New International VersionYou hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
New Living TranslationYou go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
English Standard VersionYou hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
Berean Standard BibleYou hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.
King James BibleThou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
New King James VersionYou have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
New American Standard BibleYou have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me.
NASB 1995You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
NASB 1977Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.
Legacy Standard BibleYou have enclosed me behind and before, And You have put Your hand upon me.
Amplified BibleYou have enclosed me behind and before, And [You have] placed Your hand upon me.
Christian Standard BibleYou have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me.
Holman Christian Standard BibleYou have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me.
American Standard VersionThou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thy hand upon me.
Contemporary English Versionand with your powerful arm you protect me from every side.
English Revised VersionThou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationYou are all around me-in front of me and in back of me. You lay your hand on me.
Good News TranslationYou are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.
International Standard VersionYou encircle me from back to front, placing your hand upon me.
NET BibleYou squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me.
New Heart English BibleYou encircle me behind and in front, and you place your hand upon me.
Webster's Bible TranslationThou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleYou hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.
World English BibleYou hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionYou have besieged me behind and before, "" And You place Your hand on me.
Young's Literal Translation Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand.
Smith's Literal TranslationThou didst press me behind and before, and thou wilt place thine hand upon me. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBehold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me.
Catholic Public Domain VersionBehold, O Lord, you have known all things: the newest and the very old. You have formed me, and you have placed your hand over me.
New American Bible
Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.
New Revised Standard Version
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.Translations from Aramaic Lamsa Bible
From the beginning to the end, thou knowest me, O LORD, for thou hast formed and laid thy hand upon me.
Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
For from the beginning to the end you have formed me, and you have set your hand upon me.OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.
Brenton Septuagint Translation
the last and the first: thou hast fashioned me, and laid thine hand upon me.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context You Have Searched Me and Known Me… 4Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD. 5You hem me inbehindand before;You have laidYour handupon me.6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.…
Cross References Isaiah 41:10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Job 23:8-9If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him. / When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him.
Deuteronomy 31:8The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
Exodus 13:21-22And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. / Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.
2 Kings 6:16-17“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” / Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Jeremiah 23:23-24“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away?” / “Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; / in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Genesis 28:15Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Isaiah 52:12For you will not leave in a hurry nor flee in haste, for the LORD goes before you, and the God of Israel is your rear guard.
Matthew 28:20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Romans 8:31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Philippians 4:7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
John 10:28-29I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. / My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
Hebrews 13:5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
2 Corinthians 12:9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
Treasury of Scripture You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand on me. beset me Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal Godis thy refuge, and underneathare the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroythem. Job 23:8,9 Behold, I go forward, but heis notthere; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: … and laid Exodus 24:11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: Jump to Previous BesetBesiegedEnclosedHandHemHemmedLaidShutSideJump to Next BesetBesiegedEnclosedHandHemHemmedLaidShutSidePsalm 139 1.David praises God for his all-seeing providence17.And for this infinite mercies19.He defies the wicked23.He prays for sincerityYou hem me in behind and before;This phrase suggests God's comprehensive protection and guidance. The imagery of being "hemmed in" evokes the idea of being surrounded or enclosed, indicating God's omnipresence and omnipotence. In biblical times, cities were often fortified with walls for protection, and this metaphor reflects a similar sense of security provided by God. The concept of God being both "behind and before" emphasizes His eternal nature, as He exists outside of time, knowing the past, present, and future. This aligns with other scriptures such as Isaiah 52:12, which speaks of God going before and being the rear guard, and Deuteronomy 31:8, where God promises to go before His people. Theologically, this can be seen as a type of Christ, who is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end ( Revelation 22:13). You have laid Your hand upon me.
The laying of God's hand signifies His personal involvement and blessing. In the cultural context of the Bible, the laying on of hands was a significant act, often associated with blessing, commissioning, or imparting authority, as seen inGenesis 48:14 when Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh. This phrase indicates God's intimate care and guidance, suggesting a personal relationship with the believer. It also reflects God's sovereignty and control over one's life, as His hand directs and sustains. This can be connected to the New Testament, where Jesus lays hands on individuals to heal and bless them, demonstrating His divine authority and compassion (Mark 10:16). The hand of God is a recurring biblical motif representing power, provision, and protection, as seen in passages likeIsaiah 41:10, where God reassures His people with His righteous right hand. Persons / Places / Events 1. David- The author of Psalm 139, King David, is expressing his intimate relationship with God and his understanding of God's omnipresence and omniscience. 2. God- The central figure in this verse, God is depicted as the one who surrounds and protects David, demonstrating His sovereignty and care. 3. Israel- While not directly mentioned in this verse, the context of David's life and his role as king of Israel provides a backdrop for understanding the communal and personal implications of God's protection. Teaching Points God's Omnipresence and ProtectionGod's presence is not limited by time or space; He is always with us, providing protection and guidance. Divine SovereigntyThe imagery of being "hemmed in" reflects God's control over our circumstances, reminding us that nothing happens outside His will. Personal Relationship with GodDavid's acknowledgment of God's intimate involvement in his life encourages us to seek a deeper personal relationship with God. Trust in God's PlanUnderstanding that God has "laid His hand upon us" should inspire trust in His plan, even when we cannot see the full picture. Comfort in God's PresenceThe assurance of God's surrounding presence offers comfort and peace, especially in times of uncertainty or fear. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 139
How can Psalm 144:1's portrayal of God training hands for war be reconciled with other biblical teachings on peace (e.g., Matthew 5:9)?
In Psalm 31:5, 'Into your hand I commit my spirit' also appears in Luke 23:46--was this psalm later retrofitted to validate New Testament claims?
Why does God allow babies to be born with painful, fatal diseases if He knits them in the womb (Psalm 139:13)?
If God is omniscient and omnipresent, why does Psalm 13:1 imply He can forget the psalmist?(5) Beset--as a beleagured city from which there is no escape. Verse 5. - Thou hast beset me behind and before; i. e. "thou art ever close to me, and therefore hast complete knowledge of me. Thine omniscience arises out of thy omnipresence." And laid thine hand upon me. To uphold me, and at the same time to restrain me (comp. ver. 10).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew You hem me inצַרְתָּ֑נִי(ṣar·tā·nî)Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 6696:To confine, bind, besiegebehindאָח֣וֹר(’ā·ḥō·wr)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 268:The hinder part, behind, backward, the Westand before;וָקֶ֣דֶם(wā·qe·ḏem)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6924:The front, of place, timeYou have laidוַתָּ֖שֶׁת(wat·tā·šeṯ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7896:To put, setYour handכַּפֶּֽכָה׃(kap·pe·ḵāh)Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3709:Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a panupon me.עָלַ֣י(‘ā·lay)Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, against
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OT Poetry: Psalm 139:5 You hem me in behind and before (Psalm Ps Psa.) |
