Psalm 139:15-16 says:
"My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 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." (KJV)
"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (NIV)
I. Historical Analysis (looking at the world outside the Bible): x
A. Geography: x
B. Political History: x
C. Wars: x
D. Economy: x
E. Pagan Cultures: Idols were commonplace among the different civilizations during David’s life. In Psalm 139, David presented the Lord as the one and only true God. He presented the three comparative attributes of God (omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence) to indirectly declare that God is real and that the other gods of the other civilizations are not. The pagan cultures often made decisions based on their idols, but David showed in this psalm that God is the One in whom all people should trust.
F. Manners and Customs: x
G. Culture-based or Trans-cultural: Psalm 139 is trans-cultural because David’s message applies to everyone for all ages.
II. Grammatical Analysis (looking at the words in a sentence): x
A. Words: The Hebrew word used for "substance" in this verse was "golem," which means something not yet wrought or developed. The word literally means embryo or fetus and suggests that God has seen each of us before we were ever born. The original language does not say "members" in the KJV or "days" in the NIV. The literal Hebrew is more accurately translated as "all were written" or "all was written."
The Hebrew word "'echad" was translated "when as yet there was none of them" in the KJV and "before one of them came to be" in the NIV. The word literally means one.
1. Lexical Analysis: x
2. Figures of Speech: x
3. Different Translations: x
B. Level of Words: The literal Hebrew says, "Eye saw embryo, book were written days, were formed one." The translator of the verse basically came up with "God saw us in embryonic form, and all about us was written before even one day was formed."
C. Syntax: x
D. Verb Tenses: The Hebrew verb used for "were written" was "kathab." The tense is passive, and the mood is imperfect. According to www.blueletterbible.org, the imperfect mood can express a single action in the past and is more colorful. Hence, all were written or all was written. It can be "used to express the 'future', referring not only to an action which is about to be accomplished but one which has not yet begun." Hence, all will be written. The most likely usage in this case is the former.
E. Use of Book Endings: x
III. Literary Analysis (looking at the whole thought or concept): David wrote this psalm to express his awe over the Lord. He recognized God’s three comparative attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. He offered this psalm of praise to express how mighty and wonderful he saw God.
A. Exegesis: In Psalm 139:1-6, David indicated that God is all-knowing. Psalm 139:2 (NIV) says, "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar." In Psalm 139:7-12, David was showing that God is everywhere at all times. Psalm 139:7 (NIV) says, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?" In Psalm 139:10-13, David was acknowledging the Lord’s care for him and also showing that God is all-powerful. That verse (NIV) says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
1. The passage as "world literature": x
2. Genre of the passage: The genre of this passage is poetry, which means that the language is descriptive, experiential, and colorful. David described the security and awesomeness that he felt from and for the Lord. He wrote about how he was experiencing God’s goodness, and he used colorful language to express his thoughts.
3. The author’s emphasis: In Psalm 139, David focused on the wonder and majesty of the Lord. He was trying to show God as all-knowing (omniscient), everywhere present (omnipresent), and all-powerful (omnipotent). Psalm 139:16 fits into that overall scheme and indicates that nothing is hidden from the Lord.
4. The author’s intended meaning: While the Lord knows what every person will do in his or her life, David was not trying to show in Psalm 139:16 that God forces people down particular paths. He knew that Adam and Eve would fall in the garden, but He did not make either of them make the decisions that they made. God knew that Pharaoh would initially harden his heart and not let the children of Israel leave Egypt, but He did not make Pharaoh behave as he did. Individuals have always had a free will to live their own lives and make their own choices, but David indicated in Psalm 139 that none of those choices, whether good or bad, are forced by the Lord or hidden from the Lord.
B. Application of the passage: A proper understanding of Psalm 139 will cause the reader to join with David in praising the Lord because He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. None of life’s idols compare with the majesty of the Lord.
Tom of New Heights "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
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