## Rashi on Psalms Chapter 139

###### Rashi on Psalms 139:2:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:2:1)

**בָּנְתָה לְרֵעִי מֵרָחוֹק.** בָּנְתָה מֵרָחוֹק לְמָשְׁכֵנִי אֶל רֵעוּתְךָ וְחִבָּתְךָ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**You understand how to attach me from afar** You understand from afar [how] to attract me to Your friendship and to Your love.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:2:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:2:2)

**לְרֵעִי.** לְקָרְבֵנִי אֵלֶיךָ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**to attach me** Heb. לרעי, to attach me to You.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:3:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:3:1)

**אָרְחִי וְרִבְעִי זֵרִיתָ.** דַּרְכִּי וְרִבְצִי וְשָׁכְנִי סִבַּבְתָּ מְחִיצָה, שֶׁאֵין לִי לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר בְּלֹא יְדִיעָתְךָ. **זֵרִיתָ** לְשׁוֹן ״זֵר זָהָב סָבִיב״ (שמות כה:כד), וְכֵן חִבְּרוֹ מְנַחֵם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ (נדה לא.) עַל טִפַּת תַּשְׁמִישׁ שֶׁהַוָּלָד נוֹצָר מִן הַבָּרוּר שֶׁבָּהּ, וּפֵירוּשׁוֹ **זֵרִיתָ** לְשׁוֹן זוֹרֶה הַתְּבוּאָה לִבְרוֹר אֶת הַפְּסוֹלֶת שֶׁבָּהּ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**My going about and my lying down You encompassed** My way, my lying down, and my dwelling You have encompassed with a wall, for I can do nothing without Your knowledge. **You encompassed** heb. זרית, an expression of (Exod. 25:24): “a gold crown (זר).” Menachem associated it in this manner (p. 82). Our Sages, however, interpreted it (Nid. 31a, Mid. Ps. 139:3) as referring to the droplet of [semen, transmitted in] sexual intercourse, from whose choicest part the fetus is formed, and the meaning of זֵרִיתָ (זורה) is an expression of winnowing the grain to purify it of the refuse it contains.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:3:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:3:2)

**הִסְכַּנְתָּה.** לָמַדְתָּ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**You are accustomed** Heb. הִסכנתה, you are accustomed.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:5:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:5:1)

**אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי.** פָּנַי וַאֲחוֹרַי:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**From the rear and the front** My face and my back.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:5:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:5:2)

**כַּפֶּכָה.** אֻכָּפְךָ וְרִידּוּיְךָ, דִּישְׁטְרוֹיְ״ט בְּלַעַ״ז:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**Your pressure** your coercion and your ruling, destroit in Old French.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:6:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:6:1)

**פְּלִיאָה דַעַת וְגוֹ׳.** מְכֻסֶּה וְנֶעְלָם מִמֶּנִּי מָקוֹם לִבְרֹחַ מִפָּנֶיךָ (מצאתי):

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**Knowledge is hidden from me, etc.** A place to escape from You is covered up and hidden from me. (I found this.)


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:8:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:8:1)

**וְאַצִּיעָה.** מַצָּע וּמִשְׁכָּב:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**and if I make my bed** Heb. ואציעה, an expression of a spread (מצע) and a bed.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:9:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:9:1)

**אֶשָּׂא כַנְפֵי שָׁחַר.** אִם אֶשָּׂא לִי כְּנָפַיִם כַּשַּׁחַר הַזֶּה הַמַּבְהִיק לְפִי שָׁעָה מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם לְסוֹפוֹ, כֵּן אֲמַהֵר לָעוּף עַד אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁכֹּן **בְּאַחֲרִית יָם**:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**[If] I take up the wings of dawn** If I take up for myself the wings of dawn, which shine at once from one end of the world to the other, so will I fly swiftly until I dwell at the end of the sea.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:11:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:11:1)

**וָאֹמַר אַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵנִי.** אִם אָמַרְתִּי: אֶהְיֶה נִסְתָּר בַּמַּחְשָׁךְ, וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ יַחְשִׁיךְ עָלַי וְלֹא תִרְאֵנִי. **יְשׁוּפֵנִי** לְשׁוֹן ״נֶשֶׁף״ (איוב כד:טו):

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**I said, “Darkness will darken me”** If I said, “I will be hidden in the darkness, and the darkness will envelop me so that You will not see me.” יְשׁוּפֵנִי is an expression of נֶשֶׁף, evening.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:11:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:11:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:11:2)

**וְלַיְלָה אוֹר בַּעֲדֵנִי.** וְהַלַּיְלָה יְהִי מַאֲפִיל לְנֶגְדִּי, אוֹר זֶה לְשׁוֹן אֹפֶל הוּא, כְּמוֹ ״יָפִיץ עָנָן אוֹרוֹ״ (איוב לז:יא), וְכֵן ״כָּל כּוֹכְבֵי אוֹר״ (תהלים קמח:ג), וְכֵן ״וַיָּאֶר אֶת הַלַּיְלָה״ (שמות יד:כ):

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**“and the night will be dark about me”** Heb. אור, lit. light. And the night will darken before me. This אוֹר is an expression of darkness, like (Job 37:11): “he spreads his clouds of darkness (אור)”; similarly (below 148:3), “all stars of the night (אור)”; similarly (Exod. 14:20), “and it darkened (ויאר) the night.”


