Psalm 139 (138) DGB, Latin, Greek 'The Hound of Heaven'

 Exercise: compare Douai, Vulgate and Septuagint,
and Ps. 139 and Ps. 104. 

The Hound from Heaven

There can be little doubt that Francis Thompson (1859-1907) was inspired by the words of Psalm 139 when composing The Hound of Heaven. This will be evident from the opening lines:

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;

I fled Him, down the arches of the years;

I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways

Of my own mind; and the mist of tears

I hid from Him, and under running laughter.

Omniscience & Omnipresence  

 

  http://www.bibleinsong.com/Song_Pages/Psalms/Psalm139/Psalm139.htm 

The theme of Ps. 139 is God’s omniscience and omnipresence.  The psalmist recognizes God as present everywhere, One who is not only all-powerful, but also all-knowing, One who has formed man from the womb, and One whose presence man cannot escape.5

Ps.139 Compared to Psalm 104

This Psalm has often been admired for the grandeur of its sentiments, the elevation of its style, as well as the variety and beauty of its imagery. Bishop Lowth, in his 29th Prelection, classes it amongst the Hebrew idyls, as next to the 104th, in respect both to the conduct of the poem, and the beauty of the style. "If it be excelled," says he, "(as perhaps it is) by the former in the plan, disposition, and arrangement of the matter, it is not in the least inferior in the dignity and elegance of its sentiments, images, and figures." "Amongst its other excellencies," says Bishop Mant, "it is for nothing more admirable than for the exquisite skill with which it descants on the perfections of the Deity.

Douay-Rheims Bible You Have Searched Me and Know Me 1Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me: 2thou hast know my sitting down, and my rising up. 3Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out. 4And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue. 5Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me. 6Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me: it is high, and I cannot reach to it. 7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy face? 8If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present. 9If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: 10Even there also shall thy hand lead me: and thy right hand shall hold me. 11And I said: Perhaps darkness shall cover me: and night shall be my light in my pleasures. 12But darkness shall not be dark to thee, and night shall be light as day: the darkness thereof, and the light thereof are alike to thee. 13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast protected me from my mother's womb. 14I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well. 15My bone is not hidden from thee, which thou hast made in secret: and my substance in the lower parts of the earth. 16Thy eyes did see my imperfect being, and in thy book all shall be written: days shall be formed, and no one in them. 17But to me thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable: their principality is exceedingly strengthened. 18I will number them, and they shall be multiplied above the sand: I rose up and am still with thee. 19If thou wilt kill the wicked, O God: ye men of blood, depart from me: 20Because you say in thought: They shall receive thy cities in vain. 21Have I not hated them, O Lord, that hated thee: and pine away because of thy enemies? 22I have hated them with a perfect hatred: and they are become enemies to me. 23Prove me, O God, and know my heart: examine me, and know my paths. 24And see if there be in me the way of iniquity: and lead me in the eternal way. Douay-Rheims Bible

<< Psalmi 139 >> Psalm 139 Latin: Biblia Sacra Vulgata 1 (138-1) pro victoria David canticum Domine investigasti me et cognovisti 2 (138-2) tu cognovisti sessionem meam et surrectionem meam 3 (138-3) intellexisti malum meum de longe semitam meam et accubitionem meam eventilasti 4 (138-4) et omnes vias meas intellexisti quia non est eloquium in lingua mea 5 (138-5) ecce Domine nosti omnia retrorsum et ante formasti me et posuisti super me manum tuam 6 (138-6) super me est scientia et excelsior est non potero ad eam 7 (138-7) quo ibo ab spiritu tuo et quo a facie tua fugiam 8 (138-8) si ascendero in caelum ibi es tu si iacuero in inferno ades 9 (138-9) si sumpsero pinnas diluculo habitavero in novissimo maris 10 (138-10) etiam ibi manus tua deducet me et tenebit me dextera tua 11 (138-11) si dixero forte tenebrae operient me nox quoque lux erit circa me 12 (138-12) nec tenebrae habent tenebras apud te et nox quasi dies lucet similes sunt tenebrae et lux 13 (138-13) quoniam tu possedisti renes meos orsusque es me in utero matris meae 14 (138-14) confitebor tibi quoniam terribiliter magnificasti me mirabilia opera tua et anima mea novit nimis 15 (138-15) non sunt operta ossa mea a te quibus factus sum in abscondito imaginatus sum in novissimis terrae 16 (138-16) informem adhuc me viderunt oculi tui et in libro tuo omnes scribentur dies formatae sunt et non est una in eis 17 (138-17) mihi autem quam honorabiles facti sunt amici tui Deus quam fortes pauperes eorum 18 (138-18) dinumerabo eos et harena plures erunt evigilavi et adhuc sum tecum 19 (138-19) si occideris Deus impium viri sanguinum declinate a me 20 (138-20) qui contradicent tibi scelerate elati sunt frustra adversarii tui 21 (138-21) nonne odientes te Domine odivi et contra adversarios tuos distabui 22 (138-22) perfecto odio oderam illos inimici facti sunt mihi 23 (138-23) scrutare me Deus et cognosce cor meum proba me et scito cogitationes meas 24 (138-24) et vide si via idoli in me est et deduc me in via aeterna << Psalm 139 >> Latin: Biblia Sacra Vulgata

