Psalms 139:5 (YLT)

Passage

Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand.

Nearby Context

Psalms 139:3 My path and my couch Thou hast fanned, And <FI>with<Fi> all my ways hast been acquainted.

Psalms 139:4 For there is not a word in my tongue, Lo, O Jehovah, Thou hast known it all!

Psalms 139:5 Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand.

Psalms 139:6 Knowledge too wonderful for me, It hath been set on high, I am not able for it.

Psalms 139:7 Whither do I go from Thy Spirit? And whither from Thy face do I flee?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behind", "before", "thou", "hast", "besieged", "dost", and "place". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behind" and "before", 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 "Knowledge too wonderful for me It hath...", so "behind" and "before" 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 "behind" and "before" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.