Psalms 39:6
Psalms 39:6 in Multiple Translations
Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.
Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
Surely every man walketh in a vain show; Surely they are disquieted in vain: He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
Truly, every man goes on his way like an image; he is troubled for no purpose: he makes a great store of wealth, and has no knowledge of who will get it.
Human beings are just shadows walking around. They pointlessly rush through life, trying to pile up possessions without knowing who will get them.
Doubtlesse man walketh in a shadowe, and disquieteth himselfe in vaine: he heapeth vp riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.
Only, in an image doth each walk habitually, Only, [in] vain, they are disquieted, He heapeth up and knoweth not who gathereth them.
“Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather.
Surely every man walketh in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches , and knoweth not who shall gather them.
Thou hast multiplied thy wonderful works, O Lord my God: and in thy thoughts there is no one like to thee. I have declared and I have spoken they are multiplied above number.
Then we disappear like a shadow does. It seems that all that we do is for nothing/useless. We sometimes get a lot of money, but we do not know who will get it after we die.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 39:6
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 39:6 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הִנֵּ֤ה
טְפָח֨וֹת
נָ֘תַ֤תָּה
יָמַ֗/י
וְ/חֶלְדִּ֣/י
כְ/אַ֣יִן
נֶגְדֶּ֑/ךָ
אַ֥ךְ
כָּֽל
הֶ֥בֶל
כָּל
אָ֝דָ֗ם
נִצָּ֥ב
סֶֽלָה
הִנֵּ֤ה
hinnêh
H2009
behold
Part
טְפָח֨וֹת
ṭêphach
H2947
handbreadth
N-mp
נָ֘תַ֤תָּה
nâthan
H5414
to give
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
יָמַ֗/י
yôwm
H3117
day
N-mp | Suff
וְ/חֶלְדִּ֣/י
cheled
H2465
lifetime/world
Conj | N-ms | Suff
כְ/אַ֣יִן
ʼayin
H369
nothing
Prep | N-ms
נֶגְדֶּ֑/ךָ
neged
H5048
before
Prep | Suff
אַ֥ךְ
ʼak
H389
surely
DirObjM
כָּֽל
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms
הֶ֥בֶל
hebel
H1892
vanity
N-ms
כָּל
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms
אָ֝דָ֗ם
ʼâdâm
H120
the man (Adam)
N-ms
נִצָּ֥ב
nâtsab
H5324
to stand
V-Niphal
סֶֽלָה
çelâh
H5542
Selah
Part
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 39:6
הִנֵּ֤ה
hinnêh
H2009
"behold"
Part
This Hebrew word is an expression that means 'behold' or 'look', often used to draw attention to something. It appears in Genesis and Isaiah, and is translated as 'behold' or 'lo' in the KJV.
Definition: behold, lo, see, if
Usage: Occurs in 799 OT verses. KJV: behold, lo, see. See also: Genesis 1:29; Genesis 42:35; Deuteronomy 19:18.
טְפָח֨וֹת
ṭêphach
H2947
"handbreadth"
N-mp
This word measures the width of a hand, about the length of a palm. It is used in Exodus 25:10-22 to describe the construction of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark had precise measurements.
Definition: 1) span, width of the hand, hand breadth 1a) a unit of measurement, measurement of length 2) coping (an architectural term)
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: coping, hand-breadth. See also: 1 Kings 7:9; 2 Chronicles 4:5; Psalms 39:6.
נָ֘תַ֤תָּה
nâthan
H5414
"to give"
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
יָמַ֗/י
yôwm
H3117
"day"
N-mp | Suff
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow
Usage: Occurs in 1930 OT verses. KJV: age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. See also: Genesis 1:5; Genesis 33:13; Exodus 23:15.
וְ/חֶלְדִּ֣/י
cheled
H2465
"lifetime/world"
Conj | N-ms | Suff
This word refers to a lifetime or the world as a temporary and fleeting thing, used to describe the shortness of life.
Definition: age, duration of life, the world
Usage: Occurs in 5 OT verses. KJV: age, short time, world. See also: Job 11:17; Psalms 39:6; Psalms 17:14.
כְ/אַ֣יִן
ʼayin
H369
"nothing"
Prep | N-ms
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Definition: 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן). See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 14:27; 1 Kings 15:22.
נֶגְדֶּ֑/ךָ
neged
H5048
"before"
Prep | Suff
Before or in front of something, as in Genesis 18:22 where Abraham stands before the Lord. It describes a position of being face to face or in someone's presence.
