TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 39:1–6. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
David here recollects, and leaves upon record, the workings of his heart under his afflictions; and it is good for us to do so, that what was thought amiss may be amended, and what was well thought of may be improved the next time.
I.He remembered the covenants he had made with God to walk circumspectly, and to be very cautious both of what he did and what he said.
When at any time we are tempted to sin, and are in danger of falling into it, we must call to mind the solemn vows we have made against sin, against the particular sin we are upon the brink of. God can, and will, remind us of them (Jer 2:20, Thou saidst, I will not transgress), and therefore we ought to remind ourselves of them. So David did here.
1.He remembers that he had resolved, in general, to be very cautious and circumspect in his walking (Psa 39:1): I said, I will take heed to my ways; and it was well said, and what he would never unsay and therefore must never gainsay. Note,
(1.)It is the great concern of every one of us to take heed to our ways, that is, to walk circumspectly, while others walk at all adventures.
(2.)We ought stedfastly to resolve that we will take heed to our ways, and frequently to renew that resolution. Fast bind, fast find.
(3.)Having resolved to take heed to our ways, we must, upon all occasions, remind ourselves of that resolution, for it is a covenant never to be forgotten, but which we must be always mindful of.
2.He remembers that he had in particular covenanted against tongue-sins - that he would not sin with his tongue, that he would not speak amiss, either to offend God or offend the generation of the righteous, Psa 73:15. it is not so easy as we could wish not to sin in thought; but, if an evil thought should arise in his mind, he would lay his hand upon his mouth, and suppress it, that it should go no further: and this is so great an attainment that, if any offend not in word, the same is a perfect man; and so needful a one that of him who seems to be religious, but bridles not his tongue, it is declared His religion is vain. David had resolved,
(1.)That he would at all times watch against tongue-sins: "I will keep a bridle, or muzzle, upon my mouth." He would keep a bridle upon it, as upon the head; watchfulness in the act and exercise is the hand upon the bridle. he would keep a muzzle upon it, as upon an unruly dog that is fierce and does mischief; by particular stedfast resolution corruption is restrained from breaking out at the lips, and so is muzzled.
(2.)That he would double his guard against them when there was most danger of scandal - when the wicked is before me. When he was in company with the wicked he would take heed of saying any thing that might harden them or give occasion to them to blaspheme. If good men fall into bad company, they must take heed what they say. Or, when the wicked is before me, in my thoughts. When he was contemplating the pride and power, the prosperity and flourishing estate, of evil-doers, he was tempted to speak amiss; and therefore then he would take special care what he said. Note, The stronger the temptation to a sin is the stronger the resolution must be against it.
II.Pursuant to these covenants he made a shift with much ado to bridle his tongue (Psa 39:2):
I was dumb with silence; I held my peace even from good. His silence was commendable; and the greater the provocation was the more praiseworthy was his silence. Watchfulness and resolution, in the strength of God's grace, will do more towards the bridling of the tongue than we can imagine, though it be an unruly evil. But what shall we say of his keeping silence even from good? Was it his wisdom that he refrained from good discourse when the wicked were before him, because he would not cast pearls before swine? I rather think it was his weakness; because he might not say any thing, he would say nothing, but ran into an extreme, which was a reproach to the law, for that prescribes a mean between extremes. The same law which forbids all corrupt communication requires that which is good and to the use of edifying, Eph 4:29.
III.The less he spoke the more he thought and the more warmly.
Binding the distempered part did but draw the humour to it: My sorrow was stirred, my heart was hot within me, Psa 39:3. He could bridle his tongue, but he could not keep his passion under; though he suppressed the smoke, that was as a fire in his bones, and, while he was musing upon his afflictions and upon the prosperity of the wicked, the fire burned. Note, Those that are of a fretful discontented spirit ought not to pore much, for, while they suffer their thoughts to dwell upon the causes of the calamity, the fire of their discontent is fed with fuel and burns the more furiously. Impatience is a sin that has its ill cause within ourselves, and that is musing, and its ill effects upon ourselves, and that is no less than burning. If therefore we would prevent the mischief of ungoverned passions, we must redress the grievance of ungoverned thoughts.
IV.When he did speak, at last, it was to the purpose:
At the last I spoke with my tongue. Some make what he said to be the breach of his good purpose, and conclude that, in what he said, he sinned with his tongue; and so they make what follows to be a passionate wish that he might die, like Elijah (Kg1 19:4) and Job, Job 6:8, Job 6:9. But I rather take it to be, not the breach of his good purpose, but the reformation of his mistake in carrying it too far; he had kept silence from good, but now he would so keep silence no longer. He had nothing to say to the wicked that were before him, for to them he knew not how to place his words, but, after long musing, the first word he said was a prayer, and a devout meditation upon a subject which it will be good for us all to think much of.
