Psalms 139:5 (GNV)

Passage

Thou holdest mee straite behinde and before, and layest thine hand vpon me.

Nearby Context

Psalms 139:3 Thou compassest my pathes, and my lying downe, and art accustomed to all my wayes.

Psalms 139:4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but loe, thou knowest it wholy, O Lord.

Psalms 139:5 Thou holdest mee straite behinde and before, and layest thine hand vpon me.

Psalms 139:6 Thy knowledge is too wonderfull for mee: it is so high that I cannot attaine vnto it.

Psalms 139:7 Whither shall I goe from thy Spirite? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "holdest", "straite", "behinde", "before", "layest", "thine", and "hand". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "holdest", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "For there is not a word in..." into verse 6's "Thy knowledge is too wonderfull for mee...", so "thou" and "holdest" 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 "thou" and "holdest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.