Psalm 139:7
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
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Within Psalm 139's meditation on God's nearness, this verse asks where one could possibly go to escape God, introducing the truth of His presence everywhere.
What Does Psalm 139:7 Mean?
This verse marvels that there is no place anyone can go to escape God's Spirit or presence. The psalmist asks two parallel questions -- "Whither shall I go... whither shall I flee" -- not in dread of being trapped but in awe at how completely God is everywhere. There is simply no location beyond His reach.
The verses that follow spell out the answer: heaven, the depths, the far side of the sea, the darkest night -- God is present in them all. This is the wonder of God's nearness extending to every place at once. For someone running from God in guilt, the truth could feel inescapable; but in the flow of this psalm, it is a comfort. The same God who knows us completely is also always with us, never absent, never out of reach when we need Him. No exile is so far, no darkness so deep, no circumstance so isolating that God is not already there. The verse dismantles the lonely fear that we might find ourselves somewhere God cannot follow. Wherever life takes us, His Spirit and His presence have gone ahead and remain beside us.
In the Original Language
"Spirit" translates the Hebrew ruach, meaning spirit, breath, or wind, here God's own Spirit; "presence" renders panim, literally face.
Cross References
“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”
- Psalm 139:8
“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
- Jeremiah 23:24
“That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.”
- Acts 17:27
Application
Take comfort that no place, darkness, or distance can separate you from God's presence; He is already with you wherever you go.