John Gill Commentary Psalms 139:5

"Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thy hand upon me." — Psalms 139:5 (ASV)

You have beset me behind and before
Are on every side of me, all around me, like one besieged in a strait place; so that there is nothing I can think, say, or do, but what is known to you. The two Kimchis, father and son, render the word, "you have formed me": and interpret it of the formation of his body, of which, in (Psalms 139:14–16) ; see (Job 10:8Job 10:10Job 10:11) but it denotes how God compasses men with his presence and providence, so that nothing escapes his knowledge;

and laid your hand upon me ;
not his afflicting hand, which sometimes presses hard; though the Targum thus paraphrases it,

``and stirred against me the stroke of your hand:'' but rather his hand of power and providence, to preserve, protect, and defend him. Or it signifies that he was so near to him that his hand was upon him, and he was perfectly known; as anything is that is before a man, and he has his hand upon.