Keraia
Psalm 139

Psalm 139:12

You Have Searched Me and Known Me · Psalm 139:1–24
Read Psalm 139

Translations

Modern
…even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.
Traditional
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Literal
…even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night shines like the day—as the darkness, so is the light.
Latin
Quia tenebræ non obscurabuntur a te, et nox sicut dies illuminabitur: sicut tenebræ ejus, ita et lumen ejus.

Original

Hebrew
English
…even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

Notes

Psalms 139:7–12

The psalmist shows wonder at God being everywhere at all times.

Psalms 139:1–24

In this wisdom psalm, the psalmist opens every part of his life to God. He invites God to examine his thoughts, actions, and words. Even though life is difficult, he wants to grow in wisdom so that he does not share in the judgment of the wicked (Psalm 141:5; 142:3; 143:8, 10; 144:3–4).

The psalmist also knows that he cannot escape from the Lord. His stress fades as he remembers that God has cared for him with love, even before he was born (Psalm 139:13–18). He ends by asking God to keep examining him and to guide him on the path of wisdom (Psalm 139:23–24).

Psalms 138:1–145:21

In this final group of psalms of David, psalms of praise and wisdom (Psalms 138–139, 145) form a frame around five psalms of lament (Psalms 140–144).

Glossary

Darkness Foreknowledge God, Being and Attributes of Imprecatory Psalms Light Music Psalms, Book of

Topics

Darkness: Cannot Hide Us from God God: Knowledge of Heart: Known to God The Holy Spirit: is God: As Omnipresent The Wisdom of God: Nothing is Concealed From