Psalms 39

Psalms 39:1-6

David seems to have penned this psalm under some season of deep affliction, wherein he found it difficult to exercise that patience he had so his preferred; so much easier it is to preach than to practise. 1. He relates the struggle that he felt between grace and corruption, vers. 1—3. 2. He meditates upon the doctrine of man’s frailty and mortality, vers. 4—6. 3. He prays for the pardon of his sins, the removal of his afflictions, and the lengthening out of his life will be seen ready for death, vers. 7—13.

To the chief musician, even to ‘Jeduthun, A psalm of David.

1. I Said I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: ‘I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. 2. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow was stirred. 3. My heart was hot within me, while I was muting the fire burned: ‘One spake I with my tongue. 4. LORD, ‘make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. 5. Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth, and mine age is as nothing before thee: ‘verily every man is his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 6. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he ‘breateth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

Jeduthun seems to be the chief musician who led the band, to whom this is directed, 1 Chron. xvi. 41. and it contains much matter for a mournful song, suited to loath the foremen which mortality is here to, and reconcile our fouls to the holy will of God.

1. David reflects upon the solemn purposes he had formed, to watch over his words and ways, which was so needful when many eyes were upon him, waiting for his halting. He said within his heart, I will take heed to my ways, to walk circumspectly after the word and will of God. I will keep my mouth and a bridle from every murmuring expression under my trials, while the wicked is before me, who would take pleasure to see him provoked to speak unadvisedly with his lips. Note, (1.) We send much watchfulness and circumspection, in order to walk aright; a careless heart will make crooked ways. (2.) Nothing is more difficult to restrain than the tongue; he is a perfect man that can curb it.

2. For a while he kept his purpose, v. 2. Silent as a dumb man, under every provocation; and least he should speak wrong, he even held his peace from good words, which, though spoken with the kindest purpose, serve only to stir up the greatest wrath of the wicked.

3. Unable long to refrain, at first his grief, pent up, but swelled the more; his heart grew warm, either with zeal for God, or rather with impatience under his sufferings, and muting upon the wickedness of his enemies, his own afflictions, the fire of anger kindled, and he spake with his tongue; either wetting impatiently to die out of his troubles, or rather that God would make him look to his end, as a support to him under them. Note, When the mind is ever ruminating upon its foremen, and reflecting upon the authors of them, the galling fore is aggravated, and fuel provided for the fire of discontent.

(1.) He begs to know his end. If considered as the language of halliness, it means that it might be soon, that his troubles and life might end together; or it is a prayer for support under them, in the view of his quickly approaching death, and the blessed rest which would then ensue. Note, (1.) The consideration of our latter end should be the frequent subject of our meditations, that the certainty and nearness of it being more deeply felt, we might be more solicitous to prepare for it. (2.) When sickness, decay, or age are teaching us our frailty, we

are peculiarly called upon to seek a more enduring portion in the eternal world.

(2.) He replies to his own enquiry: Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth, so keenly in the measure of man’s short life; mine age is as nothing before thee; compared with God’s eternity, shorter than a moment: surely every man at his half estate, when most prosperous, covered with honour, health, and wealth, is altogether vanity; every thing he possesses is insignificant. Surely every man, of whatever rank or degree, sunheld in a vain form, when in the eyes of worms like himself, in pageant splendor he appears distinguished, vain is the gaudy pride, himself a flaking shadow, yea, the shadow of a shade: surely they are disquieted in vain, their holy anxious cares disturb them, often groundless, ever useless; he beepeth up riches, vain comforters in a dying hour; riches, which he that increaseth, increaseth sorrow and care, and must leave behind him, he knows not whether to a wise man or a fool: surely all is vanity. Note, The more we see vanity stamped upon the creature, the more solicitous should we be to secure the substantial and eternal good.

7. And now, LORD, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. 8. Deliver me from all my transgressions, make me not the reproach of the foothills. 9. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou shalt it. 10. Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consume, by the blow of thine hand. 11. When thou with rebukes doft correct man for iniquity, thou makeest this beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah. 12. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give our unto my cry, hold not thy peace all my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

Psalms 39:7-13

The views of man’s vanity bids him look for a more enduring portion in God. And therefore,

1. He provides that on him all his hope is fluid, and that as he could expect nothing beneath the sun, as his happiness, neither would he be disquieted with the light and momentary troubles he might be exposed to. Note, (1.) The less we expect on earth, the more will our eyes be turned to heaven. (2.) Whatever else is a vain hope, they who hope in God shall never be ashamed.

2. He prays for pardon and deliverance. His sins were his great concern, he longs above all things to be delivered from their condemning guilt, that he may enjoy peace of conscience; and from their prevailing power, that would give occasion to the wicked and foolish to reproach him: and then he hopes his sufferings would be removed also, that lay heavy upon him. The stroke of God’s hand consumed him, his strength failed him, his health and beauty decayed, as a garment moth-eaten: he wept and prayed therefrom, begging God’s kind regard to his prayers and tears, and pleading his old loving-kindnesses that had been shown to his fathers, when strangers and signatures. Like them therefore in temper, he begs to share their mercies. Note, (1.) Our ceaseless prayer must be for pardoning mercy. The sting of affliction is removed when sin is forgiven. (2.) One stroke of disease makes strange alterations; the blooms of beauty fades, the sparkling eye is dim, the really lip is livid, and languor, paleness, and decay, mars all the lovely form. How poor a thing then to be proud of, how precarious a vanity! (3.) The prayer of faith, and the tears of penitence, will never be disregarded of God. (4.) When we consider ourselves as really strangers upon earth, who neither have nor seek our rest below, each trial we meet will quicken our pace, and whet our longings after our houle and home, a manion in the skies.

3. With holy resignation, v. 9. he surrenders up himself to God; having begun to pray, his ruffled spirits are composed, and his soul returns to its rest again. Since God’s hand is in every affliction, and every chastisement must righteous, yea less than our iniquity deserves, it will become us to find fault, but rather continually to acknowledge that he doth all things well.

4. He concludes with a desire of some short respite, that he might recover his bodily and spiritual strength a little, if so God pleased, to serve his cause and intereth upon earth, and grow more meet for his inheritance above, before he left this mortal scene, and returned to his eternal rest.