Definition: subst 1) what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv 2) in front of, straight forward, before, in sight of 3) in front of oneself, straightforward 4) before your face, in your view or purpose with prep 5) what is in front of, corresponding to 6) in front of, before 7) in the sight or presence of 8) parallel to 9) over, for 10) in front, opposite 11) at a distance prep 12) from the front of, away from 13) from before the eyes of, opposite to, at a distance from 14) from before, in front of 15) as far as the front of Aramaic equivalent: ne.ged (נֶ֫גֶד "before" H5049)
Usage: Occurs in 142 OT verses. KJV: about, (over) against, [idiom] aloof, [idiom] far (off), [idiom] from, over, presence, [idiom] other side, sight, [idiom] to view. See also: Genesis 2:18; Job 10:17; Psalms 10:5.
אַ֥ךְ
ʼak
H389
"surely"
DirObjM
This Hebrew word is used to emphasize something, like saying 'surely' or 'certainly'. It can also be used to limit or restrict something, like saying 'only' or 'but'.
Definition: 1) indeed, surely (emphatic) 2) howbeit, only, but, yet (restrictive)
Usage: Occurs in 157 OT verses. KJV: also, in any wise, at least, but, certainly, even, howbeit, nevertheless, notwithstanding, only, save, surely, of a surety, truly, verily, [phrase] wherefore, yet (but). See also: Genesis 7:23; 2 Kings 23:35; Psalms 23:6.
כָּֽל
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
הֶ֥בֶל
hebel
H1892
"vanity"
N-ms
Hebel means emptiness or vanity, describing something transitory and unsatisfactory, like a breath of air. It appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon writes about life's fleeting nature. The KJV translates it as vanity or altogether.
Definition: 1) vapour, breath 1a) breath, vapour 1b) vanity (fig.) adv 2) vainly
Usage: Occurs in 64 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] altogether, vain, vanity. See also: Deuteronomy 32:21; Ecclesiastes 4:7; Psalms 31:7.
כָּל
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
אָ֝דָ֗ם
ʼâdâm
H120
"the man (Adam)"
N-ms
Adam was the first human, created by God and mentioned in Genesis 2:19, who married Eve and had sons including Cain, Abel, and Seth.
Definition: The first named man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.2.19; married to Eve (H2332); father of: Cain (H7014B), Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352); also translated "man" at Gen.2.19,21,23; 3.8,9,20; 5.2; "mankind" at Deu.32.8; "others" at Job.31.33; Another spelling of a.dam (אָדָם "Adam" H0121) man, human being
Usage: Occurs in 526 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person. See also: Genesis 1:26; Judges 18:7; Psalms 8:5.
נִצָּ֥ב
nâtsab
H5324
"to stand"
V-Niphal
To stand or station oneself, either physically or as an appointed official. This word is used in various contexts, including setting up a monument or establishing a leader. It can also mean to stand firm or be established in a position.
Definition: 1) to stand, take one's stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to station oneself, take one's stand 1a2) to stand, be stationed 1a3) to stand, take an upright position 1a4) to be stationed, be appointed 1a5) deputy, prefect, appointed, deputed (subst) 1a6) to stand firm 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to station, set 1b2) to set up, erect 1b3) to cause to stand erect 1b4) to fix, establish 1c) (Hophal) to be fixed, be determined, be stationary
Usage: Occurs in 75 OT verses. KJV: appointed, deputy, erect, establish, [idiom] Huzzah (by mistake for a proper name), lay, officer, pillar, present, rear up, set (over, up), settle, sharpen, establish, (make to) stand(-ing, still, up, upright), best state. See also: Genesis 18:2; 1 Samuel 15:12; Psalms 39:6.
סֶֽלָה
çelâh
H5542
"Selah"
Part
Selah is a musical term in the Bible that signals a pause or interruption in the music, like a rest in a song, often used in Psalms. It is a technical term that sets a moment for reflection and contemplation, as seen in Psalm 3:2.
Definition: § 1) to lift up, exalt 1a) Selah 1a1) a technical musical term probably showing accentuation, pause, interruption
Usage: Occurs in 74 OT verses. KJV: Selah. See also: Psalms 3:3; Psalms 62:5; Psalms 3:5.
Study Notes — Psalms 39:6
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 39:6 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 39:6
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 39:6
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 39:6
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 39:6
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
- Sermons on Psalms 39:6
Context — I Will Watch My Ways
4“Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is.
