Psalms 139:18 — Word Study
WLCאֶ֭סְפְּרֵם מֵח֣וֹל יִרְבּ֑וּן הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי וְעוֹדִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃
BSA[If] I were to count themçâphar▸ [to recount, as a scribe records] they would outnumberrâbâh▸ [be more in number than] the grains of sandchôwl [like the particles of the desert] and when I awakeqûwts■ [am roused, wake up] I am stillʻôwd [continue to be, remain] with Youʻim [in Your presence, together]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם | I will count them | Verb qal imperfect first person common singular, suffix |
| מֵח֣וֹל | more than sand | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יִרְבּ֑וּן | they will be numerous ! | Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי | I awoke | Verb, Hiphil, perfect first person common singular |
| וְעוֹדִ֥י | and still I | Conjunction, suffix |
| עִמָּֽךְ׃ | [am] with you | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You. |
| KJV | If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. |
| ASV | If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee. |
| YLT | I recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and I am still with Thee. |
| WEB | If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you. |
| BBE | If I made up their number, it would be more than the grains of sand; when I am awake, I am still with you. |
The translations agree on the rendering of יִרְבּ֑וּן as 'they will be numerous.'
The sentence comprises a main clause and several subordinate clauses, illustrating the relationship between counting God's thoughts and the psalmist's awareness of His presence.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbקִיץ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 139:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Reflections on God's Thoughts and Presencegenerated
Psalm 139:18 is part of a meditation on the vastness of God's thoughts and the psalmist's recognition of God's constant presence. The psalmist marvels at how God's thoughts outnumber the grains of sand, illustrating the depth of God's care and attention. This passage invites reflection on the relationship between the Creator and His creation, emphasizing that even in waking moments, the psalmist remains in communion with God.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 40:12 | For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me. |
| 2 | Psalm 139:3 | You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways. |
| 3 | Psalm 3:5 | I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me. |
| 4 | Psalm 16:8–11 | I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. |
| 5 | Psalm 17:15 | As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִרְבּ֑וּן, yir.Bungenerated
The verb יִרְבּ֑וּן (yir.bun) is a third-person masculine plural form of the root רָבָה (rabah), meaning to multiply or increase. It indicates that something will become numerous or abundant, suggesting a significant growth or increase in quantity.
In this verse, it conveys the idea that the thoughts of God are not only numerous but exceed even the vastness of sand grains, which emphasizes the infinite nature of God's thoughts compared to the finite understanding of humanity.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations consistently agree on the meaning of יִרְבּ֑וּן as 'they will be numerous.' There are no significant differences in how this word is rendered across the versions.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse centers around two main clauses: the first expresses the act of counting and the second the state of being awake. The finite verb אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם ('Es.pe.rem) governs the first clause, indicating the action of counting.
The second clause begins with the verb הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי (he.ki.Tzo.ti), which indicates the act of waking up, while the adverbial עוֹדִ֥י (ve.'o.Di) emphasizes the continuity of being with God.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יִרְבּ֑וּן as πληθυνθήσονται (plēthynthēsontai), which carries a similar meaning of becoming numerous. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of abundance in relation to God's thoughts.
The translation choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning, reinforcing the concept of God's thoughts being beyond counting.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 139:18 expresses how the psalmist feels about God's thoughts, saying that if he tried to count them, they would be more than the grains of sand. Even when he wakes up, he acknowledges that he is still with God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies the vastness and depth of God's thoughts towards humanity, which are countless and beyond human comprehension.
The psalmist expresses a sense of comfort and assurance in knowing that he is always in God's presence.
Waking up symbolizes a new awareness and the continuation of the relationship with God, emphasizing that His presence is constant.
The comparison to sand illustrates the multitude and the seemingly infinite nature of God's thoughts, highlighting their abundance.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I perceive God's thoughts towards me in my daily life?
- In what ways can I cultivate a greater awareness of God's presence?
- What does it mean for me to be 'with' God in my waking moments?
- How can I express gratitude for the countless ways God cares for me?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Father Augustine of Hippo references this verse to discuss the abundance of God's thoughts.
"I will number them, and they shall be multiplied above the sand" [Psalms 139:18].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 139 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 139:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIf I should count them, they are more in number than the sand,...., That is, if I should attempt to do it, it would be as vain and fruitless as to attempt to count the sands upon the seashore, which are innumerable; Psalms 11:5.
