Psalms 139:8 (GNV)

Passage

If I ascende into heauen, thou art there: if I lye downe in hell, thou art there.

Nearby Context

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?

Psalms 139:8 If I ascende into heauen, thou art there: if I lye downe in hell, thou art there.

Psalms 139:9 Let mee take the winges of the morning, and dwell in the vttermost parts of the sea:

Psalms 139:10 Yet thither shall thine hand leade me, and thy right hand holde me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ascende", "heauen", "thou", "downe", and "hell". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ascende" and "heauen", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Whither shall I goe from thy Spirite..." into verse 9's "Let mee take the winges of the...", so "ascende" and "heauen" 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 "ascende" and "heauen" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.