Psalm 139:3

3 You watch me when I travel and when I rest. You are familiar with all my ways.

Psalm 139:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 139:3

Thou compassest my path and my lying down
The Targum adds,

``to study in the law.''

His walk in the daytime, and every step he took, and his lying down at night. It denotes his perfect knowledge of all his actions, day and night; he surrounds every path of man, that they cannot escape his knowledge. Or, "thou winnowest", as some render the word ^F3; he distinguishes actions; he discerns and separates the good from the bad, or the goodness of an action from the evil and imperfection of it, as in winnowing the wheat is separated from the chaff. Or, "thou measurest my squaring" ^F4; all his dimensions, his length and breadth, as he lay down in his bed;

and art acquainted [with] all my ways;
the whole of his life and conversation, all his works and doings: God knows all the evil ways and works of his people; he takes notice of them, and chastises for them; and all their good works, and approves and accepts of them; he knows from what principles of faith and love they spring, in what manner they are performed, and with what views, aims, and ends; see ( Revelation 2:2 Revelation 2:19 ) ( Psalms 1:6 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (tyrz) "ventilasti", Pagninus, Montanus; so Tigurine version and Ainsworth.
F4 (yebr) "quadraturam meam spithama mensurasti", Gussetius, p. 775. "spithama metiris", Cocceius.

Psalm 139:3 In-Context

1 O LORD, you have examined me, and you know me.

2 You alone know when I sit down and when I get up. You read my thoughts from far away.

3 You watch me when I travel and when I rest. You are familiar with all my ways.

4 Even before there is a [single] word on my tongue, you know all about it, LORD.

5 You are all around me--in front of me and in back of me. You lay your hand on me.