Psalm 139:5
New International Version
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

New Living Translation
You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

English Standard Version
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

Berean Standard Bible
You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.

King James Bible
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

New King James Version
You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

New American Standard Bible
You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me.

NASB 1995
You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

NASB 1977
Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.

Legacy Standard Bible
You have enclosed me behind and before, And You have put Your hand upon me.

Amplified Bible
You have enclosed me behind and before, And [You have] placed Your hand upon me.

Christian Standard Bible
You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me.

American Standard Version
Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thy hand upon me.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For from the beginning to the end you have formed me, and you have set your hand upon me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
the last and the first: thou hast fashioned me, and laid thine hand upon me.

Contemporary English Version
and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me.

English Revised Version
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You are all around me-in front of me and in back of me. You lay your hand on me.

Good News Translation
You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.

International Standard Version
You encircle me from back to front, placing your hand upon me.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.

Literal Standard Version
You have besieged me behind and before, | And You place Your hand on me.

Majority Standard Bible
You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.

New American Bible
Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.

NET Bible
You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me.

New Revised Standard Version
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

New Heart English Bible
You encircle me behind and in front, and you place your hand upon me.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me.

World English Bible
You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me.

Young's Literal Translation
Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
You Have Searched Me and Known Me
4Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD. 5You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.…

Cross References
Job 9:33
Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.

Psalm 34:7
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.

Psalm 125:2
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.


Treasury of Scripture

You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand on me.

beset me

Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

Job 23:8,9
Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: …

and laid

Exodus 24:11
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

Revelation 1:17
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

Jump to Previous
Beset Besieged Enclosed Hand Hem Hemmed Laid Shut Side
Jump to Next
Beset Besieged Enclosed Hand Hem Hemmed Laid Shut Side
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














(5) Beset--as a beleagured city from which there is no escape.

Verse 5. - Thou hast beset me behind and before; i.e. "thou art ever close to me, and therefore hast complete knowledge of me. Thine omniscience arises out of thy omnipresence." And laid thine hand upon me. To uphold me, and at the same time to restrain me (comp. ver. 10).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You hem me in
צַרְתָּ֑נִי (ṣar·tā·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 6696: To confine, bind, besiege

behind
אָח֣וֹר (’ā·ḥō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 268: The hinder part, behind, backward, the West

and before;
וָקֶ֣דֶם (wā·qe·ḏem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6924: The front, of place, time

You have laid
וַתָּ֖שֶׁת (wat·tā·šeṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7896: To put, set

Your hand
כַּפֶּֽכָה׃ (kap·pe·ḵāh)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan

upon me.
עָלַ֣י (‘ā·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


Links
Psalm 139:5 NIV
Psalm 139:5 NLT
Psalm 139:5 ESV
Psalm 139:5 NASB
Psalm 139:5 KJV

Psalm 139:5 BibleApps.com
Psalm 139:5 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 139:5 Chinese Bible
Psalm 139:5 French Bible
Psalm 139:5 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 139:5 You hem me in behind and before (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 139:4
Top of Page
Top of Page