Passage

Psalms 139.19-22

Book: Psalms · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"17. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee."

"19. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: Depart from me therefore, ye bloodthirsty men. 20. For they speak against thee wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain. 21. Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 22. I hate them with perfect hatred: They are become mine enemies."

"23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalms 139:17-24, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"17. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is their sum! 18. If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you."

"19. If only you, God, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20. For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain. 21. Yahweh, don’t I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you? 22. I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies."

"23. Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. 24. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." (Psalms 139:17-24, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"17. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee."

"19. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. 20. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. 21. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 22. I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies."

"23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ^{wicked: Heb. way of pain, or, grief}" (Psalms 139:17-24, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"17. And to me how precious have been Thy thoughts, O God, how great hath been their sum! 18. I recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and I am still with Thee."

"19. Dost Thou slay, O God, the wicked? Then, men of blood, turn aside from me! 20. Who exchange Thee for wickedness, Lifted up to vanity [are] Thine enemies. 21. Do not I hate, Jehovah, those hating Thee? And with Thy withstanders grieve myself? 22. [With] perfect hatred I have hated them, Enemies they have become to me."

"23. Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts, 24. And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a way age-during!" (Psalms 139:17-24, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Quoted in

God and the Killing of Children

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.