Psalms 139:12

12 Even the dark is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day: for dark and light are the same to you.

Psalms 139:12 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 139:12

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee
Any thing that is done by men in it; or "darkeneth not from thee" ^F9, or causeth such darkness as to hinder the sight of any action committed. The Targum is,

``from thy Word;''

see ( Hebrews 4:12 Hebrews 4:13 ) ;

but the night shineth as the day;
or "enlightens as the day" ^F11, gives as much light with respect to God as the day does;

the darkness and the light [are] both alike [to thee];
as is the one, so is the other: the day gives him no more light than the night, and the night no more darkness than the day; he sees as well, as clearly and distinctly, in the one as in the other. The psalmist expresses the same thing in different words three or four times, as Kimchi observes, to show that so the Lord is, that thus it is with him; he has as clear a discerning of all things done in the darkest night as at bright noon day; see ( Job 34:21 Job 34:22 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (Kmm Kyvxy al) "non obscurabit a te", Montanus; "non obtenebrant", Gejerus; so Michaelis.
F11 (ryay) "illustrat", Junius & Tremellius; "illuminabit", Gejerus Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

Psalms 139:12 In-Context

10 Even there will I be guided by your hand, and your right hand will keep me.

11 If I say, Only let me be covered by the dark, and the light about me be night;

12 Even the dark is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day: for dark and light are the same to you.

13 My flesh was made by you, and my parts joined together in my mother's body.

14 I will give you praise, for I am strangely and delicately formed; your works are great wonders, and of this my soul is fully conscious.