King James Version

Psalms 139:11

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

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Hebrew

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וָ֭אֹמַרvaomarand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אַךְakhonlyאַךְparticle, affirmation — “only”H389a particle of affirmation, surely; hence (by limitation) onlyalso, in any wise, at least, but, certainly, even, howbeit, nevertheless, notwithstanding, only, save, surely, of a surety, truly, verily, [phrase] wherefore, yet (but).חֹ֣שֶׁךְchoshekhdarkחֹשֶׁךְnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “dark”, the ordinary formH2822the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickednessdark(-ness), night, obscurity.יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִיyeshufenibreakשׁוּףverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “break”, an unfinished actionH7779properly, to gape, i.e. snap at; figuratively, to overwhelmbreak, bruise, cover.וְ֝לַ֗יְלָהvelaylahand nightלַיִלconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and night”, the ordinary formH3915properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity(mid-)night (season).א֣וֹרorbrightאוֹרnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “bright”, the ordinary formH216illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)bright, clear, [phrase] day, light (-ning), morning, sun.בַּעֲדֵֽנִיbaadeniat byבְּעַדpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “at by”H1157in up to or over against; generally at, beside, among, behind, for, etc.about, at by (means of), for, over, through, up (-on), within.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And if I say: 'Surely the darkness shall envelop me, and the light about me shall be night';

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, And the light about me shall be night;

Young’s Literal Translation

And I say, 'Surely darkness bruiseth me, Then night [is] light to me.

World English Bible

If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me. The light around me will be night,”

Darby Translation

And if I say, Surely darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night;

Douay-Rheims

Burning coals shall fall upon them; thou wilt cast them down into the fire: in miseries they shall not be able to stand.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And if I say: 'Surely the darkness shall envelop me, and the light about me shall be night';

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

When I said, Surely the darkness will cover me; even the night was light in my luxury.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπα, ἄρα σκότος καταπατήσει με, καὶ νὺξ φωτισμὸς ἐν τῇ τρυφῇ μου.