Psalms 89:47

Remember how short my time is,.... In this world man's time here is fixed, and it is but a short time; his life is but a vapour, which appeareth for a little while; his days are as an hand's breadth;

How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?

My time, i.e. our time, the time of our king and kingdom, in whose name the psalmist puts up this petition, and about whom he was much more solicitous than about himself, as is evident, both from the following verses, and from the whole body of the Psalm. The sense seems to be this, Our king, and all his people, and I among the rest, are shortlived and perishing creatures, that of themselves and according to the course of nature must shortly die; and therefore there is no need that thou shouldst add further afflictions to sweep them away before their time. Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? wherefore hast thou made us and our king (and consequently all other men, whose condition is in nothing better than ours, and in respect of thy grace and mercy is much worse than ours) in vain, or to so little purpose? Didst thou raise us and him, establish us for thy people, settle the crown upon David and his seed for ever by a solemn and unchangeable covenant, erect a magnificent and glorious temple, and vouchsafe so many and great promises and privileges, and all this but for a few years, that our crown and glory should be taken from us within a little time after it was put upon our heads; that our kingdom should be broken almost as soon as it was firmly established; that thy worship should be so soon corrupted, and thy temple quickly robbed, and not long after frequently abused, and polluted, and wasted, and now at last utterly demolished? It is not strange that such considerations as these did fill the psalmist’ s mind with amazement, and sad and perplexing thoughts. Nor doth the psalmist accuse or upbraid God herewith, but only useth it as an argument to move God to repair and restore their decayed state, that they might live to praise, and serve, and glorify him, and not be such useless and insignificant creatures as now they were in this forlorn estate of things, and as they should be if they should go into the place and state of the dead before the restitution of their broken state and kingdom.

Psalms 89:47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?Ver. 47. Remember how short] See Psalms 39:5. Wherefore hast thou, &c.] As thou mayest seem to have done, unless they may cheerfully serve thee and enjoy thee.

(47) Remember.—The text of this clause runs, Remember I how duration, which might possibly be an incoherent sob, meaning remember how quickly I pass. But since the transposition of a letter brings the clause into conformity with Psalms 39:4, “how frail I am,” it is better to adopt the change. Wherefore hast thou . . .—Literally, for what vanity hast thou created all men?“Count all the joys thine hours have seen, Count all the days from anguish free, And know, whatever thou hast been, ’Twere something better not to be.”—BYRON.

Verse 47. How short my time is] If thou deliver not speedily, none of the present generations shall see thy salvation. Are all the remnants of our tribes created in vain? shall they never see happiness?

47. Literally, if the text is right, O remember what a fleeting life I am! but it is possible that the letters of the word chçled have been accidentally transposed and that we should read châdçl, as in Psalms 39:4 : how frail, or, transitory, I am. As in that Psalm (cp. Psalms 89:13) and in Job 7:6 ff; Job 14:1 ff, the shortness and uncertainty of life are pleaded as a ground for the speedy restoration of God’s favour. The Psalmist desires to see the solution of the riddle with his own eyes, and doubtless he gives utterance to the feelings of many pious souls in the Exile, whose faith was tried by the thought that they would not live to see the fulfilment of the prophecies of restoration. wherefore &c.] For what vanity hast thou created all the sons of men! Must life end thus in unsatisfied longing? Cp. Psalms 39:5; Psalms 39:11.

Remember how short my time is - The word rendered “time” - חלד cheled - means duration; lifetime. Psalms 39:5. Then it means life; time; age; the world. Literally, here, “Remember; I; what duration.” The meaning is plain.

47. Remember how short my time is—The psalmist speaks in his own person in behalf of the nation, which accords well with the supposition that this psalm is the second part of Psalms 88.