Psalms 139:12

12 even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light 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 Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”—

12 even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

13 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well.