Psalms

Psalm 139:1–8

¹For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

O LORD, You have searched me

and known me.

²You know when I sit and when I rise;

You understand my thoughts from afar.

³You search out my path and my lying down;

You are aware of all my ways.

⁴Even before a word is on my tongue,

You know all about it, O LORD.

⁵You hem me in behind and before;

You have laid Your hand upon me.

⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?

Where can I flee from Your presence?

⁸If I ascend to the heavens, You are there;

if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For the choirmaster	לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ	lam·naṣ·ṣê·aḥ	Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H5329 be pre-eminent, enduring
A Psalm	מִזְמ֑וֹר	miz·mō·wr	Noun - masculine singular	H4210 melody
of David	לְדָוִ֣ד	lə·ḏā·wiḏ	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
O LORD	יְהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
You have searched me	חֲ֝קַרְתַּ֗נִי	ḥă·qar·ta·nî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H2713 search
and known me	וַתֵּדָֽע׃	wat·tê·ḏā‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3045 know

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You	אַתָּ֣ה	’at·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
know	יָ֭דַעְתָּ	yā·ḏa‘·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H3045 know
when I sit	שִׁבְתִּ֣י	šiḇ·tî	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
and when I rise	וְקוּמִ֑י	wə·qū·mî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
You understand	בַּ֥נְתָּה	ban·tāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H995 discern
my thoughts	לְ֝רֵעִ֗י	lə·rê·‘î	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H7454 shouting, roar
from afar	מֵרָחֽוֹק׃	mê·rā·ḥō·wq	Preposition-m; Adjective - masculine singular	H7350 distant, far

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You search out	זֵרִ֑יתָ	zê·rî·ṯā	Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H2219 scatter, fan, winnow
my path	אָרְחִ֣י	’ā·rə·ḥî	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common singular	H732 wander, journey, go
and my lying down	וְרִבְעִ֣י	wə·riḇ·‘î	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common singular	H7252 lie stretched out, lie down
You are aware	הִסְכַּֽנְתָּה׃	his·kan·tāh	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H5532 be of use of service, benefit
of all	וְֽכָל־	wə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
my ways	דְּרָכַ֥י	də·rā·ḵay	Noun - common plural construct; first person common singular	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Even	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
before a word	מִ֭לָּה	mil·lāh	Noun - feminine singular	H4405 word, speech, utterance
is on my tongue	בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י	bil·šō·w·nî	Preposition-b; Noun - common singular construct; first person common singular	H3956 tongue
You know	יָדַ֥עְתָּ	yā·ḏa‘·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H3045 know
all about it	כֻלָּֽהּ׃	ḵul·lāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H3605 the whole, all
O LORD	יְ֝הוָ֗ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You hem me in	צַרְתָּ֑נִי	ṣar·tā·nî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H6696 confine, bind, besiege
behind	אָח֣וֹר	’ā·ḥō·wr	Noun - masculine singular	H268 the hinder side, back part
and before	וָקֶ֣דֶם	wā·qe·ḏem	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H6924 front, east, aforetime
You have laid	וַתָּ֖שֶׁת	wat·tā·šeṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7896 put, set
Your hand	כַּפֶּֽכָה׃	kap·pe·ḵāh	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3709 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan
upon me	עָלַ֣י	‘ā·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H5921 height

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
knowledge	דַ֣עַת	ḏa·‘aṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H1847 knowledge
too wonderful	פִּלְאִיָּה	pil·ʾī·yå̄h	Adjective - feminine singular	H6383 wonderful, incomprehensible
for me	מִמֶּ֑נִּי	mim·men·nî	Preposition; first person common singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
too lofty	נִ֝שְׂגְּבָ֗ה	niś·gə·ḇāh	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H7682 be
for me to attain	א֥וּכַֽל	’ū·ḵal	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H3201 be able, have power, prevail, endure

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Where	אָ֭נָ֥ה	’ā·nāh	Interrogative	H575 where?
can I go	אֵלֵ֣ךְ	’ê·lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H1980 go, come, walk
to escape Your Spirit	מֵרוּחֶ֑ךָ	mê·rū·ḥe·ḵā	Preposition-m; Noun - common singular construct; second person masculine singular	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
Where	וְ֝אָ֗נָה	wə·’ā·nāh	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H575 where?
can I flee	אֶבְרָֽח׃	’eḇ·rāḥ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H1272 go through, flee
from Your presence	מִפָּנֶ֥יךָ	mip·pā·ne·ḵā	Preposition-m; Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singular	H6440 face, before

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
If	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
I ascend	אֶסַּ֣ק	’es·saq	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H5266 go up
to the heavens	שָׁ֭מַיִם	šā·ma·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H8064 sky, aloft
You	אָ֑תָּה	’āt·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
are there	שָׁ֣ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
if I make my bed	וְאַצִּ֖יעָה	wə·’aṣ·ṣî·‘āh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular	H3331 lay, spread
in Sheol	שְּׁא֣וֹל	šə·’ō·wl	Noun - common singular	H7585 underworld
You are there	הִנֶּֽךָּ׃	hin·ne·kā	Interjection; second person masculine singular	H2005 lo! behold