If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

PSALMS 139:18KJV
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Psalms 139:18 (KJV)

What does Psalms 139:18 mean?

Psalms 139:18 says that if the writer tried to count God’s thoughts or blessings, they would be more than the grains of sand, and even when he wakes up, he finds that God is still with him. The verse expresses awe at the endless nature of God’s care and presence.

King David is speaking to God in this psalm, reflecting on how deeply and constantly God knows and watches over him. The verse comes after David has described God’s thoughts as precious and countless, and here he uses the image of sand to show just how immeasurable they are. Waking up and still being with God suggests that God’s presence is unbroken, even through sleep.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 139:18

  • "count" (סָפַר, saphar): This word means to count or reckon, emphasizing the attempt to measure something vast. David is saying that even if he tried to add up God’s thoughts or blessings, it would be impossible.
  • "number" (רָבָה, ravah): This word carries the idea of being many or multiplied. It highlights the overwhelming abundance of what David is describing.
  • "sand" (חוֹל, chol): Sand is a common biblical image for something countless or infinite. By comparing God’s thoughts to sand, David stresses their limitless nature.
  • "awake" (קוּץ, quts): This word means to wake up from sleep. David’s mention of waking up and still being with God shows that God’s presence is continuous, not limited by time or consciousness.
  • "still" (עוֹד, od): This word means "yet" or "still," reinforcing the idea that nothing interrupts God’s nearness—not even sleep.

Why Psalms 139:18 matters

  • Psalms 139:18 clears up any idea that God’s care or attention is limited or can be exhausted; David’s language shows it is beyond human counting.
  • The verse emphasizes that God’s presence is not just a daytime or conscious experience—God is with a person even when they are asleep and unaware.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme of Psalms 139, which is about God’s intimate knowledge and constant presence with every person, everywhere, at all times.