The Misuse of Psalm 139 in the Abortion Debate

The Misuse of Psalm 139 in the Abortion Debate

To be clear: Abortion is wrong.

Not because of political affiliation or cultural pressure, but because the God of Scripture declares life sacred, formed by His hand, and imbued with divine purpose—even before a child breathes their first breath.

And yet, Psalm 139—one of the most beautiful texts about God’s intimate knowledge of human life—is often stripped of its context, weaponized in shallow memes, or flattened into emotional slogans. Worse, when skeptics push back by pointing to other Psalms or violent imagery in Scripture, Christians often find themselves unprepared to answer with both truth and clarity.

1. The Context of Psalm 139: God’s Omniscience and Omnipresence

Psalm 139 is attributed to David and forms a profound meditation on God's all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-forming power. This is not a biology lesson—it's a theological declaration.

“You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I get up;

You understand my thought from far away.”— Psalm 139:1–2, NASB

David opens by affirming that God knows every action, every word, every motive—even before it arises. This alone makes the modern secular attempt to define life based on visibility or viability ridiculous. God sees what no ultrasound or microscope can: the soul.

2. The Key Verse: “You Formed My Inward Parts”

Let’s examine the central text so often quoted out of context:

“For You created my innermost parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.”— Psalm 139:13–14, NASB

The verbs used are stunning. “Created” and “wove” are not passive observations—they are hands-on, artistic acts by the Creator. The Hebrew word behind "wove" (שָׁרַג, sharag) conveys intricate embroidery, suggesting that each person is carefully stitched together by God.

And then this:

“Your eyes have seen my formless substance;

And in Your book were written

All the days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them.”— Psalm 139:16, NASB

This verse declares pre-birth purpose. Before a baby is “viable,” before there are fingernails or brain waves, God sees and ordains. How dare we pretend such life is subject to human permission?

3. The Objection: What About the “Violent Psalms”?

Skeptics often cite Psalm 137 in retaliation:

“Blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your children against the rock.”— Psalm 137:9, NASB

Let’s be honest: this verse is horrifying—and it’s meant to be. But it must be understood properly.

Psalm 137 is not a prescription. It’s a lament written in Babylonian exile. The psalmist is broken, enraged, and recalling the trauma of seeing Jerusalem destroyed, families slaughtered, and children dashed against stones by Babylonian soldiers. This is not God endorsing violence—this is man expressing rage.

But before we use Psalm 139 as a blanket abortion defense, we must understand that the Psalms contain verses like these too – and will likely be used against us if we choose to employ Psalm 139.

4. The Larger Picture: Lamentations and the Tragedy of Child Death

If you want to understand how God feels about children dying—look at Lamentations. Jerusalem had fallen. Starvation set in. The unthinkable happened.

“The hands of compassionate women boiled their own children;

They became food for them Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people.”— Lamentations 4:10, NASB

“My eyes fail because of tears, My spirit is greatly troubled;

My heart is poured out on the earth,

Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,

When children and infants languish In the streets of the city.”— Lamentations 2:11, NASB

These are not celebratory. They are devastating. And they are written by the same prophet, Jeremiah, whom many wrongly quote to defend anti-abortion views (see our companion article on Jeremiah 1:5). The point is this: the killing of children—whether by siege, starvation, or suction cannula—is a tragedy, not an agenda item.

5. Summary: Psalm 139 Is Not a Slogan. It’s a Sword.

Psalm 139 is not a coffee mug quote. It is a theological war cry. God sees life before it breathes. God records days before they unfold. God forms every child in the womb as an image bearer, not a “choice.”

It is the very personal presence of God that gives unborn life its value. Not emotion. Not viability. Not law. Not even parental desire.

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made” is not a boast. It is a rebuke to any ideology that says a child can be discarded.

Final Word: No Verse Stands Alone

Psalm 139 is clear: God forms life, sees it, and assigns it purpose before birth. But it is not a standalone verse. The Bible—from Genesis to Revelation—speaks with one unified voice: God values human life.

We would do well to speak with the same clarity.