Verse

Psalm 139:15

ESV My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
NIV My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
NASB My frame was not hidden from You When I was made in secret, And skillfully formed in the depths of the earth;
CSB My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
NLT You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
KJV My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
NKJV My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

What does Psalm 139:15 mean?

In this verse David mentions his frame was not hidden from God when God made him in secret. "My frame" signifies the strength or framework of the body, essentially meaning the skeletal structure. The expression, "in the depths of the earth," is a poetic term that describes the womb as being just as dark and hidden from human view as the subterranean caverns.

"Woven," as rendered in this verse, is from the Hebrew word raqam. This term refers to the skill of an embroiderer or someone skilled in needlework. God's creation of the human body in the womb is a masterpiece of design and workmanship. Conception and gestation have been designed by God as miracles that lead to birth.

Beyond the physical wonder of the human body, every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). To murder what God creates in the womb is an attack on the image of God, as is any other murder (Genesis 9:6).

In Bible times conception and birth were occasions to celebrate. Children were considered gifts from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). When Eve conceived and bore Cain, she said, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD" (Genesis 4:1). When Hannah bore a son, she called him Samuel, and said, "I have asked for him from the LORD" (1 Samuel 1:20). When she had weaned Samuel, she dedicated him to service in the temple, and she offered praise to the Lord (1 Samuel 2).
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