American Standard Version
Psalms 139:16
16Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance;And in thy book they were all written,Eventhe days that were ordainedfor me,When as yet there was none of them.
Psalms 139:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
- New International Version (NIV)Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
Context of Psalms 139:16
14I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. 15My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Eventhe days that were ordainedfor me, When as yet there was none of them. 17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.
Read all of Psalms 139Psalms 139:16 word by word
גָּלְמִ֤י׀ רָ֘א֤וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וְעַֽל־סִפְרְךָ֮ כֻּלָּ֪ם יִכָּ֫תֵ֥בוּ יָמִ֥ים יֻצָּ֑רוּ וְל֖וֹ אֶחָ֣ד בָּהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Psalms 139:16
- Psalms 56:8Thou numberest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle; Are they not in thy book?
- Malachi 3:16Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name.
- Revelation 20:12And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which isthe bookof life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Commentaries on Psalms 139:16
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect - This whole verse is very obscure, but the “idea” in this expression clearly is, “Before I had shape or form thou didst see what I was to be.” The single word in the original translated “my substance, yet being unperfect,” is גלם gôlem It occurs only in this place, though the verb - גלם gâlam - is found in 2 Kings 2:8, where it is used in reference to the mantle of Elijah: And Elijah took his mantle…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-16Verses 7-16 We cannot see God, but he can see us. The psalmist did not desire to go from the Lord. Whither can I go? In the most distant corners of the world, in heaven, or in hell, I cannot go out of thy reach. No veil can hide us from God; not the thickest darkness. No disguise can save any person or action from being seen in the true light by him. Secret haunts of sin are as open before God as the most open villanies. On the other hand, the believer…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-24In this wisdom psalm, the psalmist opens every part of his life to God. He invites God to examine his thoughts, actions, and words. Even though life is difficult, he wants to grow in wisdom so that he does not share in the judgment of the wicked (Psalm 141:5; 142:3; 143:8, 10; 144:3–4). The psalmist also knows that he cannot escape from the Lord. His stress fades as he remembers that God has cared for him with love, even before he was born (Psalm…Read the comment
- Rashi on Tanakh · v. 16Your eyes saw my unformed body From the time that You created the world, Your eyes saw all the forms of the coming generations.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 139:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 139
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries