The Meaning of Psalms 139:15 Explained

Psalms 139:15

KJV: My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

YLT: My substance was not hid from Thee, When I was made in secret, Curiously wrought in the lower part of earth.

Darby: My bones were not hidden from thee when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth.

ASV: My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

My substance  was not hid  from thee, when I was made  in secret,  [and] curiously wrought  in the lowest parts  of the earth. 

What does Psalms 139:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 139:14-24 - God's Thoughts And Ours
God's creative power, Psalms 139:14-18. The psalmist goes back to the beginning of life and describes the weaving of our physical nature. Here we may discover a suggestive analogy; for the Church, which is the Body of Christ, has been wrought in secret from its earliest beginnings, and its development continues preparatory to the manifestation in complete beauty and glory at the Lord's coming. "When He shall be manifested, we shall be manifested with Him in glory," Colossians 3:1-4. Remember, also, that the Christ-life in our hearts is subject to the same secret processes.
The psalm closes with the saints' antagonism to evil, Psalms 139:19-24. The more they meditate on the precious thoughts of God, the more they desire to be freed from the tyranny of evil, whether it shows itself in the ways of evil men or in the inward evil of the heart. Our one cry should be that God would lead us in the way, which is based on eternal principles and which winds ever upward from the lowland valleys, where we have dwelt too long, to those glorious uplands, where God Himself is Sun. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 139

1  David praises God for his all-seeing providence
17  And for this infinite mercies
19  He defies the wicked
23  He prays for sincerity

What do the individual words in Psalms 139:15 mean?

Not was hidden My frame from You when I was made in secret [And] skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth
לֹא־ נִכְחַ֥ד עָצְמִ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ אֲשֶׁר־ עֻשֵּׂ֥יתִי בַסֵּ֑תֶר רֻ֝קַּ֗מְתִּי בְּֽתַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת אָֽרֶץ

נִכְחַ֥ד  was  hidden 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּחַד  
Sense: to hide, conceal, cut off, cut down, make desolate, kick.
עָצְמִ֗י  My  frame 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עֹצֶם 
Sense: power, bones, might.
מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ  from  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
עֻשֵּׂ֥יתִי  I  was  made 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בַסֵּ֑תֶר  in  secret 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵתֶר 
Sense: covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy.
רֻ֝קַּ֗מְתִּי  [And]  skillfully  wrought 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָקַם  
Sense: to variegate, mix colours.
בְּֽתַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת  in  the  lowest  parts 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: תַּחְתִּי  
Sense: low, lower, lowest.
אָֽרֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.