<< Psalms 139 >> Psalm 139 Greek OT: Septuagint with Diacritics 1εἰς τὸ τέλος ψαλμὸς τῷ δαυιδ κύριε ἐδοκίμασάς με καὶ ἔγνως με 2σὺ ἔγνως τὴν καθέδραν μου καὶ τὴν ἔγερσίν μου σὺ συνῆκας τοὺς διαλογισμούς μου ἀπὸ μακρόθεν 3τὴν τρίβον μου καὶ τὴν σχοῖνόν μου σὺ ἐξιχνίασας καὶ πάσας τὰς ὁδούς μου προεῖδες 4ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν λόγος ἐν γλώσσῃ μου 5ἰδού κύριε σὺ ἔγνως πάντα τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα σὺ ἔπλασάς με καὶ ἔθηκας ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὴν χεῖρά σου 6ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ ἐκραταιώθη οὐ μὴ δύνωμαι πρὸς αὐτήν 7ποῦ πορευθῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός σου καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου ποῦ φύγω 8ἐὰν ἀναβῶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν σὺ εἶ ἐκεῖ ἐὰν καταβῶ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην πάρει 9ἐὰν ἀναλάβοιμι τὰς πτέρυγάς μου κατ' ὄρθρον καὶ κατασκηνώσω εἰς τὰ ἔσχατα τῆς θαλάσσης 10καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ ἡ χείρ σου ὁδηγήσει με καὶ καθέξει με ἡ δεξιά σου 11καὶ εἶπα ἄρα σκότος καταπατήσει με καὶ νὺξ φωτισμὸς ἐν τῇ τρυφῇ μου 12ὅτι σκότος οὐ σκοτισθήσεται ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ νὺξ ὡς ἡμέρα φωτισθήσεται ὡς τὸ σκότος αὐτῆς οὕτως καὶ τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς 13ὅτι σὺ ἐκτήσω τοὺς νεφρούς μου κύριε ἀντελάβου μου ἐκ γαστρὸς μητρός μου 14ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ὅτι φοβερῶς ἐθαυμαστώθην θαυμάσια τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ ἡ ψυχή μου γινώσκει σφόδρα 15οὐκ ἐκρύβη τὸ ὀστοῦν μου ἀπὸ σοῦ ὃ ἐποίησας ἐν κρυφῇ καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου ἐν τοῖς κατωτάτοις τῆς γῆς 16τὸ ἀκατέργαστόν μου εἴδοσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ βιβλίον σου πάντες γραφήσονται ἡμέρας πλασθήσονται καὶ οὐθεὶς ἐν αὐτοῖς 17ἐμοὶ δὲ λίαν ἐτιμήθησαν οἱ φίλοι σου ὁ θεός λίαν ἐκραταιώθησαν αἱ ἀρχαὶ αὐτῶν 18ἐξαριθμήσομαι αὐτούς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄμμον πληθυνθήσονται ἐξηγέρθην καὶ ἔτι εἰμὶ μετὰ σοῦ 19ἐὰν ἀποκτείνῃς ἁμαρτωλούς ὁ θεός ἄνδρες αἱμάτων ἐκκλίνατε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ 20ὅτι ἐρεῖς εἰς διαλογισμόν λήμψονται εἰς ματαιότητα τὰς πόλεις σου 21οὐχὶ τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε κύριε ἐμίσησα καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου ἐξετηκόμην 22τέλειον μῖσος ἐμίσουν αὐτούς εἰς ἐχθροὺς ἐγένοντό μοι 23δοκίμασόν με ὁ θεός καὶ γνῶθι τὴν καρδίαν μου ἔτασόν με καὶ γνῶθι τὰς τρίβους μου 24καὶ ἰδὲ εἰ ὁδὸς ἀνομίας ἐν ἐμοί καὶ ὁδήγησόν με ἐν ὁδῷ αἰωνίᾳ << Psalm 139 >>