Salmos 39:4

4 SEÑOR, hazme saber mi fin, y cuál es la medida de mis días, para que yo sepa cuán efímero soy.

Salmos 39:4 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 39:4

Lord, make me to know mine end
Not Christ, the end of the law for righteousness, as Jerom interprets it; nor how long he should live, how many days, months, and years more; for though they are known of God, they are not to be known by men; but either the end of his afflictions, or his, latter end, his mortal state, that he might be more thoughtful of that, and so less concerned about worldly things, his own external happiness, or that of others; or rather his death; see ( Job 6:11 ) ; and his sense is, that he might know death experimentally; or that he might die: this he said in a sinful passionate way, as impatient of his afflictions and exercises; and in the same way the following expressions are to be understood;

and the measure of my days, what it [is];
being desirous to come to the end of it; otherwise he knew it was but as an hand's breadth, as he says in ( Psalms 39:5 ) ;

[that] I may know how frail I [am];
or "what time I have here"; or "when I shall cease to be" ^F21; or, as the Targum is, "when I shall cease from the world"; so common it is for the saints themselves, in an angry or impatient fit, to desire death; see ( Job 7:15 Job 7:16 ) ( Jonah 4:8 ) ; and a very rare and difficult thing it is to wish for it from right principles, and with right views, as the Apostle Paul did, ( Philippians 1:23 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (yna ldx hm) "quanti aevi ego", Montanus; "quamdiu roundanus ero", Vatablus; "quam brevis temporis sim", Musculus.

Salmos 39:4 In-Context

2 Enmudecí y callé; guardé silencio aun acerca de lo bueno, y se agravó mi dolor.

3 Ardía mi corazón dentro de mí; mientras meditaba, se encendió el fuego; entonces dije con mi lengua:

4 SEÑOR, hazme saber mi fin, y cuál es la medida de mis días, para que yo sepa cuán efímero soy.

5 He aquí, tú has hecho mis días muy breves, y mi existencia es como nada delante de ti; ciertamente todo hombre, aun en la plenitud de su vigor, es sólo un soplo. (Selah)

6 Sí, como una sombra anda el hombre; ciertamente en vano se afana; acumula riquezas, y no sabe quién las recogerá.