Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 139

1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me .

i. e. Known me exactly, as men do those things which they di[illegible: 1+ letters]gently search out.

2 Thou knowest my down-sitting, and mine up-rising , thou understandest my thought afar off .

All my postures and motions, my actions and my cessations from action.

All my secret counsels and designs.

Before they are perfectly formed in my mind. Thou knowest what my thoughts will be i[illegible: 1+ letters] such and such circumstances, long before I know it, yea from all eternity.

3 Thou compassest my path , and my lying down , and art acquainted with all my ways.

Thou watchest me on every side, and therefore discernest every step which I take. It is a Metaphor either from huntsmen watching all the motions and lurking places of wild beasts, that they may catch them; or from Souldiers be[illegible: 1+ letters]ieging their enemies in a City, and setting watches round about them.

Me when I lye down in my bed, where men oft contrive what they execute in the day time.

Marginal references: Or, win[illegible: 1+ letters]owest.

4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether .

Thou knowest what I speak, and with what design and disposition of mind. Or rather, as others render it, and which is more admirable, When there is not a word, &c. Thou knowest what I intend to speak either in prayer to thee, or in conversation with men, when I have not yet uttered one word of it.

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before , and laid thine hand upon me .

With thine all-seeing and all-disposing Providence.

Thou keepest me, as it were with a strong hand, in thy sight and under thy power.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it .

I am so far from equalling thy knowledge, that I cannot apprehend it, in what manner thou dost so perfectly know all things, even such as are most secret and have yet no being, and seem to depend upon many casualties and uncertainties.

Marginal references: Psal. 131. 1.

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy presence .

Either, 1. from the Holy Ghost, the third Person in the Trinity: or, 2. from thee who art a Spirit, and therefore canst penetrate into the most secret parts: or, 3. from thy mind or understanding, of which he is here speaking, as this word seems to be taken, Isa. 40. 13. compared with Rom. 11. 34. for what there is called the Spirit of the Lord, is here called the mind of the Lord. And as the Spirit of God is oft used in Scripture for its gifts and graces, so the Spirit of God in this place may be put for that knowledge which is an Attribute or action of God.

A man can go to no place which is out of thy sight.

Marginal references: Jer. 23. 24.; Heb. thy [illegible: 1+ letters]ace. So G[illegible: 1+ letters].

8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell , behold, thou art there.

If I should or could repose and hide my self in the grave or in the lowest parts of the earth, which are at the farthest distance from Heaven.

Marginal references: Am. 9. 2, 3, 4.; Prov. 15. 11.

9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea .

If I should flee as swiftly from thy presence as the morning light doth, which in an instant scat[illegible: 1+ letters]ereth it self from East to West: for the Sea being the Western border of [illegible: 1+ letters]anaan, is oft put for the West in Scripture. And wings are Poetically ascribed to the morning or morning light here, as they are elsewhere to the Sun, as Mal. 4. 2. and to the winds, as Psal. 18. 11. & 104. 3. and to other things of eminent swiftness.

10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me .

I could neither go thither without thy conduct, nor subsist there without thy powerful support, and much less could I go out of thy sight; for a man may see many things which are out of his power.

11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me▪ even the night shall be light about me.

Shall be as clear and manifest to God as the light it self.

12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee .

Or, enlightneth, as this word is used Psal. 19. 9. Prov. 29. 13, &c. discovereth me and all mine actions.

This is repeated so oft to reprove and confute the ridiculous conceits of many ungodly men, who flatter themselves with hopes of secrecy and impunity for those sins which they commit in the dark. See Isa. 29. 15.

Marginal references: Job 26. 6. & 34. 22. Heb. 4. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].; Heb. darkneth not.; Heb. as is [illegible: 1 word] darkness, so is the light.

13 For thou hast possessed my reins : thou hast covered me in my mothers womb.

Or, thou dost possess, thou dwellest in them, thou art the Owner and Governor of them, and therefore must needs know them. Or, thou hast formed, as some of the Ancients and others render it.

The most inward and hidden part of the body, supposed also to be the seat of mens lusts and passions.

Either, 1. with that covering called the afterbirth, wherein the infant is wrapped and preserved in the womb by the wonderful care of Divine providence. Or, 2. with skin and flesh, as it is expressed Iob 10. 11.

14 I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made ▪ marvellous are thy works , and that my soul knoweth right well .

Thy infinite wisdom and power manifested in the rare and curious structure of mans body, doth fill me with wonder and astonishment and with the dread of thy Majesty.

Both in the lesser world, man, and in the greater.

I am well assured both by thy word and by the contemplation and study of thy works, to which I have much addicted my self, that they are wonderful, although I do not so accurately understand all the particulars of them as I would do.

Marginal references: Heb. by [illegible: 1 word] things I a[illegible: 1+ letters] become [illegible: 1 word].; Heb. greatly.

15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret ; and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth .

Or, My bone, as the LXX and others render the word. And bone may be here taken collectively for bones, as is usual in such words, or for the whole fabrick of the bones. And the bones may be very fitly mentioned here, because they are inward and invisible, as being covered with skin and flesh and sinews. Or, the bones may be put Synecdochically for the whole body, as being the most substantial part of it, as they are Psal. 35. 10.

In the dark vault of my mothers womb.

Heb. embroidered, exquisitely composed of bones and muscles and sinews and veins and arteries and other parts, all framed with such wonderful skill, that even Heathens upon the contemplation of all the parts of mans body, and how excellently they were framed both for beauty and use, have broken forth into pangs of admiration and adoration of the Creator of man, as Galen particularly did▪

Or, as it were in the lowest parts of the earth. So there is onely an Ellipsis of the note of similitude, which is very frequent in Scripture, as hath been often said and proved. In a place as secret and remote from humane eyes, as the lowest parts of the earth are, to wit, in my mothers womb. And so what was said in the former clause is repeated in this in other words.

