Psalm 39:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

NIV: For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. I said, 'I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.'

NASB: I said, 'I will keep watch over my ways So that I do not sin with my tongue; I will keep watch over my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence.'

CSB: I said, "I will guard my ways so that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are in my presence."

NLT: I said to myself, 'I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.'

KJV: {To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.} 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.

NKJV: {To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.} I said, “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.”

This psalm does not explain exactly why David is struggling. This first verse suggests that he is being confronted with wicked people, possibly critics or enemies. If these events were triggered by David's sin (Psalm 39:8–11) he would have multiple reasons for distress. David's concern about his speech likely comes in two forms. In one way, he would have worried that his words towards these wicked ones would be unfair; they might provide further reason to claim offense. In another, David may have been worried that his anger would cause him to speak wrongly of God, or about God.

Rather than speaking words which would be regretted later, David has committed to being silent. A "muzzle" is attached to an animal's face to keep it from biting. In the spirit of passages such as James 3:1–5, David chooses to restrain his speech rather than risk losing control. It can be exceedingly difficult to choose silence, but this is often the best option when dealing with irrational, immoral people (Proverbs 10:19; 17:28; Matthew 7:6; Titus 3:9–11). David's own son, Solomon, would later write about the need for such discernment. Ecclesiastes 3:7 says there is "a time to keep silence, and a time to speak."

Perhaps David felt like Asaph, who had doubts about God's fairness. Asaph suffered but saw evil people experiencing success. Those doubts shook his faith. He said, "But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked" (Psalm 73:2–3). Later in psalm 73, Asaph remembers the fate of wicked people. In psalm 39, David remembers his own limitations, to soothe his urge to lash out at wicked people.

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.