Psalm 139:12 kjv
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Psalm 139:12 nkjv
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
Psalm 139:12 niv
even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
Psalm 139:12 esv
even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
Psalm 139:12 nlt
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
Psalm 139 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| God's All-seeing Nature / Omniscience | ||
| Gen 16:13 | "You are a God of seeing." | God sees all, even in secret. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | "...man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." | God discerns true intentions. |
| 2 Chr 16:9 | "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth..." | God actively watches and aids. |
| Job 34:21 | "For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps." | God observes every action. |
| Ps 33:13-15 | "The Lord looks down from heaven... He beholds all the children of man." | God's sovereign gaze is universal. |
| Ps 94:9-10 | "He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?" | God's creative power ensures perfect knowledge. |
| Prov 5:21 | "For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths." | God examines life's trajectory. |
| Prov 15:3 | "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." | God's watchful care is impartial. |
| Jer 16:17 | "For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face..." | God sees all hidden actions. |
| Jer 23:24 | "Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?... Do I not fill heaven and earth?" | God's omnipresence means nothing is hidden. |
| Heb 4:13 | "No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed..." | All things are laid bare before God. |
| God as Light / Sovereignty over Light & Darkness | ||
| Ps 18:28 | "For You light my lamp; the Lord my God illumines my darkness." | God transforms darkness for humanity. |
| Isa 45:7 | "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity..." | God's sovereign hand controls both. |
| Mic 7:8 | "...Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light." | God brings hope even in despair. |
| 1 John 1:5 | "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." | God's essential nature is pure light. |
| Jas 1:17 | "Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." | God is unchanging and perfect light. |
| John 1:5 | "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." | Jesus, the Light, overcomes all darkness. |
| John 8:12 | "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness..." | Jesus guides out of spiritual darkness. |
| Rev 21:23 | "And the city has no need of sun or moon... for the glory of God gives it light..." | God Himself is the ultimate light in eternity. |
| No Hiding from God / Omnipresence | ||
| Ps 139:7-8 | "Where can I go from your Spirit? ... If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!" | No location can escape God's presence. |
| Amos 9:2-3 | "Though they dig into Sheol... Though they climb up to heaven..." | No depth or height can hide from God. |
| Jonah 1:3 | "...Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord." | Human attempt to flee God's presence is futile. |
Psalm 139 verses
Psalm 139 12 Meaning
Psalm 139:12 proclaims the boundless nature of God's perception and presence. It asserts that darkness, which humans associate with concealment or inability to see, offers no such limitation to God. Whether it is physical night, spiritual hiddenness, or secret thoughts, all are equally clear and transparent to Him. The verse underscores God's absolute omniscience and omnipresence, demonstrating that He is unhindered by any created condition, and nothing can be concealed from His divine gaze.
Psalm 139 12 Context
Psalm 139 stands as a profound meditation on the divine attributes of God, with verses 7-12 particularly focusing on His omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist, David, begins the psalm in awe of God's exhaustive knowledge of him (Ps 139:1-6), recognizing that every thought and path is intimately known. This leads directly into the declaration of God's omnipresence (Ps 139:7-12), culminating in verse 12 which asserts that even the most profound darkness cannot hide one from God's penetrating sight. Culturally and historically, ancient societies, including Israel's neighbors, often associated darkness with evil, chaos, mystery, and a realm beyond the gods' full control or understanding. Physical darkness was a common way to attempt concealment from human authorities or deities thought to be limited by such conditions. This verse is a powerful theological statement, forming a direct polemic against any notion of limited deity, firmly asserting that the God of Israel transcends all such constraints. For Him, light and darkness are mere aspects of His creation, not hindrances to His absolute perception.
Psalm 139 12 Word analysis
"even the darkness" (גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ, gam-choshekh):
choshekh(חוֹשֶׁךְ): Refers to literal darkness, but also symbolizes mystery, evil, ignorance, affliction, or anything concealed from human sight or knowledge. The prefixgam("even" or "also") emphasizes that this realm, typically impenetrable to humans, presents no obstacle to God.
