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

My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, My heart was hot within me; while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue - (cf. Jeremiah 20:9.) On "musing," cf.

Musing, i.e. considering in my own thoughts the great wickedness and successfulness of mine enemies, and other wicked men; and withal mine own and other good mews integrity, attended with great troubles and miseries in this life. The fire burned; my thoughts kindled my passions. Then spake I with my tongue, to wit, such words as I had purposed not to speak, ; rash and impatient words: either, 1. Some words not here expressed; which having uttered to men, he turneth his speech to God, . Or, 2. Those which here follow.

Psalms 39:3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: [then] spake I with my tongue,Ver. 3. My heart was hot within me] It was almost suffocated for want of vent. By heat of heart and fire kindled, saith one, the prophet meaneth, not only the greatness of his grief, as they that are grievously sick feel great force and power of heat; but he meaneth also some motions that he had to impatience and fretting; to which fault they are very much subject that are hot, and given to heat: thus he. This distemper to prevent, God and Nature have placed the heart near unto the lungs, ut cum ira accenditur, pulmonis humore temperetur, that, when it is heated with wrath, it may be cooled and qualified by the allay of the lungs. While I was musing the fire burned] This showeth that thoughts and affections are the mutual causes one of another; so that thoughts kindle affections, and these cause thoughts to boil. And hence it is, saith a reverend man (Dr Goodwin), that new converts, having new and strong affections, can with more pleasure think of God than any. Then spake I with my tongue] But better he had held his tongue, according to his first resolution. The Greeks have a saying, Let a man either keep silence or speak that which is better than silence. Austin paraphraseth thus: When I refrained so from speaking, for fear of speaking evil, that I spake no good, I was troubled at this my silence, lest my sin should be counted greater for this silence than my virtue in refraining from speaking evil.

(3) The fire burned.—The attempt at repression only makes the inward flame of feeling burn the more fiercely, till at last it is too much for the resolution that has been formed, and the passion of the heart breaks out in words. Like the modern poet, the Hebrew bard had felt “Twere better not to breathe or speak Than cry for strength, remaining weak, And seem to find, but still to seek.” “But thought is too much for him, and he breaks into speech, not, however, fretfully, still less with bitter invective against others. It is a dialogue with the ruler of destiny, in which frail man wants to face his condition, and know the worst.

Verse 3. My heart was hot within me] A natural feeling of repressed grief. While I was musing] What was at first a simple sensation of heat produced a flame; the fire broke out that had long been smothered. It is a metaphor taken from vegetables, which, being heaped together, begin to heat and ferment, if not scattered and exposed to the air; and will soon produce a flame, and consume themselves and every thing within their reach.

3. burned] Better, as R.V. from Coverdale and P.B.V., kindled. The smouldering fire of passion within could no longer be restrained from bursting into a flame of words. Comp. (though the cause was different) Jeremiah 20:9.

My heart was hot within me - My mind became more and more excited; my feelings more and more intense. The attempt to suppress my emotions only more and more enkindled them.

3. While I was musing the fire burned—My meditations increased the trouble and perplexity of my heart until the heat of my sorrow impelled me to speak.