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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Psalms 139:4

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

For (there is) not a word in (i:e., that rises to) my tongue, (but), lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

'Without God none can speak out his thoughts (), therefore God knows them before they are uttered' (Cocceius).

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See also Psalms 139:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 139:4. THERE IS _NOT A WORD IN MY TONGUE_] Although (כי _ki_) _there be not a word in my tongue, behold O Jehovah, thou knowest_ _the whole of it_, that is, thou knowest all my _words bef...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    FOR THERE IS NOT A WORD IN MY TONGUE - All that I say; all that I have power to say; all that I am disposed at any time to say. BUT LO, O LORD, THOU KNOWEST IT ALTOGETHER - All that pertains to it. Wh...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 139 In the Divine Presence _ 1. His omniscience (Psalms 139:1)_ 2. His omnipresence (Psalms 139:7) 3. Praising Him ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    CXXXIX. GOD IS EVERYWHERE: HE KNOWS EVERYTHING OH THAT HE WOULD DESTROY THE WICKED. This Ps. is among the most spiritual productions of the OT. It deals with the mystery of Divine providence, a theme...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    ALTOGETHER. on every side, or, the whole of it....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    God's perfect knowledge of all the Psalmist's life and thoughts....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    God knows not merely the spoken word which men can hear, but its true meaning, and the secret thoughts which prompt its utterance. But the verse may also be rendered, _For_(_when) a word is not yet on...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 734 THE OMNIPRESENCE AND OMNISCIENCE OF GOD Psalms 139:1. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising; thou understandest my thought afar of...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    FOR THERE IS NOT A WORD— Or, _When there is not a word in my tongue, O Lord, thou knowest all._ But Mudge renders it, _For, before the word is in my tongue, behold, O Lord, thou knowest the whole of i...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 139 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE An Individual submits Himself to Jehovah's All-Searching Eye. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 139:1-6, Jehovah's Knowledge considered as Taking into View every Form of Human...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    139:4 yet (b-5) Or 'ere [even] there is.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    One of the very greatest of the Pss. No grander tribute has ever been paid to the omniscience and omnipresence of God. The Ps. is ascribed to David, but the Hebrew is decisive in favour of a date very...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 107:150 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING PSALMS 139 Jesus said, "Your Father (God) knows how many hairs there are on your head!" ...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    FOR THERE IS NOT... — This has been understood in two ways: — My tongue cannot utter a word which thou dost not altogether know. or, Before my tongue can utter a word thou knowest it altogether....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּ לְשֹׁונִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הו

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 139:1 THIS is the noblest utterance in the Psalter of pure contemplative theism, animated and not crushed by the thought of God's omniscience and omnipresence. No less striking than the unequal...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE ALL-SEEING GOD Psalms 139:1 The psalmist speaks as if there were only two beings in the universe-God and himself. In all literature there is no nobler conception of the divine attributes. _ God'...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The conception of intimate personal relation between God and man is perhaps more remarkably and forcefully dealt with in this song than in any other in the whole collection. The great facts are first...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For [there is] not a word in my (c) tongue, [but], lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. (c) You know my meaning before I speak....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Serpent. So Plautus says, "A double-tongued and wicked man is like a creeping beast," in Persa. (Haydock)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I would not make a chasm in the reading of these verses, because the latter of them, according to my view, throw a light upon the former. It may, no doubt, be truly said by David, and by every man lik...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    4._For there is not a word, etc_. The words admit a double meaning. Accordingly some understand them to imply that God knows what, we are about to say before the words are formed on our tongue; others...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Psalms 139 shows the complete exercise of heart that belongs to God's ways. Though the faithfulness of God perfects all His purposed blessing, not a thought escapes God. There is, morally speaking, no...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR [THERE IS] NOT A WORD IN MY TONGUE,.... Expressed by it or upon it, just ready to be spoken; or, as the Targum, "when there is no word in my tongue:'' so Aben Ezra, "before it was perfect in my...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For [there is] not a word in my tongue, [but], lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Ver. 4. _For there is not a word in my tongue_] Though not yet uttered, or but whispered only. _ Thou knowest i...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _There is not a word in my tongue_, &c. Thou knowest what I speak, and with what design and disposition of mind. There is not a vain word, not a good word, _but thou knowest it altogether_ What it mea...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-6 God has perfect knowledge of us, and all our thoughts and actions are open before him. It is more profitable to meditate on Divine truths, applying them to our own cases, and with hearts lifted t...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Thou knowest what I speak, and with what design and disposition of mind. Or rather, as others render it, and which is more admirable, _When there is not a word_, &c. Thou knowest what I intend to spea...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 139:4 word H4405 tongue H3956 LORD H3068 know H3045 (H8804) there is not - Psalms 19:14;...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    This is a Psalm we can never read too often. It will be to us one of the greatest safeguards against sin if we have its teaching constantly before our mind's eye, and the teaching of this Psalm is sim...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    In this Psalm, David praises God by specially dwelling upon the one attribute of omniscience. If we really wish to praise God, we must think of him as he is, and it is the best praise that we can rend...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    May the all-seeing God, of whom this Psalm speaks, look down upon us and bless us richly while we read it! Psalms 139:1. _O LORD thou hast searched me, and known me._ «Known me perfectly, far better...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 139:1. _O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me._ God does not need to «search» us, for that implies a want of knowledge, a knowledge obtained by search. But the meaning of the text is, th...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 139:1. _O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me._ «Thou hast explored me, as men dig in mines, and make subterranean excavations. Thou hast searched into my secret parts, and known me.» P...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Meditation upon the doctrines of God's omniscience and omnipresence. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: The God with whom we have to do has a perfect knowledge of us and all the motions a...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    This psalm is entitled, a _psalm of David._ All the Versions agree with the Hebrew in this. It must be regarded as one of the sublimest representations of the Divinity, and particularly with regard to...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me._ GOD’S EXHAUSTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF MAN This lyric has always been the subject of praise. Aben Ezra said there was none like it in the five books. Lord Brough...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 139:1. The closing request of this hymn (“search me, O God, and know my heart”) echoes the opening statement. This highlights the psalm’s theme: God’s knowledge of his peopl...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION “Nowhere,” says Perowne, “are the great attributes of God—His omniscience, His omnipresence, His omnipotence, set forth so strikingly as they are in this magnificent Psalm. Nowhere is the...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION A song of praise to God for his omniscience, his omnipresence, and his marvelous powers, ending with a prayer for the destruction of the wicked, and for the purifying from evil of the psalm...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Psa 139:1-24, another psalm of David to the chief musician. As David offers this prayer really unto God, declaring, first of all, O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me (Psalms 139:1). Recogniz...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Hebrews 4:12; Hebrews 4:13; James 1:26; James 3:2; Jeremiah 29:23;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THOU GOD SEEST ME _Selections from Psalms 139:1_ INTRODUCTORY WORDS The world today needs a new vision of the Deity of Christ. Our Lord Jesus has been dragged down from His place of authority and p...

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