Psalms 139:5

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 scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, Lord, You know it all. You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot comprehend it. 7Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

Psalms 139:5 word by word

אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי וַתָּ֖שֶׁת עָלַ֣י כַּפֶּֽכָה׃Read the interlinear

• encircledצוּרtsûr · to confineH6696
• me behindאָחוֹר'âchôr 'âchôr · backH268
• and in frontקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: oldH6924
• placedשִׁיתshîyth · to set: putH7896
• Your handכַּףkaph · palmH3709

Cross-references for Psalms 139:5

• Deuteronomy 33:27The eternal God is a hiding place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from you, And said, ‘Destroy!’
• Job 23:8“Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
• Exodus 24:11Yet He did not reach out with His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.
• Revelation 1:17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not 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

• God Continued...
• Heart

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