The Bible — World English Bible
Psalm 39
In brief
Psalm 39 is David's prayer in the face of the brevity of life. He had decided to stay silent before the wicked, but his heart burned and words burst out. He then asks God to let him know the measure of his days: his life is like a breath. In this somber observation he nevertheless finds hope, because his waiting is on God. He ends by begging him to hear his prayer.
The chapter in 4 parts
1I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”
2I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.
3My heart was hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned. I spoke with my tongue:
4“Yahweh, show me my end, what is the measure of my days. Let me know how frail I am.
5Behold, you have made my days hand widths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath.”
6“Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather.
7Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
8Deliver me from all my transgressions. Don’t make me the reproach of the foolish.
9I was mute. I didn’t open my mouth, because you did it.
10Remove your scourge away from me. I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
11When you rebuke and correct man for iniquity, you consume his wealth like a moth. Surely every man is but a breath.”
12“Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and give ear to my cry. Don’t be silent at my tears. For I am a stranger with you, a foreigner, as all my fathers were.
13Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go away and exist no more.”
Key verses
I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”
David wants to guard his tongue so as not to sin before the wicked. Silence can be wise, but it does not resolve inner pain.
My heart was hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned. I spoke with my tongue:
Prolonged silence builds an inner fire. Finally the words burst out, and what comes out is a prayer addressed to God.
Behold, you have made my days hand widths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath.”
Life is a handbreadth: very short. Every man standing is only a breath, which invites clear sight and not despair.
Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
The turning point of the psalm: after noting the fragility of life, David declares that his hope is in God alone.
“Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and give ear to my cry. Don’t be silent at my tears. For I am a stranger with you, a foreigner, as all my fathers were.
David describes himself as a stranger and a sojourner with God, like his fathers. Life on earth is a passage, and he asks God to hear his tears.
Bible verses to meditate on
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Frequently asked questions about Psalm 39
What does Psalm 39 mean?
Psalm 39 is a meditation on the fragility of life. David recognizes that his days are numbered, that man is only a breath and that we often busy ourselves for nothing. Yet he places his hope in God, asks his forgiveness and begs him to hear his prayer.
Who wrote Psalm 39?
The title attributes it to David and addresses it to the choir director Jeduthun, one of the leaders of worship music. The text does not give the precise circumstances, but the presence of the wicked and of pain suggests a time of trial, perhaps illness. Commentators remain cautious.
How can I pray or meditate on Psalm 39?
Read it slowly, then make the request of verse 4 your own: teach me to number my days. Write down what you want to live differently. Then confess what weighs on you, as in verse 8, and place your waiting in God with verse 7.
Articles quoting Psalm 39
World English Bible translation — public domain.