King James Version

Psalms 139:5

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

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Hebrew

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אָח֣וֹרachorafterאָחוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “after”, the ordinary formH268the hinder part; hence (adverb) behind, backward; also (as facing north) the Westafter(-ward), back (part, -side, -ward), hereafter, (be-) hind(-er part), time to come, without.וָקֶ֣דֶםvaqedemand beforeקֶדֶםconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and before”, the ordinary formH6924the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward)aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, [idiom] ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare H6926 (קִדְמָה).צַרְתָּ֑נִיtsartaniadversaryצוּרverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “adversary”, a completed actionH6696to cramp, i.e. confine (in many applications, literally and figuratively, formative or hostile)adversary, assault, beset, besiege, bind (up), cast, distress, fashion, fortify, inclose, lay siege, put up in bags.וַתָּ֖שֶׁתvatashetand applyשִׁיתconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and apply”, the next action in the storyH7896to place (in a very wide application)apply, appoint, array, bring, consider, lay (up), let alone, [idiom] look, make, mark, put (on), [phrase] regard, set, shew, be stayed, [idiom] take.עָלַ֣יalayaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…כַּפֶּֽכָהkapekhahhand , -dle,כַּףnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “hand , -dle,”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3709the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree); figuratively, powerbranch, [phrase] foot, hand((-ful), -dle, (-led)), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thy hand upon me.

Young’s Literal Translation

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

World English Bible

You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me.

Darby Translation

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me.

Douay-Rheims

Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me. Who have proposed to supplant my steps.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

the last and the first: thou hast fashioned me, and laid thine hand upon me.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα· σὺ ἔπλασάς με καὶ ἔθηκας ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τὴν χεῖρά σου.