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Selected Verse: Psalms 39:12 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Ps 39:12 |
Strong Concordance |
Hear [08085] my prayer [08605], O LORD [03068], and give ear [0238] unto my cry [07775]; hold not thy peace [02790] at my tears [01832]: for I am a stranger [01616] with thee, and a sojourner [08453], as all my fathers [01] were. |
|
King James |
Hear 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. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Consonant with the tenor of the Psalm, he prays for God's compassionate regard to him as a stranger here; and that, as such was the condition of his fathers, so, like them, he may be cheered instead of being bound under wrath and chastened in displeasure. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry - That is, in view of my affliction and my sins; in view, also, of the perplexing questions which have agitated my bosom; the troublous thoughts which passed through my soul, which I did not dare to express before man Psa 39:1-2, but which I have now expressed before thee.
Hold not thy peace - Be not silent. Do not refuse to answer me; to speak peace to me.
At my tears - Or rather, at my weeping; as if God heard the voice of his weeping. Weeping, if uncomplaining, is of the nature of prayer, for God regards the sorrows of the soul as he sees them. The weeping penitent, the weeping sufferer, is one on whom we may suppose God looks with compassion, even though the sorrows of the soul do not find "words" to give utterance to them. Compare the notes at Job 16:20. See also Rom 8:26,
For I am a stranger - The word used - גר gêr - means properly a sojourner; a foreigner; a man living out of his own country: Gen 15:13; Exo 2:22. It refers to a man who has no permanent home in the place or country where he now is; and it is used here as implying that, in the estimation of the psalmist himself, he had no permanent abode on earth. He was in a strange or foreign land. He was passing to a permanent home; and he prays that God would be merciful to him as to a man who has no home - no permanent abiding place - on earth. Compare the notes at Heb 11:13; notes at Pe1 2:11.
And a sojourner - This word has substantially the same signification. It denotes one living in another country, without the rights of a citizen.
As all my fathers were - All my ancestors. The allusion is doubtless derived from the fact that the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob thus lived as men who had no permanent home here - who had no possession of soil in the countries where they sojourned - and whose whole life, therefore, was an illustration of the fact that they were "on a journey" - a journey to another world. Ch1 29:15 - "for we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers; our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding." Compare the notes at Heb 11:13-15. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
(Heb.: 39:13-14) Finally, the poet renews the prayer for an alleviation of his sufferings, basing it upon the shortness of the earthly pilgrimage. The urgent שׁמעה is here fuller toned, being שׁמעה.
(Note: So Heidenheim and Baer, following Abulwald, Efodi, and Mose ha-Nakdan. The Masoretic observation לית קמץ חטף, "only here with Kametzchateph," is found appended in codices. This Chatephkametz is euphonic, as in לקחה, Gen 2:23, and in many other instances that are obliterated in our editions, vid., Abulwald, חרקמה ס, p. 198, where even מטּהרו = מטּהרו, Psa 89:45, is cited among these examples (Ges. 10, 2 rem.).)
Side by side with the language of prayer, tears even appear here as prayer that is intelligible to God; for when the gates of prayer seem to be closed, the gates of tears still remain unclosed (שׁערי דמעות לא ננעלו), B. Berachoth