1.He prays to God to make him sensible of the shortness and uncertainty of life and the near approach of death (Psa 39:4): Lord, make me to know my end and the measure of my days. He does not mean, "Lord, let me know how long I shall live and when I shall die." We could not, in faith, pray such a prayer; for God has nowhere promised to let us know, but has, in wisdom, locked up that knowledge among the secret things which belong not to us, nor would it be good for us to know it. But, Lord, make me to know my end, means, "Lord, give me wisdom and grace to consider it (Deu 32:29) and to improve what I know concerning it." The living know that they shall die (Ecc 9:5), but few care for thinking of death; we have therefore need to pray that God by his grace would conquer that aversion which is in our corrupt hearts to the thoughts of death. "Lord, make me to consider," (1.) "What death is. It is my end, the end of my life, and all the employments and enjoyments of life. It is the end of all men," Ecc 7:2. It is a final period to our state of probation and preparation, and an awful entrance upon a state of recompence and retribution. To the wicked man it is the end of all joys; to a godly man it is the end of all griefs. "Lord, give me to know my end, to be better acquainted with death, to make it more familiar to me (Job 17:14), and to be more affected with the greatness of the change. Lord, give me to consider what a serious thing it is to die." (2.) "How near it is. Lord, give me to consider the measure of my days, that they are measured in the counsel of God" (the end is a fixed end, so the word signifies; my days are determined, Job 14:5) "and that the measure is but short: My days will soon be numbered and finished." When we look upon death as a thing at a distance we are tempted to adjourn the necessary preparations for it; but, when we consider how short life is, we shall see ourselves concerned to do what our hand finds to do, not only with all our might, but with all possible expedition. (3.) That it is continually working in us: "Lord, give me to consider how frail I am, how scanty the stock of life is, and how faint the spirits which are as the oil to keep that lamp burning." We find by daily experience that the earthly house of this tabernacle is mouldering and going to decay: "Lord, make us to consider this, that we may secure mansions in the house not made with hands."
2.He meditates upon the brevity and vanity of life, pleading them with God for relief under the burdens of life, as Job often, and pleading them with himself for his quickening to the business of life.
(1.)Man's life on earth is short and of no continuance, and that is a reason why we should sit loose to it and prepare for the end of it (Psa 39:5): Behold, thou hast made my days as a hand-breadth, the breadth of four fingers, a certain dimension, a small one, and the measure whereof we have always about us, always before our eyes. We need no rod, no pole, no measuring line, wherewith to take the dimension of our days, nor any skill in arithmetic wherewith to compute the number of them. No; we have the standard of them at our fingers' end, and there is no multiplication of it; it is but one hand-breadth in all. Our time is short, and God has made it so; for the number of our months is with him. It is short, and he knows it to be so: It is as nothing before thee. he remembers how short our time is, Psa 79:1-13 :47. It is nothing in comparison with thee; so some. All time is nothing to God's eternity, much less our share of time.
(2.)Man's life on earth is vain and of no value, and therefore it is folly to be fond of it and wisdom to make sure of a better life. Adam is Abel - man is vanity, in his present state. He is not what he seems to be, has not what he promised himself. He and all his comforts lie at a continual uncertainty; and if there were not another life after this, all things considered, he were made in vain. He is vanity; he is mortal, he is mutable. Observe,
[1.]How emphatically this truth is expressed here. First, Every man is vanity, without exception; high and low, rich and poor, all meet in this. Secondly, He is so at his best estate, when he is young, and strong, and healthful, in wealth and honour, and the height of prosperity; when he is most easy, and merry, and secure, and thinks his mountain stands strong. Thirdly, He is altogether vanity, as vain as you can imagine. All man is all vanity (so it may be read); every thing about him is uncertain; nothing is substantial and durable but what relates to the new man. Fourthly, Verily he is so. This is a truth of undoubted certainty, but which we are very unwilling to believe and need to have solemnly attested to us, as indeed it is by frequent instances. Fifthly, Selah is annexed, as a note commanding observation. "Stop here, and pause awhile, that you may take time to consider and apply this truth, that every man is vanity." We ourselves are so.