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:12:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:12:1)

**גַּם.** שָׁם אֵין לִי מָנוֹס, כִּי כָּל **חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא יַחְשִׁיךְ מִמֶּךָּ**:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**Even** there I have no asylum, for no darkness will obscure [anything] from You.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:12:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:12:2)

**כַּחֲשֵׁיכָה כָּאוֹרָה.** שְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁוִין לְךָ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**as darkness, so is the light** Both are the same to You.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:13:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:13:1)

**כִּלְיוֹתָי.** הַחוֹשְׁבִים כָּל מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**For You created my reins** which think all my thoughts.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:13:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:13:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:13:2)

**תְּסֻכֵּנִי.** תְּסוֹכְכֵנִי:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**You covered me** Heb. תסכני, [equivalent to] תסוֹככני.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:15:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:15:1)

**עֲשִׂיתִי בַסֵּתֶר.** בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**I was made in secret** In sexual intercourse.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:15:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:15:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:15:2)

**בְּתַחְתִּיּוֹת אָרֶץ.** בַּמָּדוֹר הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁבִּמְעֵי אִמִּי (נידה לא.):

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**in the lowest parts of the earth** In the lowest compartment in my mother’s womb.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:16:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:16:1)

**גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ.** מֵאָז בָּרָאתָ אֶת הָעוֹלָם רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ אֶת כָּל גּוֹלְמֵי הַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**Your eyes saw my unformed body** From the time that You created the world, Your eyes saw all the forms of the coming generations.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:16:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:16:2)

**גָּלְמִי.** זָהֳרָתִי וְתַבְנִית צוּרָתִי בְּטֶרֶם הִוָּלְדִי וּבְטֶרֶם בּוֹאִי לָעוֹלָם **רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ**:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**My unformed body** Heb. גלמי. My splendor and the pattern of my form, before I was born and before I came into the world, Your eyes saw.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:16:3
[Rashi on Psalms 139:16:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:16:3)

**וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ.** וְכָל יְצוּרֵי עוֹלָם, כָּמוֹנִי כָּמוֹהֶם, גַּם כֻּלָּם בְּטֶרֶם הִבָּרְאָם יַחְדָּיו גְּלוּיִים לְפָנֶיךָ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**and on Your book they were all written** And all the creatures of the world, like me, like them, even all of them, before they were created, were together revealed before You.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:16:4
[Rashi on Psalms 139:16:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:16:4)

**יָמִים יֻצָּרוּ וְלֹא אֶחָד בָּהֶם.** כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה הָאָדָם וְתַכְלִיתִיהֶם גְּלוּיִים לְפָנֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ **יֻצָּרוּ** כְּבָר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה **אֶחָד** מִכֻּלָּם וְלֹא הָיָה עֲדַיִן כְּאֶחָד בָּעוֹלָם. וְאֵלּוּ הֵם פִּלְאֵי ״מִפְעֲלוֹת אֱלֹהִים״ (תהלים סו:ה) וּמִשְׁפַּט גְּבוּרָתוֹ, שֶׁעֲתִידוֹת גְּלוּיִים לְפָנָיו טֶרֶם תָּבֹאנָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר ״בְּטֶרֶם אֶצָּרְךָ בַבֶּטֶן וְגוֹ׳״ (ירמיהו א:ה):

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**days have been formed and one of them** All man’s deeds and the end of the days are revealed before You as if they were already formed, although not one of them was in existence, and not one was yet in the world. These are the wonders of God’s works and the way of His might, that future events are revealed to Him before they come. And so, Scripture says (Jer. 1:5): “When I had not yet formed you in the womb, etc.”


