Psalm 139:9
New International Version
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

New Living Translation
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

English Standard Version
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Berean Standard Bible
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,

King James Bible
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

New King James Version
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

New American Standard Bible
If I take up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

NASB 1995
If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

NASB 1977
If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

Legacy Standard Bible
If I lift up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

Amplified Bible
If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

Christian Standard Bible
If I fly on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the western horizon,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits,

American Standard Version
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Contemporary English Version
Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean.

English Revised Version
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If I climb upward on the rays of the morning sun [or] land on the most distant shore of the sea where the sun sets,

Good News Translation
If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west,

International Standard Version
If I take wings with the dawn and settle down on the western horizon

Majority Standard Bible
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,

NET Bible
If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn, and settle down on the other side of the sea,

New Heart English Bible
If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Webster's Bible Translation
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

World English Bible
If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I take the wings of morning, "" I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,

Young's Literal Translation
I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,

Smith's Literal Translation
Shall I lift up the wings of the dawn? shall I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea:

Catholic Public Domain Version
If I assume my feathers in early morning, and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea,

New American Bible
If I take the wings of dawn and dwell beyond the sea,

New Revised Standard Version
If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If I lift up my wings like those of an eagle, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
If I shall lift my wings like an Eagle's and dwell at the end of the Sea
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
If I should spread my wings to fly straight forward, and sojourn at the extremity of the sea, it would be vain,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
You Have Searched Me and Known Me
8If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. 9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea, 10even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.…

Cross References
Job 26:9-10
He covers the face of the full moon, spreading over it His cloud. / He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

Amos 9:2-3
Though they dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, from there I will pull them down. / Though they hide themselves atop Carmel, there I will track them and seize them; and though they hide from Me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them.

Jonah 1:3
Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

Jeremiah 23:24
“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.

Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.

Genesis 28:12
And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder.

1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.

Deuteronomy 30:4
Even if you have been banished to the farthest horizon, He will gather you and return you from there.

Exodus 19:4
‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

Matthew 28:20
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, / neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 4:9-10
What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? / He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.

Acts 17:27-28
God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. / ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’

John 1:51
Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”


Treasury of Scripture

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

If I take.

the wings

Psalm 18:10
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

Psalm 19:6
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

Malachi 4:2
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

dwell

Psalm 74:16,17
The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun…

Isaiah 24:14-16
They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea…

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Psalm 139
1. David praises God for his all-seeing providence
17. And for this infinite mercies
19. He defies the wicked
23. He prays for sincerity














If I rise
The phrase "If I rise" suggests an action of ascending or moving upward. In the Hebrew text, the verb used here is "אֶשָּׂא" (esa), which conveys the idea of lifting or carrying oneself. This imagery of rising can be seen as a metaphor for seeking to escape or transcend one's current circumstances. It reflects the human desire to reach beyond the earthly realm, perhaps in search of divine presence or understanding. The act of rising can also symbolize spiritual awakening or enlightenment, a theme prevalent throughout the Psalms.

on the wings of the dawn
The "wings of the dawn" is a poetic expression that evokes the image of the first light of day spreading across the sky. The Hebrew word for "dawn" is "שַׁחַר" (shachar), which signifies the breaking of day and the arrival of light. The metaphor of wings suggests swiftness and freedom, as if the dawn itself is a creature capable of flight. This imagery captures the idea of moving swiftly and effortlessly, perhaps to the ends of the earth. In a spiritual sense, it can represent the omnipresence of God, who is present from the first light of day, guiding and sustaining His creation.

if I settle
The word "settle" in Hebrew is "אֶשְׁכָּנָה" (eshkanah), which means to dwell or reside. This implies a sense of permanence or choosing to make a home in a particular place. The act of settling can be seen as a decision to remain or find rest, even in distant or unfamiliar territories. It suggests that no matter where one chooses to reside, God's presence is assured. This reflects the Psalmist's confidence in God's omnipresence and His ability to provide comfort and stability, regardless of location.

by the farthest sea
The "farthest sea" refers to the most distant or remote body of water known to the Psalmist. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the sea often symbolized chaos and the unknown. The Hebrew word for sea is "יָם" (yam), which can denote any large body of water. By mentioning the farthest sea, the Psalmist emphasizes the vastness of the earth and the seemingly unreachable places. Yet, even in these remote areas, God's presence is assured. This highlights the theme of God's omnipresence and His ability to reach and sustain His people, no matter how far they may wander. The imagery serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty over all creation, encompassing even the most distant and mysterious parts of the world.

(9) If . . .--Literally,

I lift wings of dawn

I dwell in the end of the sea.

The wings of the morning.--This exquisite image suggesting not only the pinions of cloud that seem often to lift the dawn into the sky, but also the swift sailing of the light across the world, may be compared to the "wings of the sun" in Malachi 4:2, and the "wings of the wind" in Psalm 18:10.

The uttermost parts of the sea--i.e., to a Hebrew the extreme west. The poet imagines himself darting from east to farthest west, with the rapidity of light.

Verses 9, 10. - If I take the wings of the morning. If I were to speed across the earth on the wings of the dawn, and, having done so, were then to dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea - the extreme west, where the sun sets - even there shall thy hand lead me. In that distant region I should still find thy guiding hand. And thy right hand shall hold me. Thy strong right hand would uphold me.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If I rise on
אֶשָּׂ֥א (’eś·śā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

the wings
כַנְפֵי־ (ḵan·p̄ê-)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 3671: An edge, extremity, a wing, a flap, a quarter, a pinnacle

of the dawn,
שָׁ֑חַר (šā·ḥar)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7837: Dawn

if I settle
אֶ֝שְׁכְּנָ֗ה (’eš·kə·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 7931: To settle down, abide, dwell

by the farthest
בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית (bə·’a·ḥă·rîṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 319: The last, end, the future, posterity

sea,
יָֽם׃ (yām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin


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OT Poetry: Psalm 139:9 If I take the wings (Psalm Ps Psa.)
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