[2.]For the proof of the vanity of man, as mortal, he here mentions three things, and shows the vanity of each of them, Psa 39:6. First, The vanity of our joys and honours: Surely every man walks (even when he walks in state, when he walks in pleasure) in a shadow, in an image, in a vain show. When he makes a figure his fashion passes away, and his great pomp is but great fancy, Act 25:23. It is but a show, and therefore a vain show, like the rainbow, the gaudy colours of which must needs vanish and disappear quickly when the substratum is but a cloud, a vapour; such is life (Jam 4:14), and therefore such are all the gaieties of it. Secondly, The vanity of our griefs and fears. Surely they are disquieted in vain. Our disquietudes are often groundless (we vex ourselves without any just cause, and the occasions of our trouble are often the creatures of our own fancy and imagination), and they are always fruitless; we disquiet ourselves in vain, for we cannot, with all our disquietment, alter the nature of things nor the counsel of God; things will be as they are when we have disquieted ourselves ever so much about them. Thirdly, The vanity of our cares and toils. Man takes a great deal of pains to heap up riches, and they are but like heaps of manure in the furrows of the field, good for nothing unless they be spread. but, when he has filled his treasures with his trash, he knows not who shall gather them, nor to whom they shall descend when he is gone; for he shall not take them away with him. He asks not, For whom do I labour? and that is his folly, Ecc 4:8. but, if he did ask, he could not tell whether he should be a wise man or a fool, a friend or a foe, Ecc 2:19. This is vanity.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Such, brothers, is our life, we whose existence is so transitory. Such is the game we play on earth: we do not exist, and we are born, and being born we are dissolved. We are a fleeting dream, an apparition without substance, the flight of a bird that passes, a ship that leaves no trace on the sea. We are dust, a vapor, the morning dew, a flower growing but a moment and withering in a moment. “A person’s days are as grass: as the flower of the field, so shall he flourish.” Beautifully has holy David meditated on our weakness … and he defines the days of a person as the measure of a span. ON HIS BROTHER ST.
God, who knows precisely the allotted days of each one of us, regards nothing as immeasurable. His knowledge embraces the measure of all things. To him nothing is beyond his understanding, nothing is unweighed, nothing is unmeasured, nothing is unnumbered. He says, “The very hairs of your head have been numbered.” … We know that God is said to have measured the heavens with the palm of his hand22—the palm, from thumb to little finger, being the span by which a thing is measured and its length ascertained. Those who accept this reading understand that our days are measured or numbered, and in that sense they are short. However, the all-knowing God has measured, as we said above, and fully comprehends the very heavens.… The prophet’s days are not short but great, for God has measured them with the same palm as that with which he measured the heavens.
"Behold, you have made my days old" [Psalm 39:5]. For these days are "waxing old." I long for new days "that never shall wax old," that I may say, "Old things have passed away; behold, things have become new." [2 Corinthians 5:17] Already new in hope; then in reality. For though, in hope and in faith, made new already, how much do we even now do after our old nature! For we are not so completely "clothed upon" with Christ, as not to bear about with us anything derived from Adam. Observe that Adam is "waxing old" within us, and Christ is being "renewed" in us. "Though our outward man is perishing, yet is our inward man being renewed day by day." [2 Corinthians 4:16] Therefore, while we fix our thoughts on sin, on mortality, on time, that is hastening by, on sorrow, and toil, and labour, on stages of life following each other in succession, and continuing not, passing on insensibly from infancy even to old age; while, I say, we fix our eyes on these things, let us see here "the old man," the "day that is waxing old;" the Song that is out of date; the Old Testament; when however we turn to the inner man, to those things that are to be renewed in place of these which are to be changed, let us find the "new man," the "new day," the "new song," the "New Testament;" and that "newness," let us so love, as to have no fears of its "waxing old."...This man, therefore, who is hasting forward to those things which are new, and "reaching forward to those things which are before," says, "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the number of my days, which really is, that I may know what is wanting unto me." See he still drags with him Adam; and even so he is hasting unto Christ. "Behold," says he, "you have made my days old." It is those days that are derived from Adam, those days, I say, that you have made old. They are waxing old day by day: and so waxing old, as to be at some day or other consumed also. "And my substance is as nothing before You." "Before You, O Lord, my substance is as nothing." "Before You;" who see this; and I too, when I see it, see it only when "before You."
When "before men" I see it not. For what shall I say? What words shall I use to show, that which I now am is nothing in comparison of That which truly " IS"? But it is within that it is said; it is within that it is felt, so far as it is felt. "Before You, O Lord," where Your eyes are; and not where the eyes of men are. And where Your eyes are, what is the state of things? "That which I am is as nothing."
Mortal life is a harsh condition. What else is its birth but an entry into a life of toil? Even the infant’s cry bears witness to the toil that awaits it. From this burdensome banquet no one is excused. We must drink of the chalice that Adam has filled for us. We have been fashioned by the hands of Truth; yet, on account of sin, we were cast out in the day of vanity. We have been fashioned to the image of God, but we have marred that image by sinful transgression. Thus the psalm reminds us how we have been made and to what state we have fallen.
