You have searched me and known me: David prayed to Yahweh, understanding … To get what Psalm 139:15 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity. Verse 9 talks about the farthest directions on earth and islands. III. David then says that even before he speaks, God knows what he will say. In reality, King David seems also to be addressing a common claim by those who rejected God that “God cannot see what we do” (Psa 10:11, Psa 59:7,Psa 64:5, Psa 73:11, Psa 94:7, Eze 9:9). Keeping with the very personal theme in this chapter, King David describes his time in the womb: Psa 139:13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. There is, perhaps, no other place in Scripture where the bigness of God is as strikingly set forth as it is in Psalm 139. The idea that God can see you when you turn out the lights would be a given. It is no wonder that very specific verses of one particular psalm are triumphed over the thousands of other verses. David wants God to act and to teach. Minor Prophets If literal, King David is making a point that no Negative Theologian would ever make. Psalm 139:23 Context: Search me, God, and know my heart. Psa 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. 7-12 in the larger context of the psalm as a prayer for God’s help against enemies or persecutors. Straightforwardly, King David is impressed that God knows him so well that God knows what David will say. What does Psalm chapter 139 mean? The days are not being formed. God made us, and therefore no doubt he knows us; he saw us when we were in the forming, and can we be hidden from him now that we are formed? GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, The Whole Bible Even in verse 2, God is said to be afar off. 1. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Psa 139:11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” It sings the omniscience and omnipresence of God, inferring from these the overthrow of the powers of wickedness, since he who sees and hears the abominable deeds and words of the rebellious will surely deal with them according to his justice. I. God, who knew him, thought of him, and his thoughts towards him were thoughts of love, thought of good, and not of evil, Jer. David’s unformed body is planned for development before it is complete. 3. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. from the beginning of the world, when days were first formed by thee, and when as yet none of them actually existed. God protects David. Before David developed as a baby, that path had been designed by God. After disclaiming evil men, King David gives a straightforward petition for God to search him, test him, and prove that he is not wicked. Psalms 139 shows the danger of forcing texts to conform to abstract theology. The first verse starts with King David claiming that God has searched him. To put this in perspective, in verses 13, 14, and 15, David is talking about how his body is designed during pregnancy. The idea is a special bond, not a generic praise. King David starts the verse by exclaiming “even there”. Major Prophets Verse 6 is an exclamation that this is an amazing revelation. While each psalm is a self-contained poem that ought to be read in its own right—and not twisted to say whatever we want it to say—”context” in the psalms is more fluid than in other books of the Bible. There is a sort of virtual omnipresence being described (at least in relation to King David’s life). With a holy dread and detestation of sin and sinners (, 3. Those who are praising God are the very men who will praise him. Psalm 139:23, 24 . In the last verse, King David’s subject remains the same. King David’s psalms praise God for God’s careful and meticulous involvement in King David’s own life. (PSALM 139:21-22) Eric Peels Summary In this article the offensive prayer of Psalm 139:21-22 with its dubious utterance of hatred is investigated with regard to its particular language, context and intentions. The point of these verses is that there is nowhere that one can hide or escape from the presence of God. I. King David, as I have written before, was a great Open Theist poet. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. In Psalms: heaven is personified (Psa 50:6), heaven is where God resides (Psa 102:19), and heaven is where birds fly (Psa 8:8). In verse 15, David was “made” and “woven”. Wisdom Literature Change ), A Biblical guide to theology, economics and life in general, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Apologetics Thursday – Ware’s Subtle Dishonesty on Psalms 139 | God is Open, Apologetics Thursday – Does God know and see everything? King David is not familiar with Negative Theology. Poetical Books -------------------- Wisdom Literature Luke-Acts God, instead, searches David in order to know David. Those adhering to Negative Theology have to ignore the plan implications of the very same verses they use to make their points.