Psalm 139:13–14
Bible verses · Also called: Psalm 139:13-14, Psalms 139:13–14, Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb, Fearfully and wonderfully made, Thou hast possessed my reins
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13 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: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
David's hymn of praise declaring that God formed him in his mother's womb. Cherished as a passage on the dignity of human life, it is frequently cited in debates over abortion and bioethics as support for the personhood of the unborn.
Context
Psalm 139 bears the superscription "A Psalm of David." Verses 1–6 celebrate God's thorough knowledge of the psalmist, and verses 7–12 declare that there is no place to flee from God. Verses 13–16 affirm that this knowledge extended even to the time before birth, portraying God as forming the psalmist's inward parts in the womb and fashioning him as though knitting him together: "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb" (Psalm 139:13). The phrase "fearfully and wonderfully made" in verse 14 conveys a sense of awe and wonder. The psalm then passes through a lament concerning enemies (vv. 19–22) and concludes with a prayer asking God to search the psalmist (vv. 23–24).
Interpretation
- As praise of the Creator: On this reading, the focus of the passage is not a biological account of an individual's birth but wonder at the God who made the psalmist. The "reins" of verse 13 (the kidneys, which the ancients regarded as the seat of the innermost self) and "the lowest parts of the earth" in verse 15 are poetic expressions.
- As a basis for human dignity: This reading connects the truth that a person's life is under God's hand even before birth with Genesis 1:27, which teaches that humanity was created in the image of God, and understands the passage as affirming the unique worth of human life.
- As a word of self-acceptance: In pastoral ministry and counseling, the passage is read as a comfort that encourages people to accept their bodies and their very being as God's handiwork.
Debates and Issues
The passage serves as a key text in the abortion debate. Those who hold that life must be protected from conception (the Catholic Church and many evangelical churches) argue that God already regards the life in the womb as the psalmist's own "me." Others contend that specific conclusions about the legal and moral status of the unborn cannot easily be drawn directly from a poetic hymn of praise, while acknowledging that the passage clearly points toward respect for life. Jeremiah 1:5 and Luke 1:41–44 are often cited alongside it. For further discussion, see Abortion and the Church.
In the Korean Church
The passage is frequently read in prayers for unborn children, thanksgiving services for childbirth, and Sunday observances devoted to the theme of life. It is also often cited in sermons to young people on the subject of self-esteem.
Related Passages
- Psalm 139:15–16
- Jeremiah 1:5
- Job 10:8–12
See also 5
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