God’s Word Translation
Psalms 139:5
5You are all around me—in front of me and in back of me. You lay your hand on 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
Context of Psalms 139:5
3You watch me when I travel and when I rest. You are familiar with all my ways. 4Even before there is a ⌞single⌟ word on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You are all around me—in front of me and in back of me. You lay your hand on me. 6Such knowledge is beyond my grasp. It is so high I cannot reach it. 7Where can I go ⌞to get away⌟ from your Spirit? Where can I run ⌞to get away⌟ from you?
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 shelter, and his everlasting arms support you. He will force your enemies out of your way and tell you to destroy them.
- Job 23:8However, if I go east, he isn’t there. If I go west, I can’t find him.
- Exodus 24:11God didn’t harm these leaders of the Israelites. So they saw God, and then they ate and drank.
- Revelation 1:17When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. Then he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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