English Standard Version
Psalms 139:5
5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
Psalms 139:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
- New International Version (NIV)You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
- New Living Translation (NLT)You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Context of Psalms 139:5
3You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
Read all of Psalms 139Psalms 139:5 word by word
אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי וַתָּ֖שֶׁת עָלַ֣י כַּפֶּֽכָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 139:5
- Deuteronomy 33:27The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, 'Destroy.'
- Job 23:8"Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him;
- Exodus 24:11And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.
- Revelation 1:17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last,
Commentaries on Psalms 139:5
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Thou hast beset me behind and before - The word rendered “beset” - צור tsûr - means properly to press; to press upon; to compress. It has reference commonly to the siege of a city, or to the pressing on of troops in war; and then it comes to mean to besiege, hem in, closely surround, so that there is no way of escape. This is the idea here - that God was on every side of him; that he could not escape in any direction. He was like a garrison besieged in a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-6The Lord's all-knowing and all-powerful nature provides comfort to the godly, but it troubles the wicked (Psalm 2:3).Read the comment
- Rashi on Tanakh · v. 5From the rear and the front My face and my back.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 139:5
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
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