Psalms 139:16

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 thank you for the wonderful way that you have made me. Everything that you do is wonderful! I know it is true. 15While you caused me to grow in a secret place, none of my body was hidden from you. You made me deep in the earth. Your eyes watched me before I was born. Before I had seen the light of day, you decided how many days I would live! You wrote it down in your book. 17You have so many thoughts about me, God, that I cannot understand them all. 18They are too many for me to count, more than the sand on the shore of the sea. Even if I finished counting them, you would still be there!

Psalms 139:16 word by word

גָּלְמִ֤י׀ רָ֘א֤וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וְעַֽל־סִפְרְךָ֮ כֻּלָּ֪ם יִכָּ֫תֵ֥בוּ יָמִ֥ים יֻצָּ֑רוּ וְל֖וֹ אֶחָ֣ד בָּהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• did seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• my substance, yet being unperfectגֹּ֫לֶםgôlem · embryoH1564
• and in thy bookסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: bookH5612
• were writtenכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
• in continuanceיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• were fashionedיָצַרyâtsar · to form: formedH3335
• noneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259

Cross-references for Psalms 139:16

• Psalms 56:8Every time that I am upset, you know about it. Put all my tears in your bottle! Yes, write down every tear in your book.
• Malachi 3:16Then the people who respected the Lord talked to each other. The Lord listened to what they said. While the Lord watched, someone wrote names on a scroll. Those were the names of the people who worshipped the Lord and respected the Lord's name. They wrote down their names so that people would remember them.
• Revelation 20:12I also saw the people who had died, important people and ordinary people. They were standing in front of the great throne. Then someone opened books to see what was in them. God had written in them all the things that the people had done. Then someone opened another book which is God's book of life. God judged the people who had died. He looked in the books to see what they had done, and he decided what was right.

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

• Book
• God Continued...
• Physiology

In the dictionaries

• Attain
• Continuance
• Count
• Cover
• Curiously
• Fearfully
• Hold
• Sum
• Uprising
• Wonderfully

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