Psalm 139:3
New International Version
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

New Living Translation
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

English Standard Version
You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.

Berean Standard Bible
You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.

King James Bible
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

New King James Version
You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

New American Standard Bible
You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

NASB 1995
You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

NASB 1977
Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Legacy Standard Bible
You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Amplified Bible
You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Christian Standard Bible
You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways.

American Standard Version
Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.

Contemporary English Version
You notice everything I do and everywhere I go.

English Revised Version
Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You watch me when I travel and when I rest. You are familiar with all my ways.

Good News Translation
You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.

International Standard Version
You scrutinize my life and my rest; you are familiar with all of my ways.

Majority Standard Bible
You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.

NET Bible
You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; you are aware of everything I do.

New Heart English Bible
You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

World English Bible
You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You have fanned my path and my lying down, "" And have been acquainted [with] all my ways.

Young's Literal Translation
My path and my couch Thou hast fanned, And with all my ways hast been acquainted.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou didst sift my way and my lying down, and thou knewest all my ways.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You have understood my thoughts from afar. My path and my fate, you have investigated.

New American Bible
You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar.

New Revised Standard Version
You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Thou knowest my way and my paths, and art acquainted with all my ways.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You know my way and my steps and you have investigated all my ways.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou measurest my going about and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou hast traced my path and my bed, and hast foreseen all my ways.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
You Have Searched Me and Known Me
2You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar. 3You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways. 4Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.…

Cross References
Proverbs 5:21
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.

Job 31:4
Does He not see my ways and count my every step?

Jeremiah 23:24
“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.

Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.

Job 34:21
For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”

Matthew 10:30
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

1 John 3:20
Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.

Isaiah 40:27
Why do you say, O Jacob, and why do you assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my claim is ignored by my God”?

Acts 17:27-28
God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. / ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’

Romans 8:27
And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

Luke 12:7
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Jeremiah 16:17
For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.


Treasury of Scripture

You compass my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

compassest.

Job 13:26,27
For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth…

Job 14:16,17
For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin? …

Job 31:4
Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

my path

Psalm 139:18
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Psalm 121:3-8
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber…

Genesis 28:10-17
And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran…

and art acquainted

2 Samuel 12:9-12
Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon…

Proverbs 5:20,21
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? …

Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Jump to Previous
Acquainted Compassest Couch Discern Familiar Fanned Intimately Lying Path Scrutinize Search Searchest Sleep Steps Watch Ways
Jump to Next
Acquainted Compassest Couch Discern Familiar Fanned Intimately Lying Path Scrutinize Search Searchest Sleep Steps Watch Ways
Psalm 139
1. David praises God for his all-seeing providence
17. And for this infinite mercies
19. He defies the wicked
23. He prays for sincerity














You search out
The phrase "You search out" in Psalm 139:3 from the Berean Standard Bible highlights the active and intentional nature of God's knowledge. The Hebrew root for "search out" is "zārah," which conveys the idea of sifting or winnowing, much like a farmer would separate wheat from chaff. This imagery suggests a thorough and discerning examination. In a conservative Christian perspective, this reflects God's omniscience and His intimate involvement in the lives of His people. He is not a distant observer but one who actively engages with and understands the depths of our being.

my path
The term "my path" refers to the course or direction of one's life. In Hebrew, the word "derek" is used, which can mean a road, journey, or way of life. This indicates that God is aware of not just our physical movements but also the moral and spiritual direction we take. Historically, paths were significant in biblical times as they represented the journey of life, often fraught with challenges and decisions. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this underscores the belief that God is sovereign over our life's journey, guiding and directing us according to His will.

and my lying down
The phrase "and my lying down" suggests God's knowledge of our rest and vulnerability. The Hebrew word "rābats" is used here, which means to lie down or rest. This can be seen as a metaphor for the times when we are at our most defenseless and unguarded. In the ancient Near Eastern context, lying down was a time of vulnerability, yet the psalmist finds comfort in God's watchful presence. For conservative Christians, this emphasizes God's protective nature and His constant care, even in our most unguarded moments.

You are aware
"You are aware" speaks to God's comprehensive understanding and awareness. The Hebrew root "sāḵan" implies being acquainted with or having intimate knowledge of something. This suggests a deep, personal awareness that goes beyond mere observation. In the scriptural context, this awareness is not passive but active, indicating God's involvement in every aspect of our lives. From a conservative Christian perspective, this reinforces the belief in God's omnipresence and His intimate relationship with His creation.

of all my ways
The phrase "of all my ways" encompasses the entirety of one's actions, behaviors, and life choices. The Hebrew word "derek" is again used here, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of God's knowledge. In biblical times, "ways" often referred to one's conduct and moral choices. This highlights the belief that nothing is hidden from God, and He is aware of every aspect of our lives. For conservative Christians, this serves as both a comfort and a call to live righteously, knowing that God is fully aware of our actions and intentions.

(3) Compassest.--There is some obscurity about this word. The Hebrew verb means first to scatter, and is used of throwing corn about to winnow it (Isaiah 30:24; Jeremiah 4:11; Ruth 3:2). Hence by an easy metaphor it may mean to sift or search out. The LXX. and Theodotion, followed by the Vulg., have traced, investigated. Jerome has winnowed. The Authorised Version rendering appears to come from a mistaken etymology.

A most plausible suggestion connects the verb with z-r, to lodge, which makes a perfect parallelism with the verb to dwell, in the next clause. Literally,

About my path and bed thou art a guest,

In all my ways thou dwellest;

i.e., art as familiar with all my life as one inhabiting the same house could be.

My path.--Literally, my going. . . .

Verse 3. - Thou compassest (rather, siftest) my path and my lying down; literally, my path and my couch - the time of my activity and the time of my rest. And art acquainted with all my ways (comp. Psalm 119:168, "All my ways are before thee").

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You search out
זֵרִ֑יתָ (zê·rî·ṯā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2219: To toss about, to diffuse, winnow

my path
אָרְחִ֣י (’ā·rə·ḥî)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 734: A well-trodden road, a caravan

and my lying down;
וְרִבְעִ֣י (wə·riḇ·‘î)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7252: Prostration

You are aware
הִסְכַּֽנְתָּה׃ (his·kan·tāh)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5532: To be familiar with, to minister to, be serviceable to, be customary

of all
וְֽכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

my ways.
דְּרָכַ֥י (də·rā·ḵay)
Noun - common plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action


Links
Psalm 139:3 NIV
Psalm 139:3 NLT
Psalm 139:3 ESV
Psalm 139:3 NASB
Psalm 139:3 KJV

Psalm 139:3 BibleApps.com
Psalm 139:3 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 139:3 Chinese Bible
Psalm 139:3 French Bible
Psalm 139:3 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 139:3 You search out my path and my (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 139:2
Top of Page
Top of Page