Marginal references: Job 10. 8, 10. Eccl. 11. 5.; Or, strength, [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word].

16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect , and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned , when as yet there was none of them .

When I was a meer Embryo, a rude and shapeless lump, when I was first conceived.

In thy counsel and providence, by which thou didst co[illegible: 1+ letters]trive and effect this great work and all the parts of it according to that model which thou hadst appointed. This is a M[illegible: 1+ letters]taphor taken from workmen, who when they are to make some curious structure, they first draw a rude draught or delineation of it, by which they govern themselves in the building of it.

All the several parts of my substance.

Which in due time and by degrees were formed into bones, fleshy sinews, &c. Or, as it is in the margent, what days (and the days in which) they wer[illegible: 1+ letters] or should be fashioned, by what steps, in what order and time each part of the body should receive its proper form. This also was written or appointed by God.

Heb. and not one of them, understand either yet was, as it is in our Translation; or, was lacking, to wit, in thy book. All my parts without exception were written by thee. But then these words are not to be joyned with those immediately foregoing, but with the former, and the words are to be read thus, in thy book all my mem[illegible: 1+ letters]ers were written (which in continuance were fashioned) when as yet, &c.

Marginal references: Heb. all of [illegible: 1 word] ▪; Or, what days [illegible: 1 word] should be [illegible: 1+ letters]ed.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the summe of them !

Thy is taken either, 1. passively, my thoughts of thee: or rather, 2. actively, thy thoughts, counse[illegible: 1+ letters]s or cont[illegible: 1+ letters]ivances on my behalf, which are admirable and am[illegible: 1+ letters]able in mine eyes. Thou didst not onely form me at first, but ev[illegible: 1+ letters] [illegible: 1+ letters]ince my conception and birth thy thoughts have been employed for me in preserving and providing for me and blessing of me.

Thy gracious designs and providences towards me are numberless, as it follows.

Marginal references: Psal. 40. 5.

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

To wit, by my thoughts and meditations. Thy wonderful counsels and works on my behalf come constantly into my mind, not onely in the day time, but even in the night season, which is commonly devoted to rest and sleep, whensoever I awake either in the night or in the morning: These are my last thoughts when I lye down, and my first when I rise.

19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked , O God: depart from me therefore , ye bloody men .

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, such as thou knowest mine enemies to be, even to destroy them utterly.

I renounce your friendship and society. I will not partake with you in your sins, lest I should also partake of your plagues.

Heb. ye men of blood, either, 1. passively, deserving death, or guilty of blood or of death, as the phrase is, Numb. 35. 27, 31. Mat. 26. 66. Or rather, 2. actively, blood-thirsty, or shedders of blood, as this phrase is generally taken, as 2 Sam. 16. 8. Psal. 26. 9. & 55. 24. & 59. 3. Having called them wicked men in general, he now gives a particular account of their wickedness, they were unjust and cruel towards men, and withal profane and impious towards God, as he tells us in the next verse.

20 For they speak against thee wickedly , and thine enemies take thy Name in vain .

By profane scoffs, and a professed den[illegible: 1+ letters]al or contempt of thine Omniscience and Providence. Or, they speak of thee in or unto wickedness, they make use of Religion to cover or further their wicked designs. But our Translation is more favoured by the Context, which speaks of Gods open and professed enemies.

Or, according to the order of the Hebrew words, and take thy Name in vain, and are thine enemies, or haters of thee, as it follows v. 20. These words, thy Name, are understood here, as also Isa. 3. 7. out of Exod. 20. 7. where they are expressed. They abuse thy blessed Name with hellish oaths and perjuries and blasphemies.

Marginal references: Heb. speak of thee in wickedness, or, unto wickedness.

21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee ! and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee ?

I appeal to thee the omnipresent and omniscient God, whether I do not perfectly hate them so far as they are enemies to God and goodness.

In open hostility and rebellion against thine Authority.

22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies .

I am no less grieved with their enmity against thee than if they directed it against my self.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts .

And whether I do not speak this from my very heart, do thou judge who art the searcher of hearts, and deal with me accordingly.

Marginal references: Job 31. 6. Psal. 26. 2.

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me , and lead me in the way everlasting .

Heb. way of trouble or grief, any course of life which is grievous, either 1. to my self, as all sin is to the sinner sooner or later: or, 2. to others; as I am accused of causing much trouble and design[illegible: 1+ letters]ng mischief to the King and Kingdom.

In the right and good way, which is lasting and leads to everlasting life, whereas the way of wickedness, to which this i[illegible: 1+ letters]opposed, will perish, as is said Psal. 1. 6. and bring men i[illegible: 1+ letters]o utter destruction. Or, as others render it, in the old way, which is the good way, as it is called Ier. 6. 16. in the way of righteousness and holiness, which may well b[illegible: 1+ letters] called the old way, because it was from the beginning of the world written in ma[illegible: 1+ letters]s heart, whereas wickedness is of a later date. Possibly it may be rendred▪ in thy way (the Ellipsis of the Pronoum being very frequent, as hath been noted and proved before: or, in the way, to w[illegible: 1+ letters]t, the way of God, which is oft called emph[illegible: 1+ letters]ically the way, as Psal. 25. 8. & 119. 1. Prov. 23. 19. & 29. 27. and which is sufficiently understood from its opposition to the wicked way in the former clause) for ever, or, as long as I live, as this Hebrew word Olam without any prefix to it is used, 2 Sam. 27. 12. Iob 41. 4. Psal. 21. 4. & 45. 7. and elsewhere. But this with submission.

Marginal references: Heb. way of pain, or, grief.; Psal. 5. 8. & 143. 10.