"is not dark to You" / "will not darken from You" (לֹא־יַחְשִׁיךְ מִמֶּךָ, lo-yachshikh mimmecha):
yachshikh(יַחְשִׁיךְ): From the rootחשׁך(chashakh), meaning "to be dark" or "to conceal." The negative (lo) indicates that darkness fails to perform its normal function of hiding or obscuring from God. It implies God is not dependent on light to see; His vision is absolute.
"the night" (וְלַיְלָה, welaylah):
- Directly refers to the time of natural darkness, often perceived as a time of heightened mystery and hidden activity. It reinforces the concept presented by "darkness."
"is as bright as the day" / "will shine like the day" (כַּיּוֹם יָאִיר, kayyom ya'ir):
kayyom(כַּיּוֹם): "as the day" or "like the day."ya'ir(יָאִיר): From the rootאור(ʾôr), "light," meaning "to shine," "to be bright." This is a hyperbolic comparison that beautifully illustrates the clarity of God's perception. For Him, there's no qualitative difference in visibility between day and night.
"darkness and light are alike to You" / "darkness is as light to you" (כַּחֲשֵׁכָה כָּאוֹר, kachaśhekah ka'or):
kachaśhekah(כַּחֲשֵׁכָה): "as darkness."ka'or(כָּאוֹר): "as light."- This final clause functions as a powerful summary. The repetition of the comparative particle
כּ("as" or "like") creates a poetic equivalence, stating that for God, the qualities or properties of darkness and light (in terms of obscuring vision) are identical, i.e., nonexistent. There is no distinction in His comprehensive awareness regardless of external conditions.
Words-group Analysis:
- "even the darkness is not dark to You": This opening clause establishes the core premise: God is not constrained by physical or metaphorical darkness. He is perfectly capable of discerning what humans perceive as hidden.
- "the night is as bright as the day": This phrase utilizes parallelism and a simile to intensify the initial statement. It illustrates the degree of God's discernment, where what is inherently opposite for humans becomes transparently clear for God.
- "darkness and light are alike to You": This concluding statement offers a theological summation, cementing the truth of God's nature. It means that both darkness and light function identically for God in revealing information; neither presents a challenge, and neither enhances or diminishes His perfect knowledge. It highlights His self-sufficient nature and the utter lack of external limits on His perception.
Psalm 139 12 Bonus section
This verse implies not just physical vision, but comprehensive understanding and knowledge. God's perception penetrates the veil of material reality, abstract concepts like evil, suffering, and the hidden motives of the heart. The consistency of this attribute across all environments highlights God's uncreated, immutable nature. He does not gain information or adapt His sight; He inherently knows all, at all times, in all places. This divine quality, being able to perceive without needing any external conditions like light, sets the God of the Bible apart as truly transcendent. It is not that God transforms darkness into light for Himself, but that darkness inherently holds no capacity to obscure from Him.
Psalm 139 12 Commentary
Psalm 139:12 poetically and powerfully declares God's unassailable omniscience and omnipresence. It refutes any human-centric view that God might be limited by physical barriers, time of day, or the hidden recesses of thought or action. For humans, darkness conceals; it hides sins, secrets, and dangers. But the Psalmist proclaims that for God, darkness is utterly translucent. The vivid imagery of night shining like day emphasizes the effortless clarity of God's sight. His nature is light (1 John 1:5), and He created both light and darkness (Isa 45:7); therefore, neither can constrain Him. This means there are no private places or thoughts that escape His scrutiny, nor is any sin hidden from Him, fostering both reverence and conviction. For believers, this truth is comforting, assuring that even in the deepest despair or fear ("darkness"), God's watchful eye and guiding presence are there. For those who might seek to conceal their actions, it serves as a solemn warning that accountability before Him is absolute.