John Gill Commentary Psalms 139:12

"Even the darkness hideth not from thee, But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike [to thee]." — Psalms 139:12 (ASV)

Yea, the darkness hides not from you
Any thing that is done by men in it; or "darkens not from you" ^F9 , or causes such darkness as to hinder the sight of any action committed. The Targum is, "from your Word;" see (Hebrews 4:12Hebrews 4:13) ;

but the night shines as the day ;
or "enlightens as the day" ^F11 , gives as much light with respect to God as the day does;

the darkness and the light [are] both alike [to you] ;
as is the one, so is the other: the day gives him no more light than the night, and the night no more darkness than the day; he sees as well, as clearly and distinctly, in the one as in the other. The psalmist expresses the same thing in different words three or four times, as Kimchi observes, to show that so the Lord is, that thus it is with him; he has as clear a discerning of all things done in the darkest night as at bright noon day; see (Job 34:21Job 34:22) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: (Kmm Kyvxy al) "non obscurabit a te", Montanus; "non obtenebrant", Gejerus; so Michaelis.
• F11: (ryay) "illustrat", Junius & Tremellius; "illuminabit", Gejerus Michaelis; so Ainsworth.