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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Psalms 139:19

Surely&c. Rather as R.V. marg., Oh that thou wouldest slay the wicked. The problem of the existence of evil perplexes him, as it perplexed Job (Job 21:7 ff.). Evil for him is no abstract idea; it is embodied in evil men. Will not God free His world from this insult to His government? Cp. Psalms 104:35.

depart from me lest I be tempted by your example and involved in your fate. Cp. Psalms 6:8; Psalms 119:115.

ye bloody men Men of blood, who do not shrink from violence and murder (Psalms 5:6; Proverbs 29:10).

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See also Psalms 139:19 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 139:19. _SURELY THOU WILT SLAY THE WICKED_] The remaining part of this Psalm has no visible connexion with the preceding. I rather think it a fragment, or a part of some other Psalm. _YE...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    SURELY THOU WILT SLAY THE WICKED, O GOD - Compare the notes at Isaiah 11:4. The literal translation of this would be, “If thou wilt slay the wicked.” It is not easy to account for the sudden and remar...

  • 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

    SURELY, &C. These six verses (19-24) are not an "interpolation". They are required to complete the Structure. See above. THOU WILT SLAY, &C. This is Omnipotent work. Compare Job 40:9. THE WICKED. a...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HOW PRECIOUS, &C.— This expresses the zeal and affection that he had for God. "As thou hast taken such care of me, so are the thoughts of thee precious to me above all things." The turn of the sentenc...

  • 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...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. SURELY, [ 'im (H518)] - literally, 'If;' elliptical: If only "thou wilt slay the wicked, O God," I shall still mor...

  • 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...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SURELY THOU WILT] RM 'O that thou wouldest.' BLOODY MEN] RV 'bloodthirsty men.'...

  • 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

    SLAY THE WICKED. — This abrupt transition from a theme so profound and fascinating to fierce indignation against the enemies of God, would certainly be strange anywhere but in the Psalms. And yet, per...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אִם ־תִּקְטֹ֖ל אֱלֹ֥והַּ ׀ רָשָׁ֑ע וְ אַנְשֵׁ֥י...

  • 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

    GOD'S THOUGHTS AND OURS Psalms 139:14 _ God's creative power,_ Psalms 139:14. The psalmist goes back to the beginning of life and describes the weaving of our physical nature. Here we may discover a...

  • 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...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    If we needed any farther evidence as to whom this Psalm can with any propriety be otherwise applied, what is here said in conclusion must direct our hearts to the blessed Jesus, and to him only. Who i...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    19._If thou shalt slay, _etc. It is unnatural to seek, as some have done, to connect this with the preceding verse. Nor does it seem proper to view the words as expressing a wish — “I wish,” or, “Oh!...

  • 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

    SURELY THOU WILT SLAY THE WICKED, O GOD,.... Since he is God omniscient, and knows where they are, what they have done, are doing, and design to do; and God omnipresent, at hand to lay hold upon them;...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. Ver. 19. _Surely thou wilt slay the wicked_] Those that traduce and slander me for a hypocrite and a Belialist. Some...

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

    _Surely, thou wilt slay the wicked, O God_ And as thou hast precious and gracious thoughts toward me, (which thou also hast toward all that love and fear thee,) so thou wilt not now desert me and leav...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    17-24 God's counsels concerning us and our welfare are deep, such as cannot be known. We cannot think how many mercies we have received from him. It would help to keep us in the fear of the Lord all...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    SURELY THOU WILT SLAY THE WICKED: and as thou hast precious and gracious thoughts towards me, and all that love and fear thee; so thou hast other kinds of thoughts and purposes towards wicked men, suc...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 139:19 slay H6991 (H8799) wicked H7563 God H433 Depart H5493 (H8798) bloodthirsty H1818 men H582...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Psalms 139:19 I. There is a peculiarity of expression in this Psalm which we certainly should not find in any Christian hymn, and one which cannot fail to strike us. What can be more remarkable than t...

  • 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

    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

    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

    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...

  • 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

    _Surely Thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me, therefore, ye bloody men._ INDIGNATION AGAINST THE WICKED I. Here is a fact in relation to the moral government of God. That fact is the ult...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God._ THOUGHTS OF GOD The sense of God’s nearness brings thoughts of God. The devout soul cherishes these thoughts, and they become to it a joy unspeak...

  • 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 ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 139:19 The WICKED person, who joins with MEN OF BLOOD, who SPEAK AGAINST God WITH MALICIOUS INTENT, is someone who activ

  • 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

    2 Corinthians 6:17; Isaiah 11:4; Matthew 25:41; Matthew 7:23;...

  • 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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