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Summary
Psalm 39:5 offers a profound meditation on the brevity and fragility of human existence in stark contrast to the eternal majesty of God. David, having wrestled with his own suffering and the temptation to speak rashly, turns his focus to the universal human condition, declaring that even the longest and most accomplished life is but a fleeting moment, ultimately amounting to nothing in God's infinite perspective. This verse serves as a stark reminder of human transience and the inherent futility of life when viewed apart from its Creator.
Context
Literary Context
Psalm 39 is a deeply personal lament, often categorized as a wisdom psalm due to its reflective nature on universal truths. The psalm begins with David's resolve to remain silent and guard his tongue, even amidst intense internal anguish and external provocation, to avoid sinning against God, as seen in Psalm 39:1-2. However, his pent-up grief and frustration eventually compel him to speak, not in complaint against God, but in a desperate plea for understanding and a profound contemplation of human mortality, articulated in Psalm 39:3-4. Verse 5 marks a pivotal shift from David's personal suffering to a broader, universal reflection on the fleeting nature of human life, setting the stage for his subsequent petitions and expressions of hope in God alone.
Historical & Cultural Context
While Psalm 39 doesn't specify a particular historical event in David's life, it reflects the common human experience of suffering, aging, and confronting mortality. In ancient Israel, life expectancy was considerably shorter than today, making the brevity of life a tangible reality. The imagery of "handbreadth" and "nothing" would have been readily understood as metaphors for extreme smallness and insignificance. The psalm's setting within the broader collection of Psalms places it within the worship and devotional life of Israel, where individuals brought their deepest struggles and theological reflections before God. The concept of hebel (vanity/vapor) was a well-established theme in Israelite wisdom literature, most notably explored in the book of Ecclesiastes, indicating a shared theological understanding of life's transient nature.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within the Psalter and biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores The Brevity and Fragility of Human Life, emphasizing how quickly human existence passes from God's eternal perspective. Secondly, it highlights Human Insignificance Before God's Eternity, fostering a profound sense of humility and dependence on the Creator, whose lifespan is infinite. Thirdly, it introduces the theme of The Universal Vanity of Man, asserting that all human endeavors, achievements, and even life itself, when viewed apart from God, are ultimately transient and without lasting substance. This theme resonates strongly with the philosophical explorations found throughout Ecclesiastes, particularly its recurring declaration that "all is vanity" in Ecclesiastes 1:2.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term refers to a spread of the hand, specifically a palm-breadth. As a metaphor in this context, it vividly conveys the extreme brevity and limited scope of human life when contrasted with God's infinite and eternal nature. It suggests that our entire lifespan is but a minuscule, almost imperceptible, measure in the grand scheme of divine time.
This word signifies emptiness or vanity, and figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory. When David declares that "every man at his best state is altogether vanity," he uses an intensified form, suggesting complete and utter transience and futility. This is the same foundational word used extensively in Ecclesiastes to describe the emptiness of all earthly pursuits apart from God.
This term indicates a suspension (of music), i.e., a pause. While its precise musical or liturgical function remains debated, "Selah" serves as an emphatic marker in the Psalms, urging the reader or listener to ponder deeply the preceding statement. In Psalm 39:5, it functions as a powerful invitation to pause and internalize the profound and sobering truth of human mortality and the vanity of life apart from God.
Verse Breakdown
"Behold, thou hast made my days [as] an handbreadth"
David begins with an exclamation ("Behold!") to draw attention to a profound truth. He directly attributes the brevity of his life to God's sovereign design ("thou hast made"). The metaphor of "an handbreadth" powerfully illustrates the extreme shortness and limited scope of human existence from an eternal perspective, emphasizing that our lifespan is not merely short, but divinely ordained to be so.
"and mine age [is] as nothing before thee"
This clause further intensifies the theme of human insignificance. David acknowledges that his entire lifespan, his "age," is utterly inconsequential, "as nothing," when measured against the boundless and eternal existence of God. This highlights the vast disparity between the Creator and the created, fostering a sense of humility and dependence.
"verily every man at his best state [is] altogether vanity. Selah."
David broadens his reflection from his personal experience to a universal truth. The word "verily" (or "surely") underscores the certainty of this declaration. Even at the peak of human strength, wisdom, prosperity, or achievement ("at his best state"), humanity is declared "altogether vanity." This is not a statement of nihilism but a theological assertion that without God, all human endeavors are transient and lack ultimate, eternal significance. The concluding "Selah" demands a moment of solemn contemplation on this weighty truth.
