Psalm 139:16

Psalm 139:16

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet their was none of them.

a. NLT: You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

b. NIV: Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

c. YLT: Mine unformed substance Thine eyes saw, And on Thy book all of them are written, The days they were formed -- And not one among them.

d. Amplified Bible: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days of my life were written, before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.

e. Septuagint: Psalm 139:16 is listed under Psalm 138:16: Thine eyes saw my unwrought [substance], and all [men] shall be written in thy book; they shall be formed by day, though [there should for a time] be no one among them. 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Your eyes saw my unshaped form, and in Your book all were recorded; though they will be fashioned  through many days, to Him they are one.

1. “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect…”

a. thine eyes [5869 * ‘ayin] [Strong: probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, + think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, + displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, + think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).]

b. did see [7200 * ra’ah] [Strong: a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.]

c. my substance yet being unperfect [1564 * golem] [Strong’s: a wrapped (and unformed mass, i.e., as the embryo):- substance yet being unperfect.]

1). During the forming of our body in the womb God saw our substance. Not only that but He saw the finished product, including the plan for our lives.

a). Jeremiah 1:4, 5  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

2. “…and in thy book all my members were written…”

a. and in thy book [5612 * ciphrah] [Strong’s: writing, by implication a book.]

b. all my members were written [3789 * katab] [Strong’s: by implication, to write describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe.]

1). All of the translations listed mention a book, “Thy Book”, or “your book”, that is, God’s book. I believe that in keeping with the context of the passage, and modern science the book could be the human cell.

a). The Incredible Machine, Copyright 1986, National Geographic Society p.15. “Heredity is written on a chemical ribbon that twists like a spiral staircase, the steps built of 4 chemical bases attached to chains of sugars and phosphates—DNA…thousands of these steps make up a single gene. Tens of thousands of genes, arranged along structures called chromosomes, transmit the instruction for existence, dictating eye color, hair texture…[Some 6 billion steps of DNA in a single cell record one’s life blueprint. This DNA plan for a single human life can be stretched six feet, yet coiled in a repository just 1/2500 of an inch in diameter—the cells nucleus.”]

b). The Incredible Machine, “Before long, the groups of cells are gathering into layers, then into sheets and tubes, sliding into proper places at the proper times, forming an eye exactly where an eye should be, the pancreas where the pancreas should belongs. The order of appearance is precise, with structures like veins and nerves appearing just in time to support the organs that will soon require them.”

c). All this is dictated by what is written on that chemical ribbon, “God’s book”, within the nucleus of the cell.

(1) Job writes in 38:36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? The inward parts being the chemical ribbon within the cell, the inward parts.

3. “…which in continuance were fashioned…”

a. which in continuance [3117 * yowm] to be hot; a day as the warm hours) (from sunrise to sunset).  A space of time defined by an associated term, age, day, daily, always, continuance.]

b. were fashioned [3335 * yatsar] [Strong’s: through squeezing into shape; to mould into a from.]

4. “…when as yet their was none of them.”

a. when as yet there was none of them [259 * echad] [Strong: a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,]

1). There are two schools of thought in the study of this verse. One school of thought focuses on the days of a persons life, while the other focuses on the days there bodily members were fashioned in the womb. I list the former first.

a). NLT: You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

b). NIV: Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

c).  Amplified Bible: Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days of my life were written, before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.

d). NASV Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.

e). NRSV: Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.

2). The following translations are in agreement with the KJV, i.e., all stay with the same context, the days the baby was forming in the womb.

a). Young’s Literal Translation: Mine unformed substance, thine eyes saw, and on thy book all of them were written, the days they were formed and not one of them.

b). Darby Translation: Thine eyes did see my unformed substance, and in thy book all my members were written, during many days were they fashioned when as yet there was none of them.

c). Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Your eyes saw my unshaped form, and in Your book all were recorded; though they will be fashioned  through many days, to Him they are one.

3). My personal belief is the translations that point to the days the baby was formed in the womb are more accurate. I believe they stay within the context of the forming of the infant.

a). DC: Your eyes saw my embryo. Before my bodily members were fashioned, they were written in your book (writing). Then they were fashioned day by day according to what was written in your book.

4). Let me say that it is possible that we have a set number of days on this earth in conjunction with the plan that God has for our life, and when that plan is fulfilled we go on to be with the Lord.  It is also clear from Scripture that we can lengthen or shorten our days on this earth by our obedience or disobedience to the word of God, and I believe that most of us probably shorten our lives.  Here are a few examples of how we can lengthen or conversely shorten our lives by obedience or disobedience.

a). Exodus 19:12 Honour thy father and mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

b). Proverbs 9:10, 11 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

9:11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

c). Proverbs 10:27 “The fear of the LORD prolongeth days:…”