David’s prayer laments his suffering. It is not the suffering that hurts him, but the fact that he is saddened to be interrupted in his Torah study. Man’s days are short. No time should be lost without studying the Torah. David wants to be released from his suffering so that he can study the Torah and have a place in the World to Come.
- Text Psalm 39
- Hebrew text Psalm 39 – תהילים לט
- Listen to Psalm 39
- Explanation of Psalm 39 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
- Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 39
- Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
- Psalm 1 to 92
Text Psalm 39
I had decided: I must control myself and guard my tongue from sin, tying my mouth with a muzzle in the midst of people without G-d or commandment. And I said nothing, not a word, I remained silent and found no relief, I felt more and more pain. It burned within me, with my sighs a fire flared up and my tongue began to speak.
…Hear my prayer, O Lord, listen to my cry for help, do not be deaf to my sorrow, for I am a stranger, your guest, as my ancestors were. Turn away Your punishing gaze from me, and I will experience joy before I pass away and am no more.
Hebrew text Psalm 39 – תהילים לט
A for the victory of Lyditon (Lyduton) a psalm to David. I said I will guard my ways from sin in tongues, I will guard my mouth against a wicked enemy. C. I became a widow, silent, I felt better and my pain became cloudy. D My heart is warm in my heart, in my meditation, a fire will burn, I will speak with my tongue. Yahweh inform me of my days and the length of my days. And behold, you have given me my hands and my heart, how shall we stand against you, so that all the vanities and all the people will stand as a basket. Z Thus-in-the-tzelem-will-one-walk-such-hebel-will-accumulate-and-he-does-not-know-who-gathered-them. 8 And now what I hoped for, Lord, I hope for you. 9 Of all the criminals, the savior is the disgrace of the scoundrel, the one who saves me. I am a widow, I will not open my mouth because you did. O remove from me your touch from the teasing of your hand I am exhausted. 12 By rebuking iniquity, you will remove a person and melt away the sweet anger of the vanity of every person. 13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and my prayer, listen to my tears; do not be silent, for I will dwell with you, as all my fathers did. The hand of the seven is from me and I will oblige before I go and I am not.
Listen to Psalm 39
Listen to Psalm 39 in Hebrew.
Explanation of Psalm 39 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
David remains silent. That may seem cowardly, but it is in fact a heroic act. A lot of injustice happens. Everything is painful but David advises us to remain quiet. When we focus on G-d we feel the warmth of prayer. David is not silent because he is indifferent. He focuses all his energy on G-d and now his tongue can speak. David is not rendered speechless by the foolishness around him. No one knows when his days are numbered. Everything is in G-d’s hands. One gift is ours: to speak these truths with the warmth of true conviction.
We sometimes seem so superficial by chasing big things. But do we know what tomorrow brings? It’s all a facade. What is reality is doing a mitzvah and studying Torah. David asks for this spiritual energy.
Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 39
Per verse the commentary of Rashi, the Jewish Bible commentator who lived from 1040-1105. Rashi is considered the teacher of teachers. All traditional Jews regard Rashi as an authority on the Jewish Bible and Talmud. Hence it is important to record his commentary on the Psalms. Rashi uses new Hebrew supplemented with Old French words. His language is sometimes somewhat oracularly short. For further explanation it is wise to consult an orthodox Jewish rabbi.
Verse 1
For the conductor, to Jeduthun, a song of David.
to Jeduthun : The name of one of the singers, and there was also a musical instrument called Jeduthun. According to the Midrash Aggada (Song Rabbah 4:1 [4]): concerning the edicts (דתות) and concerning the distressing laws and decrees issued against Israel.
Verse 2
I said, ,I will guard my ways from sinning with my tongue; I will guard my mouth [as with] a muzzle, while the evil man is yet before me.,
I said: ,I will guard my ways : As for us, we had in mind to keep a watch on ourselves with all the troubles that befall us, nor to criticize or speak harshly of the divine attribute of righteousness, although the wicked who oppress standing before us.
a muzzle : Hebrew מחסם, as (in Deuteronomy 25:4): You shall not cut out an ox, amusement in Old French (תחסם). And I made myself silent many days. We were also silent from ‘ good’, even from words of Torah, because of their fear of them, our pain was so intense and frightening. When we were silent, our heart was hot within us and in the thought of our heart it burns within us like fire. That ensures that we speak with our tongue (in silencenot in all editions) before You, and this is what we say: ,O Lord, let us know our end., How long will we be in distress and let us know when it will be over.
Verse 6
Behold, You have made my days as the breadth of a hand, and my old age is as nothing before You: surely all vanity is in every man; this is his condition forever.
See…handbreadths : The days of man are measured as something measured by handbreadths; so are the days of man limited.
and my old age : Hebrew וחלדי, and our old age is as nothing to you. חלד is an expression of rust (חלודה), rodijl in Old French; rust, old age.
every man : his life and his condition are vanity.
