Psalm 139:3

3 Thou hast traced my path and my bed, and hast foreseen 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, thou hast proved me, and known me.

2 Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising: thou understandest my thoughts long before.

3 Thou hast traced my path and my bed, and hast foreseen all my ways.

4 For there is no unrighteous word in my tongue: behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things,

5 the last and the first: thou hast fashioned me, and laid thine hand upon me.

6 The knowledge of thee is too wonderful for me; it is very difficult, I cannot attain to it.

7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? and whither shall I flee from my presence?

8 If I should go up to heaven, thou art there: if I should go down to hell, thou art present.

9 If I should spread my wings to fly straight forward, and sojourn at the extremity of the sea, it would be vain,

10 for even there thy hand would guide me, and thy right hand would hold me.

11 When I said, Surely the darkness will cover me; even the night was light in my luxury.

12 For darkness will not be darkness with thee; but night will be light as day: as its darkness, so shall its light be to thee.

13 For thou, O Lord, hast possessed my reins; thou hast helped me from my mother’s womb.

14 I will give thee thanks; for thou art fearfully wondrous; wondrous are thy works; and my soul knows it well.

15 My bones, which thou madest in secret were not hidden from thee, nor my substance, in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Thine eyes saw my unwrought substance, and all men shall be written in thy book; they shall be formed by day, though there should for a time be no one among them.

17 But thy friends, O God, have been greatly honoured by me; their rule has been greatly strengthened.

18 I will number them, and they shall be multiplied beyond the sand; I awake, and am still with thee.

19 Oh that thou wouldest slay the wicked, O God; depart from me, ye men of blood.

20 For thou wilt say concerning their thought, that they shall take thy cities in vain.

21 Have I not hated them, O Lord, that hate thee? and wasted away because of thine enemies?

22 I have hated them with perfect hatred; they were counted my enemies.

23 Prove me, O God, and know my heart; examine me, and know my paths;

24 and see if there is any way of iniquity in me, and lead me in an everlasting way.