Psalms 39:1-11

The Brevity of Human Life

1

For the [music] director. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

1 I said, "I will guard my ways {that I may not sin} with my tongue. I will keep a muzzle over my mouth as long as [the] wicked [are] before me."

2 I was mute [with] silence. I was silent [even] from [saying] good [things], and my pain was stirred up.

3 My heart grew hot inside me; in my sighing a fire burned. [Then] I spoke with my tongue,

4 "Let me know, O Yahweh, my end, and what is the measure of my days. Let me know how transient I [am]."

5 Look, you have made my days [mere] handbreadths, and my lifespan as nothing next to you. Surely every person standing firm [is] complete vanity. Selah

6 Surely a man walks about as a [mere] {shadow}; surely in vain they bustle about. He heaps up [possessions] but does not know who [will] gather them [in].

7 And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is for you.

8 From all my transgressions deliver me; do not make me [the] taunt of [the] fool.

9 I am mute. I do not open my mouth, for you, yourself, have done [it].

10 Remove from me your affliction. By the opposition of your hand I perish.

11 [When] with rebukes you chastise a man for sin, you {consume} like a moth his delightful [things]. Surely everyone [is] a [mere] vapor. Selah

Psalms 39:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, [even] to Jeduthun, a Psalm of David. Some take Jeduthun to be the name of a musical instrument, as Jarchi, on which, and others the first word of a song, to the tune of which, this psalm was sung, as Aben Ezra; though it seems best, with Kimchi and others, to understand it as the name of the chief musician, to whom this psalm was sent to be made use of in public service; since Jeduthun was, with his sons, appointed by David to prophesy with harps and psalteries, and to give praise and thanks unto the Lord, 1 Chronicles 16:41; he is the same with Ethan {s}. The occasion of it is thought, by some, to be the rebellion of his son Absalom; so Theodoret thinks it was written when he fled from Absalom, and was cursed by Shimei; or rather it may be some sore affliction, which lay upon David for the chastisement of him; see Psalm 39:9; and the argument of the psalm seems to be much the same with that of the preceding one, as Kimchi observes.

{s} Vid. Hiller. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 513, 805.

Footnotes

• [a]. One of David's musicians (1 Chr 16:41)
• [b]. The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
• [c]. Literally "from sinning"
• [d]. Literally "image"
• [e]. Hebrew "and/then you"
• [f]. Literally "cause to melt"
• [g]. The word translated "vanity" in vv. 6, 7