New King James Version
Psalms 139:11
11If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;
Psalms 139:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
- New International Version (NIV)If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
- English Standard Version (ESV)If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"
- New Living Translation (NLT)I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—
Context of Psalms 139:11
9If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
Read all of Psalms 139Psalms 139:11 word by word
וָ֭אֹמַר אַךְ־חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה א֣וֹר בַּעֲדֵֽנִי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 139:11
- Psalms 10:11He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.”
- Psalms 94:7Yet they say, “The Lord does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob understand.”
- Job 22:12“Is not God in the height of heaven? And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!
- Isaiah 29:15Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”
- Jeremiah 23:24Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.
- Job 12:22He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light.
Commentaries on Psalms 139:11
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me - If I seek to find refuge in the darkness of the night so that God would not see me. The word rendered “cover” - שׁוף shûph - means properly to snap, to gape after; then, to lie in wait for; and then, to attack, or fall upon anyone, unexpectedly. It is rendered “bruise” (twice) in Genesis 3:15, “He shall “bruise” thy head, and thou shalt “bruise” his heel;” “breaketh” in Job 9:17, “He “breaketh” me with a…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. 7-12The psalmist shows wonder at God being everywhere at all times.Read the comment
- Rashi on Tanakh · v. 11I said, “Darkness will darken me” If I said, “I will be hidden in the darkness, and the darkness will envelop me so that You will not see me.” יְשׁוּפֵנִי is an expression of נֶשֶׁף, evening.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 139:11
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries