Bibelkommentare

Some of the Jewish doctors are of opinion that this is the most excellent of all the psalms of David; and a very pious devout meditation it is upon the doctrine of God's omniscience, which we should therefore have our hearts fixed upon and filled with in singing this psalm. I. This doctrine is here asserted, and fully laid down, Ps 139:1-6. II. It is confirmed by two arguments:—1. God is every where present; therefore he knows all, Ps 139:7-12. 2. He made us, therefore he knows us, Ps 139:13-16. III. Some inferences are drawn from this doctrine. 1. It may fill us with pleasing admiration of God, Ps 139:17,18. 2. With a holy dread and detestation of sin and sinners, Ps 139:19-22. 3. With a holy satisfaction in our own integrity, concerning which we may appeal to God, Ps 139:23,24. This great and self-evident truth, That God knows our hearts, and the hearts of all the children of men, if we did but mix faith with it and seriously consider it and apply it, would have a great influence upon our holiness and upon our comfort.

This psalm purports to be a psalm of David, and there is no reason to doubt that it is properly attributed to him. See introduction to Psalm 138:1-8. At what time it was composed is, however, unknown. It contains reflections which might have occurred at any period of his life; yet it would seem most probable that it was not written in his early years, but that it is a record of his most mature thoughts on a great and very important subject.

The psalm relates to the omnipresence of God, and contains such reflections as would occur to one meditating on that attribute of the Deity. It is the most distinct and full statement of that doctrine which is to be found in the Hebrew Scriptures, and the doctrine is presented in language which has never been surpassed for sublimity and beauty. The leading idea in the psalm seems to be that of comfort from the fact that God is everywhere; that he knows all that pertains to us; that we can never be hidden from his view; that he has known us from the beginning; that as he fashioned and formed us - making us what we are - he knows all our necessities, and can supply them. The psalm consists of three parts:

I. A celebration of the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God, as a ground of confidence and hope, Psalm 139:1-18.

(a) The fact that he knows all that there is in the heart, Psalm 139:1-6.

(b) The fact that he is everywhere present, Psalm 139:7-12.

(c) The fact that all in our past life has been known to God; that he has created us, and that his eye has been upon us from the beginning of our existence, Psalm 139:13-16.

(d) The fact that his thoughts toward us are precious, and numberless as the sand, Psalm 139:17-18.

II. The feelings of the psalmist in relation to the acts of the wicked as a proof that he loved God, Psalm 139:19-22. These reflections seem to have sprung from his contemplation of the divine character and perfections, as leading him to hate all that was opposed to a Being so pure, so benevolent, so holy. On looking into his own heart, in view of what God was, he was conscious that he had no sympathy with the enemies of God as such; that such was his love for the character of God, and such his confidence in him, that he could have nothing in common with them in their feelings toward God, but wished to be dissociated from them forever.

III. The expression of a desire that, as God saw all the recesses of the human soul, he would search his heart, and would detect any evil he might see there, and deliver him from the evil, and lead him in the way which conducted to life eternal, Psalm 139:23-24. Anyone may feel, and must feel, that after all which he knows of himself - after all the effort which he makes to ascertain what is within his heart - there are depths there which his eye cannot penetrate, and that there may be sins of thought and feeling there which he has not detected; but it is only from the consciousness of sincerity, and a true desire to honor God, that one can pray that God would search him, and that he would detect and bring out every form of sin which he may see concealed and lurking in the soul He who can sincerely offer this prayer is a pious man.

A fine account of the omniscience of God, Psalm 139:1-6; of his omnipresence, Psalm 139:7-12; of his power and providence Psalm 139:13-16. The excellence of his purposes, Psalm 139:17, Psalm 139:18. His opposition to the wicked, Psalm 139:19, Psalm 139:20; with whom the godly can have no fellowship, Psalm 139:21, Psalm 139:22.

The title of this Psalm in the Hebrew is, To the chief Musician, or, To the Conqueror, A Psalm of David. The Versions in general follow the Hebrew. And yet, notwithstanding these testimonies, there appears internal evidence that the Psalm was not written by David, but during or after the time of the captivity, as there are several Chaldaisms in it. See Psalm 139:2, Psalm 139:3, Psalm 139:7, Psalm 139:9, Psalm 139:19, Psalm 139:20, collated with Daniel 2:29, Daniel 2:30; Daniel 4:16; Daniel 7:28; some of these shall be noticed in their proper places.

As to the author, he is unknown; for it does not appear to have been the work of David. The composition is worthy of him, but the language appears to be lower than his time.

Concerning the occasion, there are many conjectures which I need not repeat, because I believe them unfounded. It is most probable that it was written on no particular occasion, but is a moral lesson on the wisdom, presence, providence, and justice of God, without any reference to any circumstance in the life of David, or in the history of the Jews.

The Psalm is very sublime; the sentiments are grand, the style in general highly elevated, and the images various and impressive. The first part especially, that contains so fine a description of the wisdom and knowledge of God, is inimitable.

Bishop Horsley's account of this Psalm is as follows: -

"In the first twelve verses of this Psalm the author celebrates God's perfect knowledge of man's thoughts and actions; and the reason of this wonderful knowledge, viz., that God is the Maker of man. Hence the psalmist proceeds, in the four following verses, Psalm 139:13-16, to magnify God as ordaining and superintending the formation of his body in the womb. In the 17th and 18th (Psalm 139:17, Psalm 139:18) he acknowledges God's providential care of him in every moment of his life; and in the remainder of the Psalm implores God's aid against impious and cruel enemies, professing his own attachment to God's service, that is, to the true religion, and appealing to the Searcher of hearts himself for the truth of his professions."

