you bloodthirsty men.
Those who devise mischief against you speak maliciously; they lift up vain words against you.
Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.