Corpus Psalterium · Vol. VI
Psalm CXXXIX (139)
Cantillated — Individual Confidence (Searched and Known)
Paul Whitehorn
Study the Word
Psalm 139 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.
Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me.
לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר יְהוָ֥ה חֲ֝קַרְתַּ֗נִי וַתֵּדָֽע׃
You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar.
אַתָּ֣ה יָ֭דַעְתָּ שִׁבְתִּ֣י וְקוּמִ֑י בַּ֥נְתָּה לְ֝רֵעִ֗י מֵרָחֽוֹק׃
You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
אָרְחִ֣י וְרִבְעִ֣י זֵרִ֑יתָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכַ֥י הִסְכַּֽנְתָּה׃
For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether.
כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הוָ֗ה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃
You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me.
אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי וַתָּ֖שֶׁת עָלַ֣י כַּפֶּֽכָה׃
This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it.
פלאיה דַ֣עַת מִמֶּ֑נִּי נִ֝שְׂגְּבָ֗ה לֹא־א֥וּכַֽל לָֽהּ׃
Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence?
אָ֭נָ֥ה אֵלֵ֣ךְ מֵרוּחֶ֑ךָ וְ֝אָ֗נָה מִפָּנֶ֥יךָ אֶבְרָֽח׃
If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!
אִם־אֶסַּ֣ק שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑תָּה וְאַצִּ֖יעָה שְּׁא֣וֹל הִנֶּֽךָּ׃
If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea,
אֶשָּׂ֥א כַנְפֵי־שָׁ֑חַר אֶ֝שְׁכְּנָ֗ה בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית יָֽם׃
even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me.
גַּם־שָׁ֭ם יָדְךָ֣ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְֽתֹאחֲזֵ֥נִי יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me. The light around me will be night,”
וָ֭אֹמַר אַךְ־חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה א֣וֹר בַּעֲדֵֽנִי׃
even the darkness doesn’t hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.
גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹֽא־יַחְשִׁ֪יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה׃
For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה קָנִ֣יתָ כִלְיֹתָ֑י תְּ֝סֻכֵּ֗נִי בְּבֶ֣טֶן אִמִּֽי׃
I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well.
אֽוֹדְךָ֗ עַ֤ל כִּ֥י נוֹרָא֗וֹת נִ֫פְלֵ֥יתִי נִפְלָאִ֥ים מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יֹדַ֥עַת מְאֹֽד׃
My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth.
לֹא־נִכְחַ֥ד עָצְמִ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ אֲשֶׁר־עֻשֵּׂ֥יתִי בַסֵּ֑תֶר רֻ֝קַּ֗מְתִּי בְּֽתַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת אָֽרֶץ׃
Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.
גָּלְמִ֤י ׀ רָ֘א֤וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וְעַֽל־סִפְרְךָ֮ כֻּלָּ֪ם יִכָּ֫תֵ֥בוּ יָמִ֥ים יֻצָּ֑רוּ ולא אֶחָ֣ד בָּהֶֽם׃
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is their sum!
וְלִ֗י מַה־יָּקְר֣וּ רֵעֶ֣יךָ אֵ֑ל מֶ֥ה עָ֝צְמוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם׃
If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.
אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם מֵח֣וֹל יִרְבּ֑וּן הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי וְעוֹדִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃
If only you, God, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
אִם־תִּקְטֹ֖ל אֱל֥וֹהַּ ׀ רָשָׁ֑ע וְאַנְשֵׁ֥י דָ֝מִ֗ים ס֣וּרוּ מֶֽנִּי׃
For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֹ֭אמְרֻךָ לִמְזִמָּ֑ה נָשֻׂ֖א לַשָּׁ֣וְא עָרֶֽיךָ׃
Yahweh, don’t I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?
הֲלֽוֹא־מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶשְׂנָ֑א וּ֝בִתְקוֹמְמֶ֗יךָ אֶתְקוֹטָֽט׃
I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies.
תַּכְלִ֣ית שִׂנְאָ֣ה שְׂנֵאתִ֑ים לְ֝אוֹיְבִ֗ים הָ֣יוּ לִֽי׃
Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.
חָקְרֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל וְדַ֣ע לְבָבִ֑י בְּ֝חָנֵ֗נִי וְדַ֣ע שַׂרְעַפָּֽי׃
See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
וּרְאֵ֗ה אִם־דֶּֽרֶךְ־עֹ֥צֶב בִּ֑י וּ֝נְחֵ֗נִי בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ עוֹלָֽם׃
Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.
Lord, You’ve searched me, You know where I stand,
When I sit, when I rise, every turn of my hand.
You read what I’m thinking from miles away,
Know the road that I’m on, where I rest at the end of the day.
You sift every footstep, each word before it’s begun,
Before it reaches my tongue, You already know the one.
You’re behind me, before me, Your hand on my frame—
That knowledge’s too deep; I can’t measure its range.
You know me.
You know me.
Where could I go where Your presence won’t reach?
Run from Your face, find a shore You can’t see?
If I rise to the heavens, You’re already there.
If I lie in the grave, You’re still meeting me there.
Catch the first light and sail past the sea,
Your hand would still guide; You’d still hold on to me.
No far-off horizon can loosen Your claim,
Every place I arrive, You’re there all the same.
If I said, “Let the dark come and cover my view,”
If the day turned to night, it’s still open to You.
Darkness can’t hide me; night’s clear as the day,
Black and bright stand revealed in the same steady way.
You formed what’s within me, You shaped me with care,
Wove me before I could breathe open air.
I’m grateful, astonished by all that You do;
My bones weren’t concealed from Your view.
In hidden beginnings, before I had form,
You saw every detail take shape and transform.
You wrote out my days before one had begun,
The pages were there before life’s race was run.
God, Your thoughts—how they gather, how vast they become,
More grains than the shore, more than counting can sum.
I wake from my sleep, and the truth stays with me:
Still here with You.
God, drive the violent away from my door,
Those plotting against You, their schemes and their score.
They wear Your name lightly, they twist it for gain;
I won’t stand beside them or echo their stain.
I grieve for the hate that sets itself against You,
For the harm done to others, the lies people cling to.
Search me as well—let my own heart be known;
Don’t let my anger turn hard as their stone.
Go through me, God; read the heart I conceal.
Test every thought; show me what is real.
See if I’m walking a road that brings harm,
Then lead me on the way that stays sure and calm.
Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.
Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.