–plain implications? There is a sort of virtual omnipresence being described (at least in relation to King David’s life). Poetical Books King David takes a reverse and specific stance: “God can see me everywhere”. It is more profitable to meditate on Divine truths, applying them to our own cases, and with hearts lifted to God in prayer, than … What were you doing in there all of these … Continue reading "Commentary on Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18" King David claims that God can see him no matter how far he runs and no matter the lighting conditions. It is a very personal image: God is watching and guiding King David’s fetal formation. Psalm 139 begins by expressing the infinite knowledge of God. Blue Letter Bible offers several daily devotional readings in order to help you refocus on Christ and the Gospel of His peace and righteousness. A verification email has been sent to the address you provided. Psalm 139:10 "Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." Notice: God protects David. 1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. Error: Passwords should have at least 6 characters, Error: Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. Psalm 139. -------------------- Assuming, however, that the Negative theologians are right and David was referring to his entire life being planned, this could also fit normal speech without necessitating omniscience. He that framed the engine knows all the motions of it. KING JAMES VERSION (KJV) TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point YOU HAVE SEARCHED ME, YOU KNOW ME. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Most likely David’s point is that as his body develops that God simultaneously records this in His book. Psa 139:2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.You know my sitting down and my rising up;You understand my thought afar off.You comprehend my path and my lying down,And are acquainted with all my ways.For there is not a word on my tongue,But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.You have hedged me behind and before,And laid Your hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;It is high, I cannot attain it.a. Importing these concepts into the text break the flow and meaning of the text. -------------------- -------------------- Psa 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psa 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Glorious things are here said concerning it. Verse 11 and 12 are very interesting. Pingback: Apologetics Thursday – Ware’s Subtle Dishonesty on Psalms 139 | God is Open. It is, indeed, wonderfully made; and it is withal so exquisitely nice and delicate, that the slightest accident may impair or destroy in a moment some of those parts essentially necessary to the continuance of life; therefore, we are fearfully made. If God treated everyone the same way as David, this destroys the emotion and meaning behind King David’s words. David is sure that God perfectly knows him and all his ways. God does not inherently know. It is much like modern soldiers stating that “war is hell”. O LORD, you have searched me and known me! Option 2 seems probable. The days scheduled for my formation were inscribed, even though not one of them had come yet. 3. But “days” seems to be the wrong translation. God even knows what David will say before he says it (v 4). Context The historical context of Psalm 139 is not known. The New Testament Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. God is physically located everywhere and David cannot find a square inch of space that God does not inhabit. God knows all the wickedness of the wicked, and therefore he will reckon for it: 1. The reason why God will punish them, because they daringly affront him and set him at defiance (. Poetical Books Psa 139:18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. David here lays down this great doctrine, That the God with whom we have to do has a perfect knowledge of us, and that all the motions and actions both of our inward and of our outward man are naked and open before him. It makes more sense as a statement saying “although you are not near me, you know me, and that is powerful and special.” Besides God, the phrase “afar” is used mainly for far away countries and variations of the phrase are used for people when the people are far but visible. A psalm. How vast is the sum of them! Verse 14. Immediately it exalts God as all knowing and omnipresent, and clearly shows that all of man's life is in God's hands. Psalm 139: No Escape From God Related Media. David is talking about being formed in the womb. Pauline Epistles Psa 139:3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. With a holy satisfaction in our own integrity, concerning which we may appeal to God (. Darby Bible Translation As such Psalms 139 loses its meaning. -------------------- David shows utter disgust towards those who “rise up against” God. Although Psalms 139 is just one of around 80 or more psalms authored by King David, it is the most utilized by those engaging in Negative Theology. Those adhering to Negative Theology have to ignore the natural implications of the very same verses they use to make their points. The only inference to personal circumstances is found in verse 19-22, where the poet points to the wicked, who are the enemies of God and his enemies. of Scripture. This sets David apart from others. God protects King David through his life. Both we and God, for example, know that the statement “two plus two equals four” is a true statement, that it corresponds to reality. It is of great use to us to know the certainty of the things wherein we have been instructed, that we may not only believe them, but be able to tell why we believe them, and to give a reason of the hope that is in us. Hell was a figurative state of being. Pentateuch In keeping with this dramatic flair, King David challenges God to test him: Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Here the psalmist makes application of the doctrine of God's omniscience, divers ways. Psa 139:24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! ( Log Out /  Instead, King David writes as if he has no familiarity with omniscience (or any other Negative attribute) even being a theological option. 23Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. This counters the Negative attributes of omniscience, eternality (timelessness), and omnipotence. Put to the Test . If King David believed God knew from time eternity what King David would say then why would King David speak in such a limited scope about God’s knowledge? PSALM 139:15. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point "It is such a knowledge as I cannot comprehend, much less describe. 2. The text is filled with figurative expressions. King David was still talking about fetology in verse 16. Several versions use a similar translation to this. It is not written as if that was part of David’s normal theology. In verse 14, David says he was “made”. The glory of it is here given to God, entirely to him; (2.) ( Log Out /  Consider it, (1.) David thinks God is watching him from a distant location. If that was the case, verse 15 would be an abrupt subject change followed by another abrupt subject change in verse 17. Major Prophets In Psalms 139, God is depicted as immensely personal with King David, but God is not omnipresent. Pauline Epistles It consists mainly of an extended “statement of trust.” But at the end, there is a “petition” or specific request for assistance. The other is the more natural meaning, That the different parts of the human body are formed in a succession of time; for in the first germ there is no arrangement of parts, or proportion of members, but it is developed, and takes its peculiar form progressively. Share this page using one of these tools: Email / username or password was incorrect! Psa 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, | God is Open, Pingback: Apologetics Thursday – Verses on God Ordaining Free Acts | God is Open, Pingback: understanding psalms 89 | reality is not optional, Pingback: Apologetics Thursday – William Birch’s Disingenuous Representation of Open Theism | God is Open, Pingback: Apologetics Thursday – A Re-Examination of Open Theism | God is Open. Psalm 139:14 . 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,[ a] you are there. 1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. III. Notice David’s pride concerning how well God knows and watches him. This book, which includes psalms 90-150, consists largely, but notexclusively, of hymnic psalms and thanksgiving psalms. One scholar… No veil can hide us from God's eye, no, not that of the thickest darkness, II. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. David was generally seen as contingency plan. O LORD, you have searched me and known me. Minor Prophets It’s uncanny. The Bible also affirms this throughout: God loved King David to such an extent that God allowed King David to retain the kingdom of Israel even after he committed the same offense for which it was taken from Saul (compare 1Sa 13 to 1Sa 30:20). As expected, verse 9 through 12 are often not mentioned although they are in the same block of thought. It is ascribed to David. Tucker and Grant note how many hymns tend to highlight the fascination and comfort gained from God’s presence. Along with the normal ways this text contradicts the Negative attributes, notice that there is an element of location involved with “afar”. The Gospels Try me, and know my thoughts. The Old Testament GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point King David did not write this psalm with Negative Theology in mind. Some of the Jewish doctors are of opinion that this is the most excellent of all the psalms of David; and a very pious devout meditation it is upon the doctrine of God's omniscience, which we should therefore have our hearts fixed upon and filled with in singing this psalm. 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Is omniscient, but God is acquainted with all David ’ s unformed body planned... This psalm begins with perhaps the grandest contemplation … 1 you have searched me you... Case, verse 9 through 12 are often not mentioned although they more., my initial thoughts were, “ while you are commenting using your Google account wonderfully! Note, David could be using a series of figurative expressions begins by expressing the infinite knowledge the! The life of times of David inescapable God - to the Wisdom literature the eye of God saw us,... Carrying out up ; you are familiar with all my designs and undertakings 1... To store user preferences God know and see if there be any wicked way in me, are. The use of URLs parent does not extend your enemies take your name in vain have plans their! If I ascend to heaven, you know when I sit down and when I sit down and are with.