Psalms

Psalm 139:7–12

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.

9If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle by the farthest sea,

10even there Your hand will guide me;

Your right hand will hold me fast.

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.

Read all of Psalm 139

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.

Psalm 139:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whereאָ֭נָ֥ה’ā·nāhInterrogativeH575 where?
can I goאֵלֵ֣ךְ’ê·lêḵVerb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularH1980 go, come, walk
to escape Your Spiritמֵרוּחֶ֑ךָmê·rū·ḥe·ḵāPreposition-m; Noun - common singular construct; second person masculine singularH7307 breath, wind, spirit
Whereוְ֝אָ֗נָהwə·’ā·nāhConjunctive waw; InterrogativeH575 where?
can I fleeאֶבְרָֽח׃’eḇ·rāḥVerb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularH1272 go through, flee
from Your presenceמִפָּנֶ֥יךָmip·pā·ne·ḵāPreposition-m; Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singularH6440 face, before

Psalm 139:8

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Ifאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
I ascendאֶסַּ֣ק’es·saqVerb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularH5266 go up
to the heavensשָׁ֭מַיִםšā·ma·yimNoun - masculine pluralH8064 sky, aloft
Youאָ֑תָּה’āt·tāhPronoun - second person masculine singularH859 thou
are thereשָׁ֣םšāmAdverbH8033 there, thither
if I make my bedוְאַצִּ֖יעָהwə·’aṣ·ṣî·‘āhConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularH3331 lay, spread
in Sheolשְּׁא֣וֹלšə·’ō·wlNoun - common singularH7585 underworld
You are thereהִנֶּֽךָּ׃hin·ne·kāInterjection; second person masculine singularH2005 lo! behold

Psalm 139:9

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
If I rise onאֶשָּׂ֥א’eś·śāVerb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singularH5375 lift, take, carry
the wingsכַנְפֵי־ḵan·p̄ê-Noun - feminine plural constructH3671 wing, extremity
of the dawnשָׁ֑חַרšā·ḥarNoun - masculine singularH7837 dawn
if I settleאֶ֝שְׁכְּנָ֗ה’eš·kə·nāhVerb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularH7931 settle down, abide, dwell
by the farthestבְּאַחֲרִ֥יתbə·’a·ḥă·rîṯPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH319 after-part, end
seaיָֽם׃yāmNoun - masculine singularH3220 sea

Psalm 139:10

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
evenגַּם־ga·mō·šā-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
thereשָׁ֭םšāmAdverbH8033 there, thither
Your handיָדְךָ֣yā·ḏə·ḵāNoun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3027 hand
will guide meתַנְחֵ֑נִיṯan·ḥê·nîVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; first person common singularH5148 lead, guide
Your right handיְמִינֶֽךָ׃yə·mî·ne·ḵāNoun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3225 right hand
will hold me fastוְֽתֹאחֲזֵ֥נִיwə·ṯō·ḥă·zê·nîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular; first person common singularH270 grasp, take hold, take possession

Psalm 139:11

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
If I sayוָ֭אֹמַרwā·’ō·marConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularH559 utter, say
Surelyאַךְ־’aḵ-AdverbH389 surely
the darknessחֹ֣שֶׁךְḥō·šeḵNoun - masculine singularH2822 darkness, obscurity
will hide meיְשׁוּפֵ֑נִיyə·šū·p̄ê·nîVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singularH7779 bruise
and the lightא֣וֹר’ō·wrNoun - common singularH216 light
become nightוְ֝לַ֗יְלָהwə·lay·lāhConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH3915 twist, night, adversity
around meבַּעֲדֵֽנִי׃ba·‘ă·ḏê·nîPreposition; first person common singularH1157 separation

Psalm 139:12

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
evenגַּם־gam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
the darknessחֹשֶׁךְ֮ḥō·šeḵNoun - masculine singularH2822 darkness, obscurity
is notלֹֽא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
darkיַחְשִׁ֪יךְyaḥ·šîḵVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH2821 be, grow dark
to Youמִ֫מֶּ֥ךָmim·me·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
but the nightוְ֭לַיְלָהwə·lay·lāhConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH3915 twist, night, adversity
shinesיָאִ֑ירyā·’îrVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH215 be or become light
like the dayכַּיּ֣וֹםkay·yō·wmPreposition-k, Article; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
for darknessכַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗הka·ḥă·šê·ḵāhPreposition-k, Article; Noun - feminine singularH2825 darkness
is as light to Youכָּאוֹרָֽה׃kā·’ō·w·rāhPreposition-k, Article; Noun - feminine singularH219 light

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Psalm 139:7 Jeremiah 23:23–24 · Jonah 1:3 · Jonah 1:10

Psalm 139:8 Amos 9:2–4 · Jonah 2:2 · Job 34:21–22 · Obadiah 1:4 · Proverbs 15:11 · Job 26:6

Psalm 139:9 Psalm 19:6 · Psalm 74:16–17

Psalm 139:10 Psalm 23:3 · Isaiah 41:13 · Psalm 73:23 · Psalm 63:8 · Psalm 143:9–10

Psalm 139:11 Job 12:22 · Jeremiah 23:24 · Psalm 94:7 · Job 22:12–14 · Psalm 10:11–13

Psalm 139:12 Daniel 2:22 · Job 34:22 · Exodus 20:21 · Hebrews 4:13 · Job 26:6

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.