Psalms 139:9 (ASV)

Passage

If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Nearby Context

Psalms 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

Psalms 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.

Psalms 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Psalms 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.

Psalms 139:11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, And the light about me shall be night;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "take", "wings", "morning", "dwell", "uttermost", and "parts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "take" and "wings", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "If I ascend up into heaven thou..." into verse 10's "Even there shall thy hand lead me...", so "take" and "wings" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "take" and "wings" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.