Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 139:2

"Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off." — Psalms 139:2 (ASV)

Down-sitting and uprising —as in Deuteronomy 6:7, to denote the whole daily life—business and rest.

Thought. —An Aramaic form found nowhere else, but from one possible derivation (“companion”), meaning the thoughts which are inseparable companions, most intimate thoughts.

Compare Macbeth 3:2:

“How now, my lord? Why do you keep alone,
Of sorriest fancies your companions making?”

Afar off. —Exactly as in Psalm 138:6. Jehovah notes and recognises the proud from afar off, so here, though He has His home in heaven, He knows the thoughts and feelings amid which a man habitually lives . The Hebrew expression literally means, you have intelligence as to my thought from afar, an Aramaic expression.