Read John Gill on Psalms 139 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIf I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand - "which cannot be measured nor numbered" (Hosea 1:10).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 139 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleTo wit, by my thoughts and meditations. Thy wonderful counsels and works on my behalf come constantly into my mind, not only in the day time, but even in the night season, which is commonly devoted to rest and sleep; whensoever I awake, either in the night or in the morning. These are my last thoughts when I lie down, and my first when I rise.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 139 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 139:18 [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.Ver. 18. If I should count them, &c.] q.d. They are infinite and immmerable. Archimedes, that great mathematician, bragged, that he could number all the sands in the habitable and inhabitable world, but no man ever believed him. See 1 Samuel 13:5 2 Samuel 17:11 Psalms 78:27. When I awake, I am still with thee] Still taken up with some holy contemplation of thy works and wisdom. These thoughts I fall asleep with, and these I awake with. As I rake up my fire overnight, so I find it in the morning.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 139 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18) If I should . . .—The original is more expressive:— “Let me count them—more than the sand they are many: I have awaked—and still with thee.” With the countless mysteries of creation and providence the poet is so occupied, that they are his first waking thought; or, perhaps, as the Hebrew suggests, his dreams are continued into his early thoughts. “Is not the vision He? tho’ He be not that which He seems? Dreams are true while they last; and do we not live in dreams?” : Higher Pantheism.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 139 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 18. If I should count them] I should be glad to enumerate so many interesting particulars: but they are beyond calculation. When I awake] Thou art my Governor and Protector night and day. I am still with thee.] All my steps in life are ordered by thee: I cannot go out of thy presence; I am ever under the influence of thy Spirit. The subject, from the 14th verse to the 16th Psalms 139:14-16 inclusive, might have been much more particularly illustrated, but we are taught, by the peculiar delicacy of expression in the Sacred Writings, to avoid, as in this case, the entering too minutely into anatomical details. I would, however, make an additional observation on the subject in the 15th…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 139 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18. moe] For this archaism cp. Psalms 69:4. when I awake &c.] His last thoughts as he falls asleep are of God; and when he awakes, he finds himself still in His Presence, still occupied in contemplating the mystery of His Being. Cp. Psalms 63:6. The Targum, “I awake in the world to come, and I am still with Thee”; and Symm. “I shall awake, and I shall be for ever with Thee,” interpret the words of the resurrection, but this cannot be their original meaning.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 139 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIf I should count them - If I could count them. They are more in number than the sand - Numberless as the sand on the sea-shore.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 139 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.
If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.
If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.
If I tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. Even if I finished counting them, I would still have to contend with you.
Tyndale line
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
If I should count them, they are moe then the sand: when I wake, I am still with thee.
Strictly literal
[If] I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.
I recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and I am still with Thee.
I recount them! They are more than the sand, || I have awoken, and I am still with You.
Should I count them, they would be more numerous than the sand: I awake, and I am still with thee.
If I tried to count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
Simplified
If I tried to count them, they would be more than every grain of sand. Yet when I awake I am still with you.
If I made up their number, it would be more than the grains of sand; when I am awake, I am still with you.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, maintaining the same essential meaning. The Dead Sea Scrolls also align closely with the Masoretic Text, preserving the same words and structure.
אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם מֵח֣וֹל יִרְבּ֑וּן הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי וְעוֹדִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
אספר׳ם מחול ירבו׳ן הקיצותי ועוד עמ׳כה
6 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 139:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
סָפַר (safar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to count or recount, with various forms indicating actions like declaring or rehearsing. The noun form סֹפֵר (sofer) refers to a scribe or secretary. The entries highlight its use in contexts of enumeration and record-keeping, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
סָפַר 107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate
Qal 27
count things, to learn their number
number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
Niph. be counted, numbered
Pi. 67 recount, rehearse, declare
Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed
base
סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
base
H5608a סָפַר count, Pi. recount, relate .. count things, to learn their number
. number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
. be counted, numbered
. recount, rehearse, declare
. be recounted, related, rehearsed
H5608b סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
5608 caphar saw-far'
a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally
or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to
enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate:--commune,
(ac-)count; declare, number, + penknife, reckon, scribe, shew
forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.
סָפַר (sa.phar) — to recount.
v
1) to count, recount, relate
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to count (things)
1a2) to number, take account of, reckon
1b) (Niphal) to be counted, be numbered
1c) (Piel) to recount, rehearse, declare
1c1) to recount (something), rehearse
1c2) to talk
1c3) to count exactly or accurately
1d) (Pual) to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related
סֹפֵר (so.pher) — secretary.
1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary
1b) learned man, scribe
Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs | Suff — Verb qal imperfect first person common singular · suffixHVqi1cs/Sp3mp
חוֹל (chol) means 'sand,' possibly derived from the idea of turning or whirling particles. The entries consistently define it as sand, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
חוֹל n.m. sand (perh. as turning or whirling)
base
H2344 חוֹל sand (perh. as turning or whirling)
2344 chowl khole
from 2342; sand (as round or whirling particles):--sand.
see HEBREW for 02342
חוֹל (chol) — sand.
sand
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
(chol; ammos; a variant of the more usual psammos; compare amathos, psamathos): Sand is principally produced by the grinding action of waves. This is accompanied by chemical solution, with the result that the more soluble constituents of the rock diminish in amount or disappear and the sands tend to become more or less purely silicious, silica or quartz being a common constituent of rocks and very Insoluble. The rocks of Palestine are so largely composed of limestone that the shore and dune sands are unusually calcareous, containing from 10 to 20 per cent of calcium carbonate. This is subject to solution and redeposition as a cement between the sand grains, binding them together to form the porous sandstone of the seashore, which is easily worked and is much used in building.
