O Lord, Thou hast searched and fully known each person, down to the depths of the individual heart and life. That searching knowledge reaches the inner life of thoughts from afar, motives, purposes, imaginations and secrets, and it also compasses the outer life of words, actions, ways and whereabouts, so that no darkness, solitude or outward appearance can hide anyone from His constant eye. Such knowledge is too wonderful and high for human beings to attain, for He is the all-wise and omniscient One of infinite understanding who knows all things. Because nothing is hidden, every act, word and thought is weighed, faithfully recorded as if heaven's attention were centered on that one person alone, and must be met at the tribunal and final judgment. Being thus known exposes concealed motives, secret sins and injustice, and calls for holy living in obedience to His law, with reverence toward Christ and kindness toward others in preparation for endless life. Prayer does not inform Him of what He does not know, yet right acts and resisted temptations are remembered in heaven and inexpressible burdens laid open before Him bring comfort, so finite beings should not speculate about Him but speak of Him with careful reverence.
God's Searching Knowledge
O LORD, thou hast searched and known each person fully and personally, as David was searched and known. That searching means the speaker himself is searched and known, not only mankind in general. No one is hidden from this knowledge.
It reaches the whole inner life, understanding thoughts afar off, even before distrustful thoughts enter the mind. Impulses, imaginations, purposes, motives, the character of the mind, the secrets of the heart and soul, and the depths of the heart lie open to it. It reads inward instincts and what a person would reveal in a crisis, as Christ knew the characters of His disciples and what they would think. It sees more accurately than people know one another, and outward appearance cannot hide the truth within, for every secret of the heart lies open before the searching gaze, and the very motives of the heart are open to divine inspection.
It also covers the whole outer life and abiding presence, knowing sitting down and rising up, movements, path and lying down, ways, whereabouts, conduct, every action, and altogether every word on the tongue. God compasses and hedges in behind and before, surrounds the path, lays His hand upon a person, keeps His eye always open taking notice, and stands as constant witness and unseen observer to everything done and said wherever a person is. No place, darkness, solitude, or midnight covers anyone, for thinking himself alone does not leave him alone, and to every deed there is an unseen witness. Darkness and light are alike to Him and night shines as day, so ways cannot be hidden from the Most High and no part of conduct escapes observation.
Such knowledge is too wonderful and high for human beings to attain, showing Him as the all-wise, omniscient One of infinite understanding who knows all things. The same searching gaze that knew David knows each particular act, word, and heart secret of named individuals, as every act and word of Allen Marks and every secret of his heart lay open before it. It knows the humble laborer's daily work as well as the king's, a physician's treatment and faithfulness or unfaithfulness, and burdens and distress that cannot be fully expressed.
Accountability and Response
Because nothing is hidden, the verse establishes accountability and judgment, for God weighs character, motives, and actions and keeps a faithful record of every act, word, and thought as distinctly marked as if there were only one person in the world with heaven's attention centered upon him. That record must be met at the tribunal and final judgment where cases are revealed and an irreversible sentence is received. Human laws are sometimes severe yet are broken without detection or punishment, but not so with God's law. Evil deeds bring punishment unless repented of, confessed, and washed away.
This searching watchfulness exposes specific hidden wrongs, including motives and purposes concealed from fellow believers and things done slyly to avoid censure. It sees inward anger and conduct hidden in darkness or solitude, impure thoughts and deeds, and secret sins, whether of the humble laborer or the king. It sees and understands all dishonesty in planning, all unlawful appropriation in any degree of property or means, and all injustice in dealing with fellow men. Iniquity among those who profess to serve God hinders what He can do for them.
Awareness of being known calls for holy living, for a person who would be ashamed for a respected leader to witness foolish words and conduct should remember that God witnesses them. Cherishing a habitual sense of His presence gives fear to sin, and the young especially must remember it. Nothing in conduct escapes notice, so deception and disobedience cannot be hidden, and people are called to live in obedience to His law. People are responsible for their thoughts as well as their actions, because indulging vain thoughts can lead to sin.
Children must therefore govern themselves while young, study their temperaments and faults, shun what leads to unkind feeling, and learn not to have their own way but to be kind, forbearing, yielding, loving, and sacrificing their will to make others happy. Reverence toward Christ and kindness, courtesy, forbearance, respect, and self-sacrifice toward others belong to such a life. Since brief existence in this world is preparation for endless life, gifts, possessions, and selfish enjoyment are of no weight against eternity, so all earthly things should help preparation for the future life by living for God, being true to Him, casting off melancholy, and not letting disappointment ruin life, with assurance of His help.
The verse also shapes prayer and gives comfort, for God already knows the secrets of every soul and the inmost thoughts, so prayer does not inform Him of what He does not know. Prayer therefore need not be long or loud, and need not recount the history of one's life as though He were unaware of it. Right acts and right thoughts are remembered in heaven, and every victory gained when tempted to do wrong and every temptation manfully resisted is recorded in heaven. Knowing that burdens and distress that cannot be fully expressed are open before Him brings comfort.
Because God understands thoughts afar off and knows all ways and devisings, finite erring beings should not attempt to interpret Him or speculate about Him. Silence is eloquence, and people should be very careful how they speak of Him. Those who speculate will meet their words in the day when all things are brought to light and falsehood and truth are placed in sharp contrast. God can speedily bring foolish human devisings to nothing.