5You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah
6Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.
7And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You. 8Deliver me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of fools.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke 12:20–21 | But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.” |
| 2 | James 4:14 | You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. |
| 3 | Ecclesiastes 2:26 | To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. |
| 4 | Ecclesiastes 12:13 | When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. |
| 5 | 1 Corinthians 7:31 | and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away. |
| 6 | Psalms 127:2 | In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat— for He gives sleep to His beloved. |
| 7 | Ecclesiastes 5:14 | or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on. |
| 8 | Ecclesiastes 4:7–8 | Again, I saw futility under the sun. There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task. |
| 9 | Ecclesiastes 2:17–21 | So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil. |
| 10 | 1 Peter 5:7 | Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. |
Psalms 39:6 Summary
[Psalms 39:6 reminds us that our lives are fleeting and that we should not put our trust in wealth or material possessions, but rather in God (as seen in Psalms 20:7). We are like phantoms, here one moment and gone the next, and our riches will not last forever, so we should focus on what truly matters, as taught in Matthew 6:19-20. This verse encourages us to live with intention and purpose, using our resources to glorify God and further His kingdom, rather than just accumulating wealth for ourselves (as instructed in 1 Timothy 6:10).]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to go about like a phantom?
To go about like a phantom means that our lives are fleeting and without true substance, much like a ghostly apparition that disappears quickly, as seen in Psalms 39:6 and also in Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 where it is written that life is but a vapor.
Why do people bustle in vain?
People bustle in vain because they are often focused on accumulating wealth and material possessions, which are temporary and do not bring lasting satisfaction, as warned in Matthew 6:19-20 and 1 Timothy 6:10.
What is the point of heaping up riches if we don't know who will inherit them?
The point is that our wealth and possessions are not truly ours, and we should not put our trust in them, but rather in God, as taught in Psalms 52:7 and Proverbs 27:24, where it is written that riches are uncertain and can be taken away at any moment.
How should we respond to the fleeting nature of life?
We should respond by putting our hope in God, as expressed in Psalms 39:7, and by seeking to live a life that is pleasing to Him, as instructed in Colossians 3:2 and 2 Corinthians 4:18, where it is written that our focus should be on eternal things, not temporary ones.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways in which I am 'bustling in vain' in my own life, and how can I redirect my focus to what truly matters?
- How do I balance the need to provide for my family's physical needs with the warning against heaping up riches for their own sake?
- In what ways can I use my resources to further God's kingdom, rather than just accumulating wealth for myself?
- What does it mean for me to 'go about like a phantom' in my daily interactions with others, and how can I live in a way that is more intentional and meaningful?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 39:6
Surely every man walketh in a vain show,.... Or "in an image" (z); not "in the image of the Lord", as the Targum; in the image in which God created man, for that is lost; nor in that which is stamped
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 39:6
Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
Walketh, i. e. passeth the course of his life; or goeth about busily and restlessly, hither and thither, as this verb in this conjugation signifies, and as the next verb more plainly expresseth. In a vain show, Heb. in a shadow or image, i.e. in an imaginary rather than a real life; in the pursuit of vain imaginations, in which there is nothing solid or satisfactory. Or, as some read it, like a shadow, to which man’ s life is compared, . Man and his life, and all his happiness in this world, are rather appearances, and representations, and dreams, than truths and realities. Disquieted; or, troubled; Heb. they make a noise, or bustling, or tumult, with unwearied industry seeking for riches, as it follows, and troubling and vexing both themselves and others in the pursuit of them, as this word implies. In vain; to no purpose; or without any real or considerable benefit to him or his. He heapeth up; for his own use, and for his posterity after him. Who shall gather them; whether his children, or strangers, or enemies, shall possess and enjoy them.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
Psalms 39:6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up [riches], and knoweth not who shall gather them.Ver. 6. Surely every man walketh in a vain show] Heb. in an image, or in a shadow, as Job 14:2; in the shadow of death, as some sense it; his life is like a picture drawn upon the water, saith Theodoret; it passeth away as a hasty, headlong torrent. Verily, surely, surely, it is so; Selah, you may seal to it. Surely they are disquieted in vain] Heb. They keep a stir, and trouble the world, as did great Alexander; who, surfeiting of his excessive fortunes, from the darling of heaven, came to be the disdain of the earth, which he had so oft disquieted. Two fits of an ague could shake great Tameriane to death. So the Emperor Adrian, who, troubling himself and others to little good purpose, died with this saying in his mouth, Omnia fui, et nihil profuit, I have tried all conclusions, but got nothing. And saith not Solomon as much in his Ecclesiastes? He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them] i.e. Enjoy them.
