Psalms 139:8 (YLT)

Passage

If I ascend the heavens--there Thou <FI>art<Fi> , And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, Thee!

Nearby Context

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?

Psalms 139:8 If I ascend the heavens--there Thou <FI>art<Fi> , And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, Thee!

Psalms 139:9 I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,

Psalms 139:10 Also there Thy hand doth lead me, And Thy right hand doth hold me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ascend", "heavens--there", "thou", "spread", "couch", "sheol", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ascend" and "heavens--there", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Whither do I go from Thy Spirit..." into verse 9's "I take the wings of morning I...", so "ascend" and "heavens--there" 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 "ascend" and "heavens--there" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.