Psalms 139:12

12 but even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness 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 ) .


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 you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me or the light around me to turn into night,
12 but even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to you.
13 You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because you are to be feared; all you do is strange and wonderful. I know it with all my heart.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.