George Haydock's Catholic Commentary
Psalms 39:5
Vanities. Hebrew, "the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies." (Protestants) (Haydock) --- All the world is vanity, (Psalm xxxviii. 6., &c.; Calmet) though idolatry may be here meant. (St. Cyril)
Vanities. Hebrew, "the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies." (Protestants) (Haydock) --- All the world is vanity, (Psalm xxxviii. 6., &c.; Calmet) though idolatry may be here meant. (St. Cyril)
Verse Psalms 39:5. _MY DAYS_ AS _A HANDBREADTH_] My life is but a _span_; σπιθαμητουβιου. _AND MINE AGE_ IS _AS NOTHING_] כאין _keein_, as _if at were_ _not before thee_. All _time_ is swallowed up i...
BEHOLD, THOU HAST MADE MY DAYS AS AN HANDBREADTH - literally, “Lo, handbreadths hast thou given my days.” The word rendered “handbreadth” means properly the spread hand; the palm; the hand when the fo...
Psalms 39 Deep Soul Exercise in View of Man's Frailty and Nothingness _ 1. The vanity of life (Psalms 39:1)_ 2. Self-judgment and prayer (Psalms 39:7) This Psalm is connected closely with the prec...
XXXIX. PRAYER OF A PIOUS ISRAELITE IN DISTRESS. Psalms 39:3. The poet, afflicted though he is, is silent in presence of the wicked, lest they should impugn or ridicule God's righteous government of t...
BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ App-6. AGE. lifetime. Hebrew. _heled._ See note on "world" (Psalms 49:1). AT HIS BEST STATE. though standing fast, or firmly established. ALTOGETHER VANITY. o...
Silence has proved impossible. He must give vent to his emotions, and he breaks out into a prayer that he may be taught so to understand the frailty of his life and the vanity of human aims, that he m...
as _a handbreadth_ Better, _a few handbreadths long_. The shortest measure is enough to reckon life by. The -handbreadth" = four -fingers" (Jeremiah 52:21 compared with 1 Kings 7:26) or less than half...
DISCOURSE: 568 THE SHORTNESS OF HUMAN LIFE Psalms 39:4. _Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an h...
EVERY MAN AT HIS BEST STATE— _Every man living._ Mudge....
PSALMS 39 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE The Lament and Prayer of a Divinely Stricken One. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 39:1-3, How the Stricken One's Resolve to be Silent is Broken. Stanza II., Psalms 39:4-6, La...
_BEHOLD, THOU HAST MADE MY DAYS AS AN HANDBREADTH; AND MINE AGE IS AS NOTHING BEFORE THEE: VERILY EVERY MAN AT HIS BEST STATE IS ALTOGETHER VANITY. SELAH._ And mine age (note, 'the world'-same Hebrew...
39:5 placed, (a-23) Or 'who standeth.'...
This is a Ps. of great pathos and beauty. The writer's sore sickness, accepted as the punishment of sin (Psalms 39:9), has impressed him with the frailty and vanity of human life. He refrains at first...
VANITY] or, 'a breath' (Heb.)....
Psalms 1:41 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ Words in boxes are from the Bible. The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. Tap the * before a word to show an explanation. The translated Bible tex...
HANDBREADTH. — Better, _some spans long._ The plural without the article having this indefinite sense. MINE AGE. — Literally, _duration._ (See Psalms 17:14.) The LXX. and Vulg. have “substance.” BEFO...
_[Psalms 39:6]_ הִנֵּ֤ה טְפָחֹ֨ות ׀ נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י וְ...
Psalms 39:1 PROTRACTED suffering, recognised as chastisement for sin, had wasted the psalmist's strength. It had been borne for a while in silence, but the rush of emotion had burst the floodgates. Th...
THE FLEETING MEASURE OF OUR DAYS Psalms 39:1 In the opening verses David describes the circumstances out of which this psalm arose. The presence and prosperity of the wicked stirred him to the depths...
Again the circumstances are sorrow and affliction. The attitude of the sufferer is true dignity. If the psalm be taken in connection with the preceding one, it marks an advance, perhaps a gain out of...
Behold, thou hast made my days [as] an handbreadth; and mine age [is] as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state [is] altogether (e) vanity. Selah. (e) Yet David offended in that he r...
