Psalms 139:2
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Original Language Analysis
יָ֭דַעְתָּ
Thou knowest
H3045
יָ֭דַעְתָּ
Thou knowest
Strong's:
H3045
Word #:
2 of 7
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
שִׁבְתִּ֣י
my downsitting
H3427
שִׁבְתִּ֣י
my downsitting
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
3 of 7
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
וְקוּמִ֑י
and mine uprising
H6965
וְקוּמִ֑י
and mine uprising
Strong's:
H6965
Word #:
4 of 7
to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
בַּ֥נְתָּה
thou understandest
H995
בַּ֥נְתָּה
thou understandest
Strong's:
H995
Word #:
5 of 7
to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e., (generally) understand
Cross References
Matthew 9:4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?2 Kings 19:27But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.Psalms 94:11The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.Luke 9:47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,Isaiah 37:28But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.Proverbs 15:3The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.Psalms 56:8Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?Zechariah 4:10For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.Genesis 16:13And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?2 Kings 6:12And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern religions often portrayed gods as distant, capricious beings requiring elaborate rituals to gain their attention. David's portrayal of YHWH as intimately aware of mundane human actions was radically counter-cultural, emphasizing the covenant God's personal involvement with His people.
Questions for Reflection
- How would your daily routine change if you lived consciously aware that God knows your every sitting and rising?
- What 'afar off' thoughts—barely-formed desires or intentions—might God be discerning in you right now?
- Do you compartmentalize your life into 'spiritual' and 'ordinary' moments, forgetting that all moments are known to God?
Analysis & Commentary
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off—God's omniscience extends to the mundane rhythm of daily life: sitting down and standing up, the bookends of every human activity. The Hebrew binah (בִּינָה, 'understandest') suggests discernment of what lies beneath the surface. God perceives our thoughts while they're still 'afar off'—before they fully form, while still inchoate desires and half-formed intentions.
No moment is too trivial for divine attention, no thought too fleeting to escape God's notice. This verse demolishes the false dichotomy between 'sacred' and 'secular'—all of life unfolds under the watchful eye of Him who numbers our hairs (Matthew 10:30). The God who governs galaxies attends to whether you sit or stand.