Christianity

Psalms 139Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Summary

Psalm 139, attributed to David, is a meditation on God's complete knowledge and presence. The LORD has searched the psalmist and knows his sitting down and rising up, his thoughts, and every word before it is spoken. There is nowhere to flee from God's spirit, not heaven, the grave, the far sea or the darkness. God formed him in his mother's womb, and he is fearfully and wonderfully made. After a sharp outburst against God's enemies, it ends asking God to search his heart and lead him.

Key verse

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Psalms 139:14

Themes

God's Knowledge
God's Presence Everywhere
Life in the Womb
Self-Examination

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

Islam
Surah Qaaf (50): Nearer Than the Jugular Vein
Quran 50:16 says God created humans, knows what their souls whisper, and is nearer to them than their jugular vein. Like Psalm 139 it presents God's intimate knowledge of each person, beginning from their creation.
Christianity
Jeremiah 1: Before I Formed Thee
God tells Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5 that he knew him before forming him in the womb, the same intimacy of creation found in Psalm 139:13 to 16.

Questions about Psalms 139

Where can I go from God's presence according to Psalm 139?

Psalm 139:7 to 12 says nowhere: if the psalmist ascends to heaven, makes his bed in hell (Sheol, the grave), takes the wings of the morning or hides in darkness, God is there. Even the darkness is as light to him.

Why does Psalm 139 speak of hating God's enemies?

Verses 19 to 22 abruptly express loyalty by declaring perfect hatred for those who rise against God. Interpreters often read the closing prayer, Search me, O God, as the psalmist turning that same scrutiny on himself.

What does 'fearfully and wonderfully made' mean?

Psalm 139:14 praises God for the awe-inspiring skill with which he formed the psalmist's body in the womb. The phrase is often cited in discussions of human dignity and the value of every life.