What a devout prayer this is, and what blessedness is intended in the discovery. Observe what the object of the petition is; not to know the hour of death, or the place of departure, or the means God...
Psalms 38 _ Proper Psalm for Ash Wednesday_ (_Morning_). PSALMS 38-40 = _ Day 8_ (_Morning_)....
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS PSALMS 38 AND 39. Psalms 38 and 39 have, as I have said, a distinct and peculiar character. The deliverance has been sought and looked for by the upright, and forgivene...
BEHOLD, THOU HAST MADE MY DAYS [AS] AN HANDBREADTH,.... These words, with the following clause, are the psalmist's answer to his own inquiries; or rather a correction of his inquiry and impatience, sh...
Behold, thou hast made my days [as] an handbreadth; and mine age [is] as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state [is] altogether vanity. Selah. Ver. 5. _Behold, thou hast made my days...
_Behold, thou hast made my days as a hand-breadth_ The breadth of four fingers, a certain dimension, a small one, and the measure whereof we have always about us, always before our eyes. We need no ro...
Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth, a mere span of life being assigned to each mortal; AND MINE AGE IS AS NOTHING BEFORE THEE, before the face of the eternal God. VERILY, EVERY MAN AT HI...
THE BELIEVER'S ATTITUDE IN VIEW OF THE APPARENT HAPPINESS OF THE GODLESS. To the chief musician, even to Jeduthun, or Ethan, the name of one of David's chief choristers, who was the leader of a famil...
AT HIS BEST STATE: _ Heb._ settled...
1-6 If an evil thought should arise in the mind, suppress it. Watchfulness in the habit, is the bridle upon the head; watchfulness in acts, is the hand upon the bridle. When not able to separate from...
AS AN HANDBREADTH, which is one of the least measures, i.e. very short. These and the following words are either, 1. A continuance of his complaint, that although his days were of themselves very sho...
Psalms 39:5 made H5414 (H8804) days H3117 handbreadths H2947 age H2465 every H3605 man H120 state H5324 ...
2). HIS CONCERN WAS WITH HIS AWARENESS OF HIS OWN FRAILTY AND OF THE FACT THAT LIFE APPEARS ON THE WHOLE TO BE VAIN AND THAT A MAN DOES NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE POSSESSIONS THAT HE HAS BUILT U...
This Psalm gives a description of David's experience and conduct when stretched upon a sick-bed. He appears to have felt impatience working within him, which I am sorry to say is a very common disease...
Psalms 39:1. _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._ This is what David said; what he had deliberately...
To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. David dedicated some Psalms to Asaph, and one or two to Jeduthun. Some of this chief musician's family appear to have remained singers as lat...
To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. Jeduthun was one of those who led the sacred song in the house of God in David's day, and, long afterwards, we find the son of Jeduthun still...
CONTENTS: The psalmist, bowed down with sorrow and sickness, is burdened with unbelieving thoughts and prays for help. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: We should not feed the fire of discontent b...
This psalm is inscribed _to Jeduthun,_ leader of one of the choral bands in the temple. 1 Chronicles 16:41; and bears the name of David. Psalms 39:5. _Thou hast made my days as a hand-breadth,_ which...
_Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth: and mine age is as nothing before Thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity._ THE BREVITY AND VANITY OF HUMAN LIFE These simple...
_I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not in my tongue; I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle._ THOUGHT AND PRAYER UNDER TRIAL I. Thought under trial. 1. Its utterance repress...
PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 39:1. This psalm allows those who are suffering to express their confusion to God. The circumstances of the suffering are left vague, although there is acknowledgment of sin...
PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 39:4 To really understand how brief life is would protect the singer from wasting his life in pursuing wealth. ⇐...
INTRODUCTION _Superscription_.—“To the chief musician, to Jeduthun, a psalm of David.” _Jeduthun_ was one of the leaders of the sacred music in the time of David (1 Chronicles 16:41; 1 Chronicles 25:6...
EXPOSITION THE psalmist, vexed and disgusted with life, feeling a desire to murmur and complain, but aware that his words are watched, and his wicked enemies ready to make use of them against him, has...
Psa 39:1-13. Jeduthun was one of David's musicians, as was Asaph. 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 Peter 3:8; Ecclesiastes 1:2; Ecclesiastes 2:11; Genesis 47:9;...
Before thee — If compared with thee, and with thy everlasting duration....