Psalms

Psalm 139:11–16

¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,

and the light become night around me”—

¹²even the darkness is not dark to You,

but the night shines like the day,

for darkness is as light to You.

¹³For You formed my inmost being;^a

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴I praise You,

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Marvelous are Your works,

and I know this very well.

¹⁵My frame was not hidden from You

when I was made in secret,

when I was woven together

in the depths of the earth.

¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all my days were written in Your book

and ordained for me

before one of them came to be.

Footnotes

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
If I say	וָ֭אֹמַר	wā·’ō·mar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H559 utter, say
Surely	אַךְ־	’aḵ-	Adverb	H389 surely
the darkness	חֹ֣שֶׁךְ	ḥō·šeḵ	Noun - masculine singular	H2822 darkness, obscurity
will hide me	יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי	yə·šū·p̄ê·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singular	H7779 bruise
and the light	א֣וֹר	’ō·wr	Noun - common singular	H216 light
become night	וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה	wə·lay·lāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3915 twist, night, adversity
around me	בַּעֲדֵֽנִי׃	ba·‘ă·ḏê·nî	Preposition; first person common singular	H1157 separation

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
even	גַּם־	gam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
the darkness	חֹשֶׁךְ֮	ḥō·šeḵ	Noun - masculine singular	H2822 darkness, obscurity
is not	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
dark	יַחְשִׁ֪יךְ	yaḥ·šîḵ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2821 be, grow dark
to You	מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָ	mim·me·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
but the night	וְ֭לַיְלָה	wə·lay·lāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3915 twist, night, adversity
shines	יָאִ֑יר	yā·’îr	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H215 be or become light
like the day	כַּיּ֣וֹם	kay·yō·wm	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
for darkness	כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה	ka·ḥă·šê·ḵāh	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2825 darkness
is as light to You	כָּאוֹרָֽה׃	kā·’ō·w·rāh	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H219 light

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
You	אַ֭תָּה	’at·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
formed	קָנִ֣יתָ	qā·nî·ṯā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H7069 get, acquire
my inmost being	כִלְיֹתָ֑י	ḵil·yō·ṯāy	Noun - feminine plural construct; first person common singular	H3629 kidneys
You knit me together	תְּ֝סֻכֵּ֗נִי	tə·suk·kê·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H5526 overshadow, screen, cover
in my mother’s	אִמִּֽי׃	’im·mî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H517 mother
womb	בְּבֶ֣טֶן	bə·ḇe·ṭen	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H990 belly, body, womb

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I praise	אֽוֹדְךָ֗	’ō·wḏ·ḵā	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular; second person masculine singular	H3034 throw, cast
You	עַ֤ל	‘al	Preposition	H5921 height
for	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I am fearfully	נוֹרָא֗וֹת	nō·w·rā·’ō·wṯ	Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural	H3372 fear
and wonderfully made	נִ֫פְלֵ֥יתִי	nip̄·lê·ṯî	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular	H6395 be separated, distinct
Marvelous	נִפְלָאִ֥ים	nip̄·lā·’îm	Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural	H6381 be surpassing, extraordinary
Your works	מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ	ma·‘ă·śe·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H4639 deed, work
and I	וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י	wə·nap̄·šî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
know this	יֹדַ֥עַת	yō·ḏa·‘aṯ	Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular	H3045 know
very well	מְאֹֽד׃	mə·’ōḏ	Adverb	H3966 muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
My frame	עָצְמִ֗י	‘ā·ṣə·mî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H6108 might, bones
was not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
hidden	נִכְחַ֥ד	niḵ·ḥaḏ	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3582 hide, efface
from You	מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ	mim·me·kā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
when	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
I was made	עֻשֵּׂ֥יתִי	‘uś·śê·ṯî	Verb - Pual - Perfect - first person common singular	H6213 do, make
in secret	בַסֵּ֑תֶר	ḇas·sê·ṯer	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5643 covering, hiding-place, secrecy
when I was woven together	רֻ֝קַּ֗מְתִּי	ruq·qam·tî	Verb - Pual - Perfect - first person common singular	H7551 variegate
in the depths	בְּֽתַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת	bə·ṯaḥ·tî·yō·wṯ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural construct	H8482 lower, lowest
of the earth	אָֽרֶץ׃	’ā·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Your eyes	עֵינֶ֗יךָ	‘ê·ne·ḵā	Noun - cdc; second person masculine singular	H5869 eye
saw	רָ֘א֤וּ	rā·’ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H7200 see
my unformed body	גָּלְמִ֤י׀	gā·lə·mî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1564 embryo
all	כֻּלָּ֪ם	kul·lām	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H3605 the whole, all
my days	יָמִ֥ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
were written	יִכָּ֫תֵ֥בוּ	yik·kā·ṯê·ḇū	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3789 write
in	וְעַֽל־	wə·‘al-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5921 height
Your book	סִפְרְךָ֮	sip̄·rə·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5612 missive, document, writing, book
and ordained for me	יֻצָּ֑רוּ	yuṣ·ṣā·rū	Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person common plural	H3335 form, fashion
before one of them came to be	אֶחָ֣ד	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one