This week’s study is from Tehillim / Psalms 39:1-13, David opens the Psalm saying א לַמְנַצֵּחַ לִידיּתוּן [לִידוּתוּן] מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד: ב אָמַרְתִּי אֶשְׁמְרָה דְרָכַי מֵחֲטוֹא בִלְשׁוֹנִי אֶשְׁמְרָה לְפִי מַחְסוֹם בְּעֹד רָשָׁע לְנֶגְדִּי: For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. 39:1 I said, ‘I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence. (NASB) Why do you think David says that he will guard his mouth as with a muzzle while in the presence of the wicked? He continues saying ג נֶאֱלַמְתִּי דוּמִיָּה הֶחֱשֵׁיתִי מִטּוֹב וּכְאֵבִי נֶעְכָּר: ד חַם-לִבִּי | בְּקִרְבִּי בַּהֲגִיגִי תִבְעַר-אֵשׁ דִּבַּרְתִּי בִּלְשׁוֹנִי: ’ 39:2 I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse. 39:3 My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: (NASB) While keeping silent, he even refrained from doing what is good. Has this ever happened to you before? David then states ה הוֹדִיעֵנִי יְהֹוָה | קִצִּי וּמִדַּת יָמַי מַה-הִיא אֵדְעָה מֶה-חָדֵל אָנִי: ו הִנֵּה טְפָחוֹת | נָתַתָּה יָמַי וְחֶלְדִּי כְאַיִן נֶגְדֶּךָ אַךְ-כָּל-הֶבֶל כָּל-אָדָם נִצָּב סֶלָה: ז אַךְ-בְּצֶלֶם | יִתְהַלֶּךְ-אִישׁ אַךְ-הֶבֶל יֶהֱמָיוּן יִצְבֹּר וְלֹא-יֵדַע מִי-אֹסְפָם: 39:4 ‘Lord, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. 39:5 ‘Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah. 39:6 ‘Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them. (NASB) David appears to be asking the Lord to help him to realize that his life is short and to make something of his life. Read More Here: Tehillim 39-Part1
