Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 5. Thou hast beset me behind and before ] yntrx µdqw rwja achor vekodam tsartani, "The hereafter and the past, thou hast formed me." I think Bishop Horsley's emendation here is just, uniting the two verses together. "Behold thou, O Jehovah, knowest the whole, the hereafter and the past. Thou hast formed me, and laid thy hand upon me."
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - God has perfect knowledge of us, and all our thoughts and actions ar open before him. It is more profitable to meditate on Divine truths applying them to our own cases, and with hearts lifted to God in prayer, than with a curious or disputing frame of mind. That God know all things, is omniscient; that he is every where, is omnipresent; ar truths acknowledged by all, yet they are seldom rightly believed in by mankind. God takes strict notice of every step we take, every righ step and every by step. He knows what rule we walk by, what end we wal toward, what company we walk with. When I am withdrawn from all company, thou knowest what I have in my heart. There is not a vai word, not a good word, but thou knowest from what thought it came, an with what design it was uttered. Wherever we are, we are under the ey and hand of God. We cannot by searching find how God searches us out nor do we know how we are known. Such thoughts should restrain us from sin.
Original Hebrew אחור268 וקדם6924 צרתני6696 ותשׁת7896 עלי5921 כפכה׃3709