Verse 7
Man walks in darkness; all they move is but vanity; he collects yet he does not know who will bring them in.
but in the darkness : Hebrew בצלם, in the dark. Dunash explained it as an expression of darkness (צלמות) (Teshuvoth Dunash p. 89), but Menachem (p. 150) explained it as a real image, as (in Genesis 9:6) for in the image of G-d man made. ‘His view, however, is impossible.
all they move is but vanity : All their excitement and lust.
he gathers grain in the field every day of harvest.
yet he knoweth not who shall bring them in : He knoweth not who shall gather them into the house; perhaps he dies before the ingathering.
Verse 8
And now what have I hoped for, O Lord? My hope for You is;
And now, what did I hope for? : What is the request I ask and hope of you? It is only that You save me from my transgressions.
Verse 9
Deliver me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of an ignorant man.
do not reproach me with ignorant Esau. Also bring him torments and pains, so that he cannot say to me, “You suffer, and we suffer not.” This prayer was instrumental in bringing the pains of disease upon the nations.
Verse 10
I have become dumb; I will not open my mouth because You have done it.
because You have done it : For You have caused us more trouble than all nations.
Verse 11
Remove Your misery from me; from the fear of Your hand I lose.
from the fear of Your hand : Hebrew מתגרת, from the fear of Your blows. תגרת is an expression of (Numbers 22:3): “And Moab was terrified (וַיָגָר).” The ,tav, is a defective radical in the word, such as תנובה, produces; תלונה, complaint; תקומה, restoration; תכונה, characteristic. This is how Menachem explained it, but I maintain that תגרת is not an expression of מָגוֹר, fear, because he should have said תגוּרה as he says from: וישב (and he came back) תשוּבה, [from] ויקם, וירם and ו ילן: תקוּמה , תרוּמה and תלוּנה, so he must say of ויגר, תגוּלה or מגוּרה as (above 31:14, Jeremiah 20:3): ,terror (מגור) from every side,; (Isaiah 66:4) “and their fears (ומגורתם) which I will bring.” Thus you learn that מתגרת is nothing other than (II Chronicles 25:19): ,Why should you (תתגרה) cause calamity?,; (Deuteronomy 2:5), “do not provoke them (תתגרו),” in which case the verb גרה is like קוה, to hope; אוה, to covet; צוה, to command, whose noun is תקוה, תאוה, מצוה. So it is said of גרה, תגרה, and this is the explanation: I perish from the blows of Your hand, with which You fight against me.
Verse 12
You have chastened man with reproof for unrighteousness; You have caused his flesh to decay as if by a moth. Surely the whole man is vanity forever.
With rebukes : which are written in the Torah for our iniquities which we have sinned before You and for which You have chastised us.
You have caused his flesh to rot : You have caused our flesh to rot like a moth-eaten garment. Hebrew חמודו means his flesh, which is his desire (חמדתו).
Verse 14
Turn away from me, that I may be restored, before I go and be no more.,
Turn away from me : Loose Your hand to smite me.
to restore : Hebrew ואבלגה, that I may recover my strength.
Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
In many articles on InfoNu we have already explained the importance of Torah study. When we know that Creation was made on the basis of the Torah, we realize all too well that everything revolves around Torah study. That is why the Messiah will also teach the world the Torah and the Noahide commandments.
Anyone who wants to study Torah in a structured way and does not yet have much experience with it can use the Chabad website. Here is, among other things, the daily study center where you know exactly on which day which Torah portions you should study, recite Psalms, and learn even more things. The Tanja, an important book of Chabad Chassidism, is also discussed every day. It is possible to read the texts, but you can also listen to audio recordings. Every week a Parsha (Torah portion) is discussed by different Rabbis. They explain in great detail how we should understand the Torah.
The Chabad site offers much more. There are thousands of audio and video recordings on all kinds of topics: Kabbalah, holidays, Talmud, Mishna, spirituality , etc. If you regularly listen to these recordings and possibly watch them, you will gain a lot of knowledge. The Internet thus becomes a very nice medium for studying Torah.
Do not be deterred by the fact that you may have little knowledge of Judaism. There are different levels. If you do not yet have much knowledge of the Torah, you can start with the parts intended for children. These recordings and texts are also very educational for adults. Women also get their money’s worth with topics specifically aimed at them, such as marriage, family, education, but also Torah study especially provided by women.
The more regularly you use the Chabad website, the more you will be able to delve into the Torah. You will find that the Torah is infinite and tells you everything you need to know about life. The Torah is life.
Our days are short, as David noted. We should not waste time on superficial matters. We must fully commit ourselves to the Torah and become a partner with G-d in the completion of Creation.
Psalm 1 to 92
Would you like to read more Psalms with a Jewish interpretation? Go to: Psalms 1 through 92.