Psalms 139:1

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known [me].

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר יְהוָ֥ה חֲ֝קַרְתַּ֗נִי וַתֵּדָֽע׃

Transliteration

To-the-mənaṣṣēaḥ of-dāwid mizmôr; YHWH ḥăqartanî and-tēdāʿ

Grammar Details

*mənaṣṣēaḥ*: preposition lamed + masculine singular participle - to/for the director/choirmaster
*dāwid*: preposition lamed + proper name - to/for/of David
*mizmôr*: masculine singular noun - psalm/melody
*YHWH*: divine name - LORD/Yahweh
*ḥăqartanî*: verb, Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix - you have searched me
*tēdāʿ*: verb, Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular + waw consecutive - and you know

Word Meanings

*mənaṣṣēaḥ*: director/choirmaster/chief musician/overseer
*mizmôr*: psalm/melody/song
*ḥăqartanî*: searched me/investigated me/examined me thoroughly
*tēdāʿ*: know/understand/perceive

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Jer 12:3 : 3 But thou, O Jehovah, knowest me; thou seest me, and triest my heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Ps 17:3 : 3 Thou hast proved my heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me, and findest nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Ps 44:21 : 21 Will not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
Ps 139:23 : 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts;
1 Kgs 8:39 : 39 then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling - place, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
Heb 4:13 : 13 And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Jer 17:9-9 : 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? 10 I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.
1 Chr 28:9 : 9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Jehovah searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
Ps 11:4-5 : 4 Jehovah is in his holy temple; Jehovah, his throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 5 Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Rev 2:23 : 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.
John 21:17 : 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, [son] of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Rev 2:18 : 18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Ps 139:2-8
7 verses
87%
2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off.
3Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.
4For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.
5Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thy hand upon me.
6[ Such] knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
Ps 139:23-24
2 verses
85%
23Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts;
24And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Ps 139:12-17
6 verses
79%
12Even the darkness hideth not from thee, But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike [to thee].
13For thou didst form my inward parts: Thou didst cover me in my mother's womb.
14I will give thanks unto thee; For I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
15My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret, [And] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, [Even] the days that were ordained [for me], When as yet there was none of them.
17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
Jer 12:3
79%
3But thou, O Jehovah, knowest me; thou seest me, and triest my heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Ps 26:2
76%
2Examine me, O Jehovah, and prove me; Try my heart and my mind.
Ps 17:3
76%
3Thou hast proved my heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me, and findest nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Ps 130:1
75%
1A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Jehovah.
Ps 119:10
75%
10With my whole heart have I sought thee: Oh let me not wander from thy commandments.
Ps 142:3
75%
3When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walk Have they hidden a snare for me.
Ps 23:1
75%
1A Psalm of David. Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Ps 119:12
75%
12Blessed art thou, O Jehovah: Teach me thy statutes.
Ps 69:5
75%
5O God, thou knowest my foolishness; And my sins are not hid from thee.
Ps 31:7
75%
7I will be glad and rejoice in thy lovingkindness; For thou hast seen my affliction: Thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Ps 140:6
74%
6I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God: Give ear unto the voice of my supplications, O Jehovah.
Ps 44:21
74%
21Will not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
Ps 27:8
74%
8[ When thou saidst], Seek ye my face; My heart said unto thee, Thy face, Jehovah, will I seek.
Job 10:6
74%
6That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin,
2 Kgs 19:27
74%
27But I know thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy raging against me.
Ps 139:10
74%
10Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.
Ps 119:73
74%
73YODH. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
Ps 109:27
73%
27That they may know that this is thy hand; [That] thou, Jehovah, hast done it.
Jer 17:10
73%
10I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.
Ps 119:75
73%
75I know, O Jehovah, that thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.
Isa 37:28
73%
28But I know thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy raging against me.
Ps 90:1
73%
1A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place In all generations.
Ps 119:151
73%
151Thou art nigh, O Jehovah; And all thy commandments are truth.
Ps 31:14
73%
14But I trusted in thee, O Jehovah: I said, Thou art my God.
Lam 3:59
73%
59O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
Jer 11:18
73%
18And Jehovah gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it: then thou showedst me their doings.
Jer 15:15
73%
15O Jehovah, thou knowest; remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered reproach.
Job 14:16
73%
16But now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin?
Ps 92:5
73%
5How great are thy works, O Jehovah! Thy thoughts are very deep.
Ps 16:1
73%
1Michtam of David. Preserve me, O God; For in thee do I take refuge.
Ps 51:6
73%
6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.
2 Sam 7:20
73%
20And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord Jehovah.
Job 10:13
73%
13Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart; I know that this is with thee:
Ps 18:1
72%
1For the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David the servant of Jehovah, who spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: and he said, I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
Ps 119:159
72%
159Consider how I love thy precepts: Quicken me, O Jehovah, according to thy lovingkindness.