See Rock, III, (2).
Figurative:
רָבָה (rabah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to increase or multiply, encompassing ideas of becoming great, numerous, or abundant. It has various forms, including Qal (to become many), Piel (to make large), and Hiphil (to make much). The word also appears in a context related to shooting in Genesis 21:20. There is a noted Aramaic equivalent, רְבָה.
[רָבָה] 225 vb. be, or become, much, many, great
Qal 59
become many, numerous
be great
grow great (Aramaism)
Pi. 4 make large, increase
Hiph. 162
H7235a רָבָה be, or become, much, many, great .. become many, numerous
. . be great
. grow great (Aramaism)
. make large, increase
. . make much or many
. make great, obj. pers.
H7235b רָבָה shoot
7235 rabah raw-baw'
a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect):--(bring
in) abundance (X -antly), + archer (by mistake for 7232), be
in authority, bring up, X continue, enlarge, excel,
exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly,
X -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have,
make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more
(in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much
(greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), X
process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.
see HEBREW for 07232
רָבָה (ra.vah) — to multiply.
1) be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things)
1a2) to be or grow great
1b) (Piel) to make large, enlarge, increase, become many
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make much, make many, have many
1c1a) to multiply, increase
1c1b) to make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly
1c1c) to increase greatly or exceedingly
1c2) to make great, enlarge, do much
Aramaic equivalent: re.vah (רְבָה "to grow great" H7236)
רָבָה (ra.vah) — to shoot.
(Qal) to shoot
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVqi3mp/Sn
קִיץ (quts) is a Hebrew verb meaning to awake or wake up, primarily in the Hiphil form, which indicates causing to awaken. The entries emphasize its literal and figurative use, relating to the abruptness of waking, and suggest a connection to similar roots. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.
[קִיץ] vb. Hiph. awake
base
H6974 [קִיץ] Hiph. awake
6974 quwts koots
a primitive root (identical with 6972 through the idea of
abruptness in starting up from sleep (compare 3364)); to awake
(literally or figuratively):--arise, (be) (a-)wake, watch.
see HEBREW for 06972
see HEBREW for 03364
קִיץ (quts) — to awake.
1) to awake, wake up
1a) (Hiphil) to awaken, arouse, show signs of waking, awake
V-Hiphil-Perf-1cs — Verb · Hiphil · perfect first person common singularHVhp1cs
עוֹד (owd) primarily denotes a sense of iteration or continuance, functioning mostly as an adverb meaning 'still,' 'yet,' or 'again.' It can also imply addition or repetition, as in 'more' or 'besides.' The word appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing persistence or continuation.
עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides
base
H5750 עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides
5750 `owd ode
or rod {ode}; from 5749; properly, iteration or continuance;
used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again,
repeatedly, still, more:--again, X all life long, at all,
besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer,
(any) more(-over), X once, since, (be) still, when, (good,
the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet
(within).
see HEBREW for 05749
עוֹד (od) — still.
subst
1) a going round, continuance
adv
2) still, yet, again, besides
2a) still, yet (of continuance or persistence)
2b) still, yet, more (of addition or repetition)
2c) again
2d) still, moreover, besides
Aramaic equivalent: od (עוֹד "still" H5751)
Conj | Adv | Suff — Conjunction · suffixHC/Acmsc/Sp1bs
עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.
עִם prep. with
of fellowship and companionship
of aid
Of actions done jointly with another
If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against
Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another
Of a common lot together with the wicked
Of equality or resemblance generally aid
Of time, as long as
Of a locality, close to, beside
Of persons, עִם is spec.
in the house or family or service of
In possession of
In the custody or care of
Beside = except
With = friendly with
Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one
Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding
base
מֵעִם 72 from with or beside
base
H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship
. Of a locality, close to, beside
. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of
. In possession of
. In the custody or care of
. Beside = except
. With = friendly with
. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one
. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding
H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside
5973 `im eem
from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction
with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;
often with prepositional prefix (and then usually
unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X
long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from
(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,
with(-al).
see HEBREW for 06004
עִם (im) — with.
1) with
1a) with
1b) against
1c) toward
1d) as long as
מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.
1a) beside, except
1b) in spite of
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp2ms
