Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 39 (MT) / Psalm 38 (LXX) is a Davidic contemplation on the brevity of human life and the transience of wealth, addressed — according to its superscription — 'to Jeduthun' (one of David's three chief musicians, per 1 Chr 16:41–42). The psalm's signature images ('a mere breath … a passing shadow … you have made my days a few handbreadths') are vocabulary Ecclesiastes later universalizes. Verse 13 — 'I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers' — anticipates 1 Peter 2:11 ('sojourners and exiles') and Hebrews 11:13 ('strangers and exiles on the earth').
Notable Variants
39:13 'sojourner and guest' (paroikos kai parepidēmos) → 1 Peter 2:11's 'sojourners and exiles' (paroikous kai parepidēmous) identical-word pair; the transience-of-life vocabulary that Ecclesiastes inherits; Jeduthun superscription locating the psalm in chief-musician-dedicatory tradition.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 39 = LXX Ps 38. 14 verses (MT/LXX), 13 verses (English).
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
Superscription 'to the choirmaster, to Jeduthun, a Psalm of David' tracks MT. Jeduthun — one of David's three chief-musicians (alongside Asaph and Heman) — has three psalms dedicated to him (39, 62, 77).
I said, 'I will guard my ways so that I do not sin with my tongue. I will put a muzzle on my mouth while the wicked are in my presence.'
'I said: I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue' tracks MT. Tongue-control as disciplinary-vow — parallels James 3:2 ('if anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man'). The 'muzzle on my mouth' image returns in Proverbs wisdom (Prov 10:19) and 1 Peter 2:22's sinless-tongue Christology.
I was mute with silence. I held back, even from good words. But my pain was stirred up.
'I was mute and silent' tracks MT. Silence-as-discipline theme connects with Ps 38:14.
My heart grew hot within me. As I meditated, the fire blazed — and I spoke with my tongue:
'My heart became hot within me' tracks MT. Luke 24:32 ('did not our hearts burn within us') uses similar burning-heart language — though in positive revelation-context.
LORD, make me know my end and the measure of my days — what it is. Let me know how fleeting I am.
'O LORD, make me know my end' tracks MT. The 'know my end' request — life-finitude-awareness as wisdom-prerequisite; Psalm 90:12's 'teach us to number our days' develops the same petition.
See — you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifespan is as nothing before you. Surely every person standing firm is nothing but a breath. Selah.
'You have made my days a few handbreadths' tracks MT. The 'handbreadth' (tophach) — the smallest unit of human measurement — quantifies life's brevity. 'A mere breath' (hevel) is the Ecclesiastes word.
Surely a person walks about as a mere shadow. Surely they bustle about for nothing. He heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather it.
'Surely a man goes about as a shadow' tracks MT. The shadow-image for human-existence recurs at Job 14:2, Ps 144:4, Eccl 6:12.
And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope — it is in you.
'And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you' tracks MT. The radical-dependence pivot — in the midst of vanity, the only hope is in God.
Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool.
'Deliver me from all my transgressions' tracks MT.
I am silent. I do not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this.
'I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it' tracks MT. The acceptance-of-divine-action — Job-like submission ('the LORD gave and the LORD has taken away,' Job 1:21).
Remove your plague from me. I am wasting away from the hostility of your hand.
'Remove your stroke from me' tracks MT.
When you discipline a person with rebukes for iniquity, you consume what is precious to him like a moth. Surely every person is a breath. Selah.
'When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin' tracks MT. Moth-and-beauty image — the wasting-of-human-vitality under discipline.
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry. Do not be silent at my tears. For I am a stranger with you, a sojourner, like all my fathers.
Masoretic (WLC)
שִׁמְעָה־תְפִלָּתִי יְהוָה וְשַׁוְעָתִי הַאֲזִינָה אֶל־דִּמְעָתִי אַל־תֶּחֱרַשׁ כִּי גֵר אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ תּוֹשָׁב כְּכָל־אֲבוֹתָי
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest like all my fathers
Septuagint (LXX)
εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου κύριε καὶ τῆς δεήσεώς μου ἐνώτισαι τῶν δακρύων μου μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς ὅτι πάροικος ἐγώ εἰμι παρὰ σοὶ καὶ παρεπίδημος καθὼς πάντες οἱ πατέρες μου
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my petition; be not silent at my tears, for I am a sojourner with you, and a stranger, as were all my fathers
1 PETER 2:11 DOUBLET. The LXX's paroikos … parepidēmos ('sojourner and stranger/exile') is the exact word-pair Peter deploys: 'Beloved, I exhort you as SOJOURNERS AND EXILES (hōs paroikous kai parepidēmous) to abstain from the passions of the flesh' (1 Pet 2:11). Peter uses a psalmic self-description of the Davidic-penitent as the ecclesial-identity of the entire Christian community.
HEBREWS 11:13 ECHO. 'These all died in faith … having acknowledged that they were STRANGERS AND EXILES (xenoi kai parepidēmoi) on the earth.' The patriarchal-sojourner identity (Gen 23:4, 47:9) is extended to all faith-heroes.
The 'as all my fathers' (kathōs pantes hoi pateres mou) — continuity with the patriarchal-sojourner-identity — locates the psalmist within Israel's not-at-home tradition.
Look away from me, that I may brighten, before I go away and am no more.
'Look away from me that I may smile again' tracks MT. The 'look-away' petition — reversing the 'look-toward-me-graciously' prayer-tradition; here, the intensity of divine-gaze is itself the crisis. Closing with 'before I go away and am no more' frames the life-brevity theme.