Psalm 39:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

NIV: "Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.

NASB: Certainly every person walks around as a fleeting shadow; They certainly make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

CSB: Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them.

NLT: We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.

KJV: Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

NKJV: Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them.

David's frustration psalm comes from wanting to speak out to wicked people but choosing instead to hold his tongue (Psalm 39:1–2). Most likely, he did not want to sin by saying something unwise or untrue out of anger. This led to frustration. When David chose to speak, he did so by praying for God's work on his own heart (Psalm 39:3–4). He asked God for a reminder of his own limited life; to be reassured that David's experiences were no catastrophe for God. Compared to God's eternal perspective, our concerns are tiny, so we can trust His goodness when frustration sets in (Psalm 39:5).

The wicked persons David noted might have been scrabbling for power and wealth. Scripture notes that chasing money is a foolish plan (Psalm 37:16–17; Proverbs 23:4–5; Ecclesiastes 5:10–12; Matthew 6:19–24; Luke 12:13–21; 1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5). A common English proverb is "you can't take it with you." This implies that worldly wealth is left behind when someone dies. Here, David notes that someone who "heaps up wealth" is ultimately collecting it for his survivors—whoever they might be.

The Bible clearly emphasizes the value of investing one's life in spiritual pursuits instead of spending it in the pursuit of material wealth. Jesus taught His followers to lay up treasures in heaven. He pointed out that treasures on earth are subject to ruin or theft, whereas treasures in heaven never wear out and are not subject to theft (Matthew 6:19–20). The apostle John, a devoted follower of Jesus, counseled believers to invest their lives in doing God's will instead of spending their lives in worldly pursuits. He wrote: "The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:17). Proverbs 23:4–5 depicts wealth as flying away as soon as a person tries to look at it.

Psalm 39:1–7 begins with David determining to remain silent so his words will not reflect poorly on God. And yet, struggling not to respond to wicked people created frustration. To ease this, David asks God for a reminder of man's limited lifespan and power. Life is incredibly short. All human effort is nothing compared to the power of God. Those who scrabble for earthly things do so pointlessly. Rather than hoping or despairing because of other people, David places his trust in the Lord. James 4:13–16 parallels David's thoughts about the brevity of life.

David chooses not to speak in the presence of certain evil people. This might have been to avoid slander, or to not speak unfairly about God. In frustration, David calls on God to adjust his perspective. He asks to be reminded of life's brevity; the Lord's infinite perspective makes our troubles seem small. David acknowledges his sin and that God has disciplined him. Even so, he places all his hope in the Lord.

This psalm is related to Psalm 38. Both focus on David's response to sin and the hardships which life brings. Rather than speaking out against wicked people, David asks God to remind him of the brevity of life. Job 7:16–17 parallels the themes found in this psalm. Likewise does Psalm 90. No specific incident is tied to this writing, but it may have been inspired by David's sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:7–9).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.