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Psalms · Westminster Leningrad Codex

Psalm 39 Westminster Leningrad Codex

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  • Scholarly edition
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
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Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (2)
WLC Westminster Leningrad Codex
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ לידיתון מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
1 Not in this translation
2 אָמַ֗רְתִּי אֶֽשְׁמְרָ֣ה דְרָכַי֮ מֵחֲט֪וֹא בִלְשׁ֫וֹנִ֥י אֶשְׁמְרָ֥ה לְפִ֥י מַחְס֑וֹם בְּעֹ֖ד רָשָׁ֣ע לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃
1 For the Chief Musician. For Jeduthun. A Psalm by David. I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”
3 נֶאֱלַ֣מְתִּי ד֭וּמִיָּה הֶחֱשֵׁ֣יתִי מִטּ֑וֹב וּכְאֵבִ֥י נֶעְכָּֽר׃
2 I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.
4 חַם־לִבִּ֨י ׀ בְּקִרְבִּ֗י בַּהֲגִיגִ֥י תִבְעַר־אֵ֑שׁ דִּ֝בַּ֗רְתִּי בִּלְשֽׁוֹנִי׃
3 My heart was hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned. I spoke with my tongue:
5 הוֹדִ֘יעֵ֤נִי יְהוָ֨ה ׀ קִצִּ֗י וּמִדַּ֣ת יָמַ֣י מַה־הִ֑יא אֵ֝דְעָ֗ה מֶה־חָדֵ֥ל אָֽנִי׃
4 “Yahweh, show me my end, what is the measure of my days. Let me know how frail I am.
6 הִנֵּ֤ה טְפָח֨וֹת ׀ נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י וְחֶלְדִּ֣י כְאַ֣יִן נֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ אַ֥ךְ כָּֽל־הֶ֥בֶל כָּל־אָ֝דָ֗ם נִצָּ֥ב סֶֽלָה׃
5 Behold, you have made my days hand widths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath.” Selah.
7 אַךְ־בְּצֶ֤לֶם ׀ יִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־אִ֗ישׁ אַךְ־הֶ֥בֶל יֶהֱמָי֑וּן יִ֝צְבֹּ֗ר וְֽלֹא־יֵדַ֥ע מִי־אֹסְפָֽם׃
6 “Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather.
8 וְעַתָּ֣ה מַה־קִּוִּ֣יתִי אֲדֹנָ֑י תּ֝וֹחַלְתִּ֗י לְךָ֣ הִֽיא׃
7 Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
9 מִכָּל־פְּשָׁעַ֥י הַצִּילֵ֑נִי חֶרְפַּ֥ת נָ֝בָ֗ל אַל־תְּשִׂימֵֽנִי׃
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions. Don’t make me the reproach of the foolish.
10 נֶ֭אֱלַמְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶפְתַּח־פִּ֑י כִּ֖י אַתָּ֣ה עָשִֽׂיתָ׃
9 I was mute. I didn’t open my mouth, because you did it.
11 הָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י נִגְעֶ֑ךָ מִתִּגְרַ֥ת יָ֝דְךָ֗ אֲנִ֣י כָלִֽיתִי׃
10 Remove your scourge away from me. I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
12 בְּֽתוֹכָ֘ח֤וֹת עַל־עָוֺ֨ן ׀ יִסַּ֬רְתָּ אִ֗ישׁ וַתֶּ֣מֶס כָּעָ֣שׁ חֲמוּד֑וֹ אַ֤ךְ הֶ֖בֶל כָּל־אָדָ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃
11 When you rebuke and correct man for iniquity, you consume his wealth like a moth. Surely every man is but a breath.” Selah.
13 שִֽׁמְעָ֥ה־תְפִלָּתִ֨י ׀ יְהוָ֡ה וְשַׁוְעָתִ֨י ׀ הַאֲזִינָה֮ אֶֽל־דִּמְעָתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ כִּ֤י גֵ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י עִמָּ֑ךְ תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב כְּכָל־אֲבוֹתָֽי׃
12 “Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and give ear to my cry. Don’t be silent at my tears. For I am a stranger with you, a foreigner, as all my fathers were.
14 הָשַׁ֣ע מִמֶּ֣נִּי וְאַבְלִ֑יגָה בְּטֶ֖רֶם אֵלֵ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃
13 Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go away and exist no more.”
Cross references (14)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info. References use English (Hebrew-based) verse numbers; links open the passage in WLC.

  1. 1 Proverbs 21:23; Psalm 141:3; James 1:26; Psalm 119:9; Micah 7:5–6
  2. 2 Proverbs 21:23; Psalm 141:3; James 1:26; Psalm 119:9; Micah 7:5–6
  3. 3 Matthew 27:12–14; Acts 4:20; Psalm 38:13–14; Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 7:6
  4. 4 Jeremiah 20:9; Luke 24:32; Ezekiel 3:14
  5. 5 Psalm 90:12; Psalm 103:14; Psalm 119:84; Job 14:13
  6. 6 Psalm 144:4; Psalm 89:47; Psalm 62:9; Psalm 90:9–10; Ecclesiastes 2:11
  7. 7 Luke 12:20–21; James 4:14; Ecclesiastes 2:26; Psalm 127:2; Ecclesiastes 12:13
  8. 8 Romans 15:13; Psalm 38:15; Psalm 119:81; Genesis 49:18; Psalm 119:166
  9. 9 Psalm 51:14; Psalm 44:13; Joel 2:17; Micah 7:19; Psalm 79:4
  10. 10 Job 2:10; 1 Samuel 3:18; Job 40:4–5; Daniel 4:35; 2 Samuel 16:10
  11. 11 Job 9:34; Job 13:21; Psalm 32:4; Psalm 25:16–17; Psalm 38:3–4
  12. 12 Job 13:28; Hebrews 12:6; Isaiah 50:9; Revelation 3:19; 1 Corinthians 11:30–32
  13. 13 1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13; 2 Kings 20:5; Leviticus 25:23; Psalm 116:3
  14. 14 Job 14:5–6; Job 10:20–21; Job 14:10–12; Job 7:19; Genesis 5:24

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

Articles and answers on this site that cite Psalm 39.

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Commentary Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms (Psalm XXXVIII)

    What doth this recollection of the Sabbath mean? What is this Sabbath? For it is with groaning that he "calls it to recollection." You have both heard already when the Psalm was read, and you will now hear it when we shall go over it, how great is his groaning, his mourning, his tears, his misery.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)

  2. Quotes verse 39:11 Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (Book VII, Chapters X–XV)

    … feed upon me; nor shall thou convert me, like the food of thy flesh, into thee, but thou shall be converted into me." And I learned that Thou for iniquity dost correct man, and Thou dost make my soul to consume away like a spider. And I said, "Is Truth, therefore, nothing because it is neither diffused through space, finite, …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)

  3. Quotes verse 39:12 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily LXIV)

    "For I am a stranger," saith he, "and a sojourner, as all my fathers were." For this man, and all that are like him, let pass them that had sinned, and thought of those who had approved themselves.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)

  4. Quotes verse 39:5 Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (Book XI, Chapters XXII–XXV)

    This is my hope; for this do I live, that I may contemplate the delights of the Lord. Behold, Thou hast made my days old, and they pass away, and in what manner I know not.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)