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Psalm 139:13-16 Were All Our Days Fashioned?

Verse 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.

God’s knowledge is incomprehensible to David. David has been telling God how well God knows him. God knows his ways, his thoughts from afar, and where he goes. When a word reaches his tongue, God knows it completely. Further, no matter where David goes, God is there to lead and hold him. Light or darkness makes no difference to God. Now, he switches to embryology. God has a marvelous plan for the growth of a baby from a one cell fertilized egg to a full term baby.

Verse 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.

David marvels at God’s work – a human being, but he personalizes it, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Verse 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Not only was it not hidden from God, but God made the whole genetic transcription process by which we are skillfully made. A serious problem arises in this verse. What does “the lowest parts of the earth” mean? In other references it seems to mean Sheol. This is puzzling, unless David is using the ideas of his time which allude to the formation of a human being in Sheol before he was born.

Verse 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

Because God could look at DNA, He could see any human’s exact likeness, his real substance as an adult, before he was even born. This means God could tell how a man would look at maturity just by looking at the DNA. Not only that, but all the processes and likenesses were written in the chromosomes, including the days it would take to have all this happen.

(Darby) For thou hast possessed my reins; thou didst cover me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee, for I am fearfully, wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. 15 My bones were not hidden from thee when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth. 16 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.

(KJV) For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvelous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 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 there was] none of them.

(McMahon) For you possessed my kidneys. You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You because I am awesomely marvelous. Your acts are marvels which my soul knows very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place [when] I was woven in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes watched my fetus [in all its features] (In your book it was fully described in writing) as it was being formed over a period of time. And one of those [features] is His.

(NIV) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

(NKJV) For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and [that] my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, [and] skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when [as] [yet] [there] [were] none of them.

(NRSV) For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 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.

(Rotherham) For thou didst possess thyself of my reins, Thou didst weave me together in the womb of my mother. 14 I thank thee, in that fearfully was my being distinguished, Wonderful are thy works, And mine own soul is observing [them] intently! 15 My substance was not hid form thee, – When I was made in secret, When I was skillfully figured in the lower parts of the earth. 16 Mine unfinished substance Thine eyes behold, And in thy book all the parts thereof were written, – The days they should be fashioned! While yet there was not one among them.

(Young’s Literal Translation) For Thou – Thou hast possessed my reins, Thou dost cover me in my mother’s belly. 14 I confess Thee, because that [with] wonders I have been distinguished. Wonderful [are] Thy works, And my soul is knowing [it] well. 15 My substance was not hid from Thee, When I was made in secret, Curiously wrought in the lower part of earth. 16 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.