O Lord, Thou hast searched and fully known each person, down to the depths of the individual heart and life. That searching knowledge reaches the inner life of thoughts from afar, motives, purposes, imaginations and secrets, and it also compasses the outer life of words, actions, ways and whereabouts, so that no darkness, solitude or outward appearance can hide anyone from His constant eye. Such knowledge is too wonderful and high for human beings to attain, for He is the all-wise and omniscient One of infinite understanding who knows all things. Because nothing is hidden, every act, word and thought is weighed, faithfully recorded as if heaven's attention were centered on that one person alone, and must be met at the tribunal and final judgment. Being thus known exposes concealed motives, secret sins and injustice, and calls for holy living in obedience to His law, with reverence toward Christ and kindness toward others in preparation for endless life. Prayer does not inform Him of what He does not know, yet right acts and resisted temptations are remembered in heaven and inexpressible burdens laid open before Him bring comfort, so finite beings should not speculate about Him but speak of Him with careful reverence.
God's Searching Knowledge
O LORD, thou hast searched and known each person fully and personally, as David was searched and known. That searching means the speaker himself is searched and known, not only mankind in general. No one is hidden from this knowledge.
It reaches the whole inner life, understanding thoughts afar off, even before distrustful thoughts enter the mind. Impulses, imaginations, purposes, motives, the character of the mind, the secrets of the heart and soul, and the depths of the heart lie open to it. It reads inward instincts and what a person would reveal in a crisis, as Christ knew the characters of His disciples and what they would think. It sees more accurately than people know one another, and outward appearance cannot hide the truth within, for every secret of the heart lies open before the searching gaze, and the very motives of the heart are open to divine inspection.
It also covers the whole outer life and abiding presence, knowing sitting down and rising up, movements, path and lying down, ways, whereabouts, conduct, every action, and altogether every word on the tongue. God compasses and hedges in behind and before, surrounds the path, lays His hand upon a person, keeps His eye always open taking notice, and stands as constant witness and unseen observer to everything done and said wherever a person is. No place, darkness, solitude, or midnight covers anyone, for thinking himself alone does not leave him alone, and to every deed there is an unseen witness. Darkness and light are alike to Him and night shines as day, so ways cannot be hidden from the Most High and no part of conduct escapes observation.
Such knowledge is too wonderful and high for human beings to attain, showing Him as the all-wise, omniscient One of infinite understanding who knows all things. The same searching gaze that knew David knows each particular act, word, and heart secret of named individuals, as every act and word of Allen Marks and every secret of his heart lay open before it. It knows the humble laborer's daily work as well as the king's, a physician's treatment and faithfulness or unfaithfulness, and burdens and distress that cannot be fully expressed.
Accountability and Response
Because nothing is hidden, the verse establishes accountability and judgment, for God weighs character, motives, and actions and keeps a faithful record of every act, word, and thought as distinctly marked as if there were only one person in the world with heaven's attention centered upon him. That record must be met at the tribunal and final judgment where cases are revealed and an irreversible sentence is received. Human laws are sometimes severe yet are broken without detection or punishment, but not so with God's law. Evil deeds bring punishment unless repented of, confessed, and washed away.
This searching watchfulness exposes specific hidden wrongs, including motives and purposes concealed from fellow believers and things done slyly to avoid censure. It sees inward anger and conduct hidden in darkness or solitude, impure thoughts and deeds, and secret sins, whether of the humble laborer or the king. It sees and understands all dishonesty in planning, all unlawful appropriation in any degree of property or means, and all injustice in dealing with fellow men. Iniquity among those who profess to serve God hinders what He can do for them.
Awareness of being known calls for holy living, for a person who would be ashamed for a respected leader to witness foolish words and conduct should remember that God witnesses them. Cherishing a habitual sense of His presence gives fear to sin, and the young especially must remember it. Nothing in conduct escapes notice, so deception and disobedience cannot be hidden, and people are called to live in obedience to His law. People are responsible for their thoughts as well as their actions, because indulging vain thoughts can lead to sin.
Children must therefore govern themselves while young, study their temperaments and faults, shun what leads to unkind feeling, and learn not to have their own way but to be kind, forbearing, yielding, loving, and sacrificing their will to make others happy. Reverence toward Christ and kindness, courtesy, forbearance, respect, and self-sacrifice toward others belong to such a life. Since brief existence in this world is preparation for endless life, gifts, possessions, and selfish enjoyment are of no weight against eternity, so all earthly things should help preparation for the future life by living for God, being true to Him, casting off melancholy, and not letting disappointment ruin life, with assurance of His help.
The verse also shapes prayer and gives comfort, for God already knows the secrets of every soul and the inmost thoughts, so prayer does not inform Him of what He does not know. Prayer therefore need not be long or loud, and need not recount the history of one's life as though He were unaware of it. Right acts and right thoughts are remembered in heaven, and every victory gained when tempted to do wrong and every temptation manfully resisted is recorded in heaven. Knowing that burdens and distress that cannot be fully expressed are open before Him brings comfort.
Because God understands thoughts afar off and knows all ways and devisings, finite erring beings should not attempt to interpret Him or speculate about Him. Silence is eloquence, and people should be very careful how they speak of Him. Those who speculate will meet their words in the day when all things are brought to light and falsehood and truth are placed in sharp contrast. God can speedily bring foolish human devisings to nothing.