See Ecclesiastes 2:18-19, and be moderate. Think when you lock up your money in your chest, saith one, who shall shortly lock you up in your coffin. Think how that this very night thy soul may be required of thee; and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? Luke 12:20.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
(6) Surely every man . . .—Better, only as a shadow walks a man. A very commonplace of poetry, from the σκιᾶςὄναρἄνθρωποι of Pindar downwards. Thus Sophocles, “I see that we who live are nothing else but images and vain shadows;” Horace, “Pulvis et umbra sumus; Burke, “What shadows we are, and what shadows we pursue.” The above rendering treats the preposition as the beth essentiζ. If, however, we keep the Authorised Version, the thought is of man’s life, not as a reality, but as a show, a picture, a phantasma (see margin), and himself only an imaginary actor. But this seems modern for the psalms. Shakespeare, no doubt with this passage in his mind, has combined it with the more obvious image:— “Out, out, brief candle, Life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more.” Surely they . . . —Better, Only for a breath they make a stir.He heapeth up.—The substantive is left by the Hebrew to be supplied. So we talk of the desire of “accumulating.” (For the whole passage, comp. James 4:13-14; Luke 12:16-21.)
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
Verse 6. Walketh in a vain show] בצלם betselem, in a shadow. He is but the semblance of being: he appears for a while, and then vanisheth away. Some of the fathers read, "Although every man walketh in the image of God, yet they are disquieted in vain." He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.] He raketh together. This is a metaphor taken from agriculture: the husbandman rakes the corn, &c., together in the field, and yet, so uncertain is life, that he knows not who shall gather them into the granary!
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 39:6
6. Only as a phantom doth each walk to and fro: Only for vanity do they turmoil: One heapeth up, and he will not know who doth gather the hoard. Man is an unsubstantial phantom (or shadow, lit. image), Psalms 73:20 : σκιᾶςὄναρ, ‘a dream of shadow’ as Pindar calls him (Pyth. viii. 95). With unreal aim and unenduring result do men disturb themselves. The word expresses the idea of restless noisy bustle and uproar. Cp. ‘a tumultuous city’ Isaiah 22:2, and see note on ‘abundance’, Psalms 37:16. Shew (A.V.) must be taken to mean ‘appearance,’ not ‘display’ or ‘pomp.’ One heapeth up riches, treasures, possessions of all kinds (Job 27:16), and he will not know after his death who gathers these hoards as his harvest, or rather, who carries them off as his spoil (Isaiah 33:4). Cp. Luke 12:20.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 39:6
Surely every man walketh in a vain show - Margin, “an image.” The word rendered “vain show” - צלם tselem - means properly a shade, a shadow; and then, an image or likeness, as shadowing forth any real object.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 39:6
6. Vain show—An image, or shadow, as opposed to reality, or substance. They are disquieted in vain—Literally, surely, for a breath will they be disturbed.
Sermons on Psalms 39:6
| Sermon | Description | |
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On Eagles' Wings Pt 184 by Don Courville | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the danger of being influenced by man rather than God. He highlights the vanity and emptiness of worldly pursuits and the need to be free to |
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Homily 12 on Ephesians by St. John Chrysostom | John Chrysostom emphasizes the importance of living a life separate from the ways of the world, urging believers to walk in the path of God and not in the vanity of their minds lik |
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Vanity of Vanities by Michael Wigglesworth | Michael Wigglesworth delivers a powerful sermon on the emptiness and fleeting nature of worldly pursuits, highlighting how man's best estate is still filled with restlessness and v |
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Boast Not Thyself by Harry Ironside | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of not procrastinating when it comes to accepting the gospel and becoming a Christian. He warns that many people in a land wh |
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(The Word for Today) Isaiah 28:16 - Part 1 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the dream of Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in the book of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a great image with different materials |
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'Son, Remember' Preached in 1879 Reading of d.l. Moody by Robert Wurtz by Robert Wurtz II | This sermon recounts a powerful story from Dwight L. Moody about a man who struggled with moral courage to publicly confess Christ, leading to tragic consequences due to procrastin |
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The Philosophy of a Fool by Dennis Jenkins | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the parable of the rich farmer as told by Jesus. The parable highlights the foolishness of placing all emphasis on material possessions and n |