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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Psalms 139:14

PSALM—NOTE ON Psalms 139:14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made. If the esv text is followed, the statement helps the worshiper to marvel over the mysterious process of a developing baby. The esv footnote translation, “I am fearfully set apart,” takes the word to be the term for God setting his people apart (Exodus 8:22; Psalms 4:3) or making a distinction between them and those who are not his people (Exodus 9:4; Exodus 11:7; Exodus 33:16).

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See also Psalms 139:14 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 139:14. _I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE_] The texture of the human body is the most complicated and curious that can be conceived. It is, indeed, _wonderfully made_; and it is witha...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    I WILL PRAISE THEE - I will not merely admire what is so great and marvelous, but I will acknowledge thee in a public manner as wise, and holy, and good: as entitled to honor, love, and gratitude. FOR...

  • 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

    FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY. Hebrew. fears and wonders. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), App-6, for the feelings produced by the works. MY SOUL. myself. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    God must know the Psalmist perfectly, for He ordered the first beginnings of his life, and foresaw all his destiny....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _I will praise thee_ I will give thanks unto thee. _I am fearfully and wonderfully made_ The Ancient Versions represent the second person, _thou art fearfully wondrous_. _marvellous_ Wonderful, the...

  • 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

    I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. I WILL PRAISE THEE; FOR I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE - an argument...

  • 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 I AM... — Literally, _because I am fearfully separated_ or _distinguished_ (see Note on Psalms 26:7; Psalms 40:5), which might mean _separated from the womb, i.e., born._ (Comp. Galatians 1:15;...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אֹֽודְךָ֗ עַ֤ל כִּ֥י נֹורָאֹ֗ות נִ֫פְלֵ֥יתִי נִפְלָאִ֥ים...

  • 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...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    I will praise thee; for I am (i) fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. (i) Considering your wonderful work in forming me, I cannot but p...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Countenance in glory, when thou shalt appear, 1 John iii. 2. (Haydock) --- The shall dwell under thy special protection in the tabernacle. (Calmet)_...

  • 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 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

    I WILL PRAISE THEE; FOR I AM FEARFULLY [AND] WONDERFULLY MADE,.... the formation of man is not of himself, nor of his parents, but of God, and is very wonderful in all its parts; it has been matter of...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. Ver. 14. _I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...

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

    _I am fearfully and wonderfully made_ Thy infinite wisdom and power, manifested in the singular and curious structure of man's body, fill me with wonder and astonishment, and with the dread of thy Maj...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    RIGHT: _ Heb._ greatly...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    7-16 We cannot see God, but he can see us. The psalmist did not desire to go from the Lord. Whither can I go? In the most distant corners of the world, in heaven, or in hell, I cannot go out of thy r...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE; thy infinite power and wisdom, manifested in the rare and curious structure of man's body, doth fill me with wonder and astonishment, and with the dread of thy maj...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 139:14 praise H3034 (H8686) fearfully H3372 (H8737) wonderfully H6395 (H8738) Marvelous H6381 (H8737) wor

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Psalms 139:14 Let us observe some of the mysteries which are involved in our own nature. I. We are made up of soul and body. Now if we did not know this so that we cannot deny it, what notion could...

  • 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

    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...

  • 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

    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

    _I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made._ MAN ADORING HIS MAKER I. The expressive declaration--“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” 1. The wonders and mysteries of the human f...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb._ GOD AS THE CREATOR OF MAN I. He created man, who is a wonder to man’s self (verses 13, 14). II. He created man, who come...

  • 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 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

    Genesis 1:26; Genesis 1:27; Job 5:9; Psalms 1:1; Psalms 92:4;...

  • 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...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    Can it be inferred from this verse that the Bible considers abortion to be murder? PROBLEM: According to this passage, God looks upon the unborn as a human being. However, if the unborn is fully huma...

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