Literary Devices
Psalm 39:5 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message. The most prominent is Metaphor, seen in the comparison of human "days" to "an handbreadth," vividly illustrating the extreme brevity of life. Similarly, the declaration that "mine age is as nothing" and "every man...is altogether vanity" utilizes Hyperbole to emphasize the stark contrast between human temporality and divine eternity, underscoring human insignificance. There is also a clear Contrast established between the finite, fleeting nature of humanity and the infinite, eternal nature of God. The structure of the verse moves from a personal observation ("my days") to a universal declaration ("every man"), demonstrating a logical progression from individual experience to a shared human condition. Finally, the inclusion of Selah acts as a structural and rhetorical device, demanding a pause for the reader to deeply reflect on the weighty, sobering truth just presented, amplifying its impact.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalm 39:5 serves as a foundational verse for understanding biblical anthropology and God's sovereignty over time. It compels us to confront the reality of our finite nature, not as a cause for despair, but as a necessary step toward true humility and a proper perspective on life. By declaring human life, even at its peak, to be "vanity," the psalmist challenges us to look beyond temporal achievements and fleeting pleasures for ultimate meaning. This perspective elevates God's eternal nature as the sole source of enduring significance and hope, reminding us that our true worth and purpose are found only in relation to Him. The verse implicitly calls for a life lived with eternal perspective, investing in what truly lasts rather than what is merely transient.
Reflection and Application
Psalm 39:5 offers a powerful and sobering reminder that our earthly lives, though precious, are incredibly brief from God's eternal vantage point. This truth should not lead to fatalism or despair, but rather to a profound reorientation of our priorities and a deeper sense of urgency in our walk with God. Recognizing that our "days are as an handbreadth" and that even our "best state is altogether vanity" compels us to seek meaning and purpose beyond fleeting temporal achievements. It calls us to cultivate humility, acknowledge our absolute dependence on God, and invest our finite time and resources in what truly lasts—our relationship with Him, acts of love and service, and the advancement of His eternal kingdom. This verse challenges us to live each day intentionally, seeking to honor God with every breath, knowing that our time is a precious, limited gift.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "handbreadth" mean in this context?
In Psalm 39:5, "handbreadth" (Hebrew: ṭêphach') refers to a very small unit of measurement, specifically a palm-breadth or the width of a hand. It is used metaphorically to emphasize the extreme brevity and limited scope of human life when compared to God's infinite and eternal existence. It highlights how quickly our lives pass by from a divine perspective, underscoring our finite nature.
Why does David call man "vanity," even at his best?
David declares that "every man at his best state is altogether vanity" to convey the inherent futility and impermanence of human life and achievements when viewed apart from God. The Hebrew word for "vanity" (hebel') means emptiness or something transitory and unsatisfactory, suggesting something insubstantial, fleeting, and ultimately empty. Even at the peak of strength, wisdom, wealth, or influence, human endeavors are transient and lack ultimate, eternal significance if they are not rooted in God. This statement is not meant to devalue human life, but to reorient our perspective, reminding us that true and lasting meaning is found only in relationship with our eternal Creator, as explored extensively in Ecclesiastes 1:2.
What is the significance of "Selah" here?
"Selah" is a musical or liturgical notation found frequently in the Psalms, whose precise meaning is debated but generally indicates a suspension (of music) or a pause. In Psalm 39:5, its placement after the profound declaration of human vanity serves as a powerful invitation to pause and deeply internalize the weighty truth of human mortality and the transient nature of life apart from God. It encourages contemplation and allows the listener or reader to fully grasp the solemnity and theological implications of David's words.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalm 39:5, with its stark declaration of human frailty and the universal "vanity" of life, finds its ultimate answer and transformation in Jesus Christ. The psalmist laments the brevity of human days and the insignificance of our age before an eternal God, highlighting the inherent limitations of our mortal existence. However, in Christ, this "vanity" is overcome. The eternal Son of God, who was with God and was God from the beginning, as declared in John 1:1-3, humbled Himself to enter our fleeting, "handbreadth" existence, taking on human flesh, a profound act of self-emptying described in Philippians 2:6-8. Through His perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, Jesus conquered the very power of death that makes human life so transient and seemingly futile, as affirmed in Hebrews 2:14-15. He is the Resurrection and the Life, offering eternal life to all who believe in Him, transforming our "handbreadth" of days into an everlasting inheritance, as promised in John 11:25-26. Thus, for those in Christ, the sting of death is removed, and our lives, though brief on earth, are hidden with Christ in God, imbued with eternal purpose and significance beyond all "vanity," as powerfully articulated in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 and Colossians 3:1-4.