Psalm 39:2

2 I was dumb, and humbled myself, and kept silence from good words; and my grief was renewed.

Psalm 39:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 39:2

I was dumb with silence
Quite silent, as if he had been a dumb man, and could not speak; so he was before men, especially wicked men, and under the afflicting hand of God; see ( Psalms 39:9 ) ; thus he put his resolution into practice;

I held my peace, [even] from good;
that is, he said neither good nor bad: this expresses the greatness of his silence: he did not choose to open his lips, and say anything that was good, lest evil should come out along with it; though this may be considered as carrying the matter too far, even to a criminal silence; saying nothing of the affliction he laboured under as coming from the hand of God, and of his own desert of it; nor praying to God for the removal of it, nor giving him thanks for his divine goodness in supporting him under it, and making it useful to him; though it seems rather to have respect to his silence concerning the goodness of his cause before men; he said not one word in the vindication of himself; but committed his cause to him that judgeth righteously. The Targum and Jarchi interpret it of his silence and cessation "from the words of the law": he said nothing concerning the good word of God; which sense, could it be admitted, the words in ( Jeremiah 20:9 ) ; might be compared with these and the following;

and my sorrow was stirred;
this was the issue and effect of his silence; his sorrow being pent up, and not let out and eased by words, swelled and increased the more; or the sorrow of his heart was stirred up at the insults and reproaches of his enemies, as Paul's spirit was stirred up by the superstition and idolatry of the city of Athens, ( Acts 17:16 ) .

Psalm 39:2 In-Context

1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I set a guard on my mouth, while the sinner stood in my presence.

2 I was dumb, and humbled myself, and kept silence from good words; and my grief was renewed.

3 My heart grew hot within me, and a fire would kindle in my meditation: I spoke with my tongue,

4 O Lord, make me to know mine end, and the number of my days, what it is; that I may know what I lack.

5 Behold, thou hast made my days old; and my existence is as nothing before thee: nay, every man living is altogether vanity. Pause.

6 Surely man walks in a shadow; nay, he is disquieted in vain: he lays up treasures, and knows not for whom he shall gather them.

7 And now what is my expectation? is it not the Lord? and my ground of hope is with thee. Pause.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: thou hast made me a reproach to the foolish.

9 I was dumb, and opened not my mouth; for thou art he that made me.

10 Remove thy scourges from me: I have fainted by reason of the strength of thine hand.

11 Thou chastenest man with rebukes for iniquity, and thou makest his life to consume away like a spider’s web; nay, every man is disquieted in vain. Pause.

12 O Lord, hearken to my prayer and my supplication: attend to my tears: be not silent, for I am a sojourner in the land, and a stranger, as all my fathers were.

13 Spare me, that I may be refreshed, before I depart, and be no more.