Psalm 39:3

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

Psalm 39:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 39:3

My heart was hot within me
Either with zeal for God; or rather with envy at the prosperity of wicked men, and with impatience at his own afflictions;

while I was musing the fire burned;
not the fire of the divine word, while he was meditating upon it, which caused his heart to burn within him; nor the fire of divine love, the coals whereof give a most vehement flame, when the love of God is shed abroad in the heart, and the thoughts of it are directed by the Spirit of God to dwell in meditation on it; but the fire of passion, anger, and resentment, while meditating on his own adversity, and the prosperity of others;

[then] spake I with my tongue;
and so broke the resolution he had made, ( Psalms 39:1 ) ; he spoke not for God, though to him; not by way of thankfulness for his grace and goodness to him, in supporting him under his exercises; but in a way of complaint, because of his afflictions; it was in prayer he spoke to God with his tongue, and it was unadvisedly with his lips, as follows.

Psalm 39:3 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.