Psalms 139:5 (LSB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Psalms 139:3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Psalms 139:4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Yahweh, You know it all.

Psalms 139:5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And You have put Your hand upon me.

Psalms 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

Psalms 139:7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "enclosed", "behind", "before", "hand", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "enclosed" and "behind", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Even before there is a word on..." into verse 6's "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me...", so "enclosed" and "behind" 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 "enclosed" and "behind" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.