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:16:5
[Rashi on Psalms 139:16:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:16:5)

**וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ.** סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם שֶׁהֶרְאֵיתָ לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן (בראשית ה:א):

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**and on Your book, they were all written** The book of the generations of man, which You showed to Adam.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:16:6
[Rashi on Psalms 139:16:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:16:6)

**כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ.** כְּמוֹ נִכְתְּבוּ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**written** lit. all of them will be written, like נכתבוּ.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:16:7
[Rashi on Psalms 139:16:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:16:7)

**יָמִים יֻצָּרוּ וְלֹא אֶחָד בָּהֶם.** לְסוֹף יָמִים רַבִּים הָיוּ עֲתִידִין לְהִבָּרְאוֹת, וְלֹא הָיָה עֲדַיִן אֶחָד מֵהֶם נִבְרָא בָּהֶן. לְפִי הַמָּסֹרֶת שֶׁכָּתוּב וְלֹא זֶהוּ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ, וּלְפִי הַמִּקְרָא שֶׁהוּא נִקְרָא וְלוֹ כָּךְ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: **יָמִים יֻצָּרוּ.** הֶרְאָהוּ יָמִים הָעֲתִידִים לְהִבָּרְאוֹת, וּלְחֶלְקוֹ בֵּרַר אֶחָד אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת. דָּבָר אַחֵר: זֶה יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים לִסְלִיחָה:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**days were formed without one of them** Ultimately, many days were destined to be created, but not one of them was yet created. According to the masoretic text, in which לא is written, this is its explanation. And according to the readingfor it is read לו this is its explanation: days have been formed—He showed the days that were destined to be created, and for His share, He chose one of them, viz. the Sabbath day. Another explanation: This is the Day of Atonement, for forgiveness.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:17:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:17:1)

**וְלִי מַה יָּקְרוּ רֵעֶיךָ.** כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמֶרֶת: מַה נִּכְבְּדוּ בְּעֵינַי הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**And to me, how dear are Your friends** The congregation of Israel says, “How esteemed in my eyes are the righteous in every generation!”


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:17:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:17:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:17:2)

וּ**מֶה עָצְמוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶם.** חֶשְׁבּוֹן סְפִירוֹתֵיהֶם, לְשׁוֹן ״כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ (שמות ל:יב):

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**How great is their sum!** The calculation of their counting, an expression of (Exod. 30:12): “When you take the sum (ראש) of the children of Israel.”


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:18:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:18:1)

**אֶסְפְּרֵם מֵחוֹל.** אִם בָּאתִי לִסְפֹּר אֶת טוֹב מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, **מֵחוֹל יִרְבּוּן**:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**I shall count them...than sand** If I came to count the good of their deeds, they would be more numerous than sand.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:18:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:18:2)

**הֱקִיצוֹתִי וְעוֹדִי עִמָּךְ.** הִנְנִי בָּאתִי עַתָּה לְקֵץ הַדּוֹרוֹת אֲשֶׁר קָצַבְתָּ מֵאָז עַד הַיּוֹם, וְעוֹד דּוֹר זֶה עִמְּךָ וּבְיִרְאָתֶךָ, וְלֹא נָטִיתִי מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**I have come to the end, and I am still with You** Behold I have now come to the end of the generations that You allotted from then until today, and this generation is still with You and in fear of You, and I have not turned away from following You.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:19:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:19:1)

**אִם תִּקְטֹל וְגוֹ׳.** הַלְוַאי וְתִקְטוֹל אֶת עֲמָלֵק הָרָשָׁע:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**If only You would slay the wicked** If only You would slay the wicked.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:20:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:20:1)

**יֹאמְרוּךָ לִמְזִמָּה.** מַזְכִּירִים שִׁמְךָ עַל כָּל מַחְשְׁבוֹת רָעָתָם וּמְכַנִּים אֱלֹהוּתְךָ לַעֲבוֹדַת גִּלוּלִים:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**Who mention You with wicked thought** They mention Your name regarding all the thoughts of their evil and call their deities with Your name.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:20:2
[Rashi on Psalms 139:20:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:20:2)

**נָשֻׂא לַשָּׁוְא.** כְּמוֹ נָשְׂאוּ לַשָּׁוְא:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**took it up** Heb. נשוא, like נשאו, they took up.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:20:3
[Rashi on Psalms 139:20:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:20:3)

**עָרֶיךָ.** אוֹיְבֶיךָ. נָשְׂאוּ **לַשָּׁוְא** אוֹיְבֶיךָ אֶת שְׁמֶךָ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**Your enemies...in vain** Your enemies took up Your name in vain.


###### Rashi on Psalms 139:24:1
[Rashi on Psalms 139:24:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Psalms/r/139:24:1)

**אִם דֶּרֶךְ עֹצֶב וְגוֹ׳.** אִם דֶּרֶךְ מַעֲצֵבָה וְקִלְקוּל **בִּי**:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**whether there is any vexatious way about me** Whether there is a way of vexation and deterioration in me.