Talmud zu Tehillim 139:16

The following [occurrences of lamed-alef (not)] which have to be read as lamed-waw (to, by, has) are found in the Prophets and Hagiographa: multiply;³²The introductory word of 1 Sam. 2, 3 in which occurs the phrase and by Him are actions weighed according to the ḳerë, but the kethib reads ‘and actions are not weighed’. Hushai;³³i.e. 2 Sam. 16, 18, where the ḳerë is his will I be and the kethib ‘I will not be’. said;³⁴i.e. 2 Kings 8, 10. Here the ḳerë is say unto him, thou shalt surely recover, and the kethib ‘say, thou shalt not surely recover’. thou hast multiplied;³⁵i.e. Isa. 9, 2.The ḳerë is Thou hast increased their joy, and the kethib ‘Thou hast not increased joy’. their affliction;³⁶i.e. Isa. 63, 9. The ḳerë is In all their affliction He was afflicted (lit. there was affliction to Him) and the kethib ‘in all their affliction He was not an adversary’. He slay me;³⁷i.e. Job 13, 15. The ḳerë is yet will I trust Him, the kethib ‘I have nothing to hope for’. I keep silence;³⁸i.e. Job 41, 4. The ḳerë is would I keep silence (to him), the kethib ‘I would not keep silence’. as the (wandering) sparrow;³⁹i.e. Prov. 26, 2. The ḳerë is shall come home (to him), the kethib ‘shall not come home’. his friends;⁴⁰i.e. Prov. 19, 7. The ḳerë is they turn against him, the kethib ‘they do not turn’. Zerubbabel;⁴¹i.e. Ezra 4, 2, The ḳerë is we do sacrifice unto Him, the kethib ‘we do not sacrifice’. were fashioned;⁴²i.e. Ps. 139, 16. The ḳerë is ‘and for it there was one among them’, the kethib when as yet there was none of them. In this instance E.V. follows the kethib. know ye;⁴³i.e. Ps. 100, 3. The ḳerë is we are His, the kethib ‘and not we (have made) ourselves’. be gathered;⁴⁴i.e. Isa. 49, 5. The ḳerë is be gathered unto Him, the kethib ‘be not gathered’. name,⁴⁵i.e. 1 Chron. 11, 20. The ḳerë is and had a name among the three, the kethib ‘and not a name among the three’. [this last also] in the corresponding passage.⁴⁶viz. in 2 Sam. 23, 18. This reading is suggested by N.Y. to replace that of V ‘and his word’ which is meaningless. In this verse, however, lamed-waw is both written and read. [More probably ודבר in V is a misreading of daleth signifying ‘four’ which should be attached to the beginning of the next Rule.] [38a]

Rabbi Nehemiah would say: Where do we learn that one person is considered as important as the entire work of Creation? Because it says (Genesis 5:1), “This is the book of the generations of humanity,” and prior to that it said (Genesis 2:4), “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.” Just as previously there was creating and making, so too here there is creating and making. [This] teaches that the Holy Blessed One showed [Adam] all the generations that would come from him, as if they rose up (and played) before him. And some say that he was shown only his righteous descendants, as it says (Isaiah 4:1), “All who were inscribed for life in Jerusalem.”
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karha would say: See, it says (Psalms 139:16), “Your eyes see my unformed substance, they were [all recorded] in your book.” This teaches that the Holy Blessed One showed [Adam] the first person every generation and its preachers, community servants, leaders, prophets, warriors, sinners, and saints, and said to him, “In this generation this one will be a king. In that generation this one will be a scholar.”
Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yosei HaGalili would say: Nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created, the Torah was written and placed on the bosom of the Holy Blessed One, and it sang a song with the angels who serve God, as it says (Proverbs 8:30), “I was raised with Him, a source of delight to Him every day…rejoicing before Him on the face of His earth.” They gave a parable: To what can this be compared? [It can be compared] to someone who took a piece of wood and wanted to carve lots of figures into it. But there was not enough room on the wood, and so he was sad. But then he began drawing pictures on the ground, and kept walking and drew many, many pictures. So, too, the Holy Blessed One – may His great name be blessed forever and ever – in His wisdom and insight, created the whole world, with the heavens and the earth, above and below. And He fashioned within the human being everything that He created in His world. He created forests in the world, and He created forests on human beings – that is, their hair. He created evil beasts in the world, and He created evil beasts in human beings – that is, (the intestines) of a person. (He created thorns in the world, and He created thorns on human beings – that is, their ears.) He created scent in the world, and He created scent in human beings – that is, in their noses. He created a sun in the world, and He created a sun in human beings – that is, a person’s light. Putrid waters in the world and putrid waters in human beings – that is the water that drips from their noses. Salty waters in the world and salty waters in human beings – that is, the tears in their eyes. Rivers in the world and rivers in human beings – that is, their tears. Walls in the world, and walls in human beings – that is, a person’s lips. Doors in the world, and doors in human beings – that is, a person’s teeth. (Skies in the world, and skies in human beings – that is, a person’s tongue.) Sweet waters in the world, and sweet waters in human beings – that is, a person’s spit. Chiseled stones in the world and chiseled stones in human beings – that is, a person’s jaws. Towers in the world, and towers in human beings – that is, a person’s neck. Sail-yards in the world, and sail-yards on human beings – that is, a person’s arms. Spikes in the world, and spikes on human beings – that is, a person’s fingers. A king in the world, and a king in the human being – that is, his head. (Clusters in the world, and clusters in human beings – that is, in their blood.) Advisers in the world, and advisers in human beings – that is, their kidneys. Millstones in the world, and millstones in human beings – that is, their stomachs. Grinding mills in the world, and grinding mills in human beings – that is, their spleens. Garbage heaps in the world, and garbage heaps in human beings – that is, a person’s bowels. Pits in the world, and pits in human beings – that is, a person’s navel. Running waters in the world, and running waters in human beings – that is, a person’s (urine. Life in the world, and life in human beings – that is, a person’s) blood. Trees in the world, and trees in human beings – that is, a person’s bones. Hills in the world, and hills on human beings – that is, a person’s buttocks. Mortars and pestles in the world, and mortars and pestles in human beings – that is, their knees and knee-sockets. Horses in the world, and horses in human beings – that is, a person’s thighs. (An angel of death in the world, and an angel of death in human beings – that is, a person’s heels.) Mountains and valleys in the world, and mountains and valleys in human beings – when they stand, they are like a mountain, and when they fall, they are like a valley. Now you have seen that everything the Holy Blessed One created in His world, He created also in human beings.