The composition, for the purity and justness of religious sentiment, and for the force and beauty of the images, is certainly in the very first and best style. And yet the frequent Chaldaisms of the diction argue no very high antiquity.

INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 139

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm was written by David, when he lay under the reproach and calumnies of men, who laid false things to his charge; things he was not conscious of either in the time of Saul's persecution of him, or when his son Absalom rebelled against him: and herein he appeals to the heart searching and rein trying God for his innocence; and, when settled on his throne, delivered it to the master of music, to make use of it on proper occasions. According to the Syriac title of the psalm, the occasion of it was Shimei, the son of Gera, reproaching and cursing him as a bloody man, 2 Samuel 16:5. Theodoret takes it to be a prophecy of Josiah, and supposes that he is represented as speaking throughout the psalm. Aben Ezra observes, that this is the most glorious and excellent psalm in all the book: a very excellent one it is: but whether the most excellent, it is hard to say. It treats of some of the most glorious of the divine perfections; omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. Arama says, the argument of it is God's particular knowledge of men, and his providence over their affairs.

CXXXIX.

This psalm falls into four strophes unequal in length, but clearly marked. Had it ended at the third it could have been easily described as a poem on the omniscience and omnipresence of God, and though many of the expressions that have been used about this psalm would seem extravagant if repeated, yet it would be acknowledged by all as one of the sublimest in the whole collection. In its tone it is personal and reflective rather than speculative, and yet some of the profoundest metaphysical questions are touched, or at least suggested, and as we read we feel at every moment that we stand on the verge of the discovery of weighty truths concerning God’s nature and his relation to man. But suddenly, as only a Hebrew poet could do, the writer breaks away from the subject, to denounce ungodly men with a storm of indignation nowhere surpassed. For the explanation of this see Note to Psalm 139:19.

The superscription ascribing the psalm to David must be abandoned in the face not only of the strong Aramaic colouring of the psalm, but also of the development of its eschatology, which marks a late epoch. It is certainly as late as the latest in the collection. Though not sustained, throughout, the parallelism is exceptionably fine.

Title.—See Title, Psalms 4.

The Codex Alex. of the LXX. adds, “of Zechariah,” and a later hand, “on the dispersion.”

The consciousness of the intimate personal relation between God and man which is characteristic of the whole Psalter reaches its climax here. The omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence of Jehovah are no cold philosophical abstractions for the Psalmist. He realises most vividly that Jehovah is One Who knows all his thoughts and actions, One from Whose universal Presence he cannot escape, One Who has fashioned his frame and ordered his life. With profound reverence he meditates on these truths in an address to God, recognising their mystery and awfulness, and seeking not to escape from God but to yield himself more fully to His control and guidance.

The Psalm falls into four divisions.

i. Jehovah knows every thought and action (Psalm 139:1-6).

ii. To escape from His Presence is impossible (Psalm 139:7-12).

iii. Nor is this surprising, for it is He Who has moulded the Psalmist’s frame and ordered his life, with unsearchable depth of wisdom (Psalm 139:13-18).

iv. How can this All-seeing, Almighty God tolerate evil men? With such the Psalmist will have no fellowship. May God search his heart, and purge it from every evil way (Psalm 139:19-24)!

The title A Psalm of David cannot indicate its authorship. The language of the Psalm is not pure Hebrew, but is marked by a strong Aramaic colouring. It resembles the language of the Book of Job, and in several respects the thought of the Psalm is also akin to that book. The problem of God’s tolerance of the wicked perplexed the Psalmist (Psalm 139:19 ff.), as it perplexed Job Vv13-16 resemble Job 10:9 ff. Elôah, the common word for God in Job, but found only four times in the Psalter, occurs in Psalm 139:19; and the word for ‘slay’ in the same verse is used in Heb. elsewhere only in Job, though it is common in Aramaic.

The addition of Zachariah, in Cod. A of the LXX, with the further gloss in the margin, in the dispersion (both readings are found in the Zürich Psalter, T) may preserve a tradition of the exilic or post-exilic origin of the Psalm. But when or where it was written must remain unknown. If the provenance of the Book of Job could be determined, we might be on the track of the origin of this Psalm.

Ps 139:1-24.

After presenting the sublime doctrines of God's omnipresence and omniscience, the Psalmist appeals to Him, avowing his innocence, his abhorrence of the wicked, and his ready submission to the closest scrutiny. Admonition to the wicked and comfort to the pious are alike implied inferences from these doctrines.

O Lord, thou hast searched me - The word rendered searched, has a primary reference to searching the earth by boring or digging, as for water or metals. See Job 28:3. Then it means to search accurately or closely.

And known me - As the result of that search, or that close investigation. Thou seest all that is in my heart. Nothing is, or can be, concealed from thee. It is with this deep consciousness that the psalm begins; and all that follows is but an expansion and application of this idea. It is of much advantage in suggesting right reflections on our own character, to have this full consciousness that God knows us altogether; that he sees all that there is in our heart; that he has been fully acquainted with our past life.