Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 39
The xxxix. PSALM.
David for his sin, suffering (as is most probable) under Absaloms rebellion, resolves patiently to bear the opprobries that were cast upon him by his adversaries, and so did: onelyonly makes his address to God by prayerful expostulation, desiring to know an end of his miseries, though it were with the end of his life, shewing the vanitie of him, every man, and everything, and that happiness is onelyonly to be had in the grace and favour of God. Praying him to pardon his sins for which he justly suffered, and in merciemercy to mitigate his displeasure, which had almost quite consumed him, and so is able to do the whole world. And lastly with cries and tears intreats for pitie in this short sojourning state of mortallitie, and that he may tast and see the favour of God in his restorement, before he die.
To Jeduthun one of the prime musicians, Psalm xxxvi. To the chief musician, even to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.and the principal of all his linage, do I David that made this Psalm recommend it, for the care and ordering of it to be sung.
1 BEing grievously tempted to impatiencie by extream afflictions,1I 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. & mine enemies provocations, I was fain to watch my self narrowly, & to take up a vow and resolution not to give the reins to my tongue, but to bridle it from taking libertie to exceed in intemperate speeches, specially whilest I had to do with wicked men, who lay at advantage to take scandal at me and my profession by any miscarriage they could espie.
2 Wherefere I abstained utterly from speaking,2I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow was stirred. even that which was truth in mine own defence and their reproof, least therewith impatiencie should get vent, though thereby I was much troubled, and had much ado to do it.
3 In so much as my heart was full,3My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue. and so heated with smothering my grief, that I burst out in prayerful expostulation betwixt God and me, and said.
4 Lord mine afflictions are so many and great,4Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my dayes, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. as that they make me wearie of my life; comfort me so far as to inform me how near I am to mine end, and how few my miserable dayes shall be. Let me know this of thee, that so I may hope of deliverance at least by mortalitie.
5 Sure I am my life is not long,5Behold, thou hast made my dayes as an hand-bredth, and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanitie. Selah. and at longest it is but short compared with thine eternal, being its as nothing, and what is mans life considered in it self? Even when it is at best, its very vanitie, void of true satisfaction? Would men would consider it.
6Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.6 Surely every man hath here but an imaginarie happiness, certainly they cark and care to be that which this life can never make them, labouring in vain to be happie in it. What a deal of pains does a man take to be rich, yea richer and richer, and can never live, to use all he hath, nor knows not how soon he shall depart with it, nor how it will be spent, nor into whose hands it will come when he is gone: witness the state I had, and was in erewhile, whereof, how soon and unexpectedly am I deprived?
7And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.7 And now, Lord, seeing every thing is thus emptie and unprofitable, why should I trust in or desire to be happie by any thing short of thee? no, I do not. Thy favour and grace is that I prize and hope in most of all; I wait for, and desire it above all earthly felicitie, the restorement of it is more to me than my Kingdom, and happier shall I be in it.
8Deliver me from all my transgressions, make me not the reproch of the foolish.8 Grant me (for my happiness) the pardon of my sins, that have brought me into this miserie, and let not my wicked enemies prevail against me to destroy me, and insult over me, and God in me.
9I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.9 Though I endured very much, yet I bare it patiently without fretfulness, because I know in justice I had deserved it, and thou inflictedst it.
10Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.10 Good Lord, be intreated to pitie me, and to ease me of my grief, for I am almost utterly perished by thine afflicting hand, and heavie judgement for my sin.
11When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquitie, thou makest his beautie to consume away like a moth; surely every man is vanitie. Selah.11 When thou punisheth and correcteth man for iniquitie, thou changest him quite from what he was, both in condition and constitution, his honour thou layest in the dust, and himself thou makest little less, every way defacest him, and makest him comparatively to what he was, as a beautifull garment when its moth-eaten and consumed, thus am I, yea, surely every man even the whole kind of him in thine hands is as nothing. To thy glory, and mans abasing and humbling be it spoken.
12 O Lord,12Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry, hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. hear the prayer I put up unto thee, and the cries I pour forth in mine extremity; let my tears be effectual and prevalent in mine own behalf, and against mine enemies, for my help is wholly in thee, and must be from thee, in the faith of whose truth and goodness I subsist in my travel through this world▪ as did my godly forefathers, who were heirs of promise, and lived by faith, being though in the world, yet not of it, but belonged to thee, and so do I, who therefore suffer therein as they did.
13 O take me not away in thy displeasure,13O spare me that I may recover strength, before I go hence, & be no more. but in mercy revive and restore me to a comfortable feeling of thy favour again, in the sensible pardon of my sin, remission of my punishment, and re-establishment in mine estate, that so I may end this my short and transitory life, when I do end it, which is not long to, in thy grace, both to mine own sense, and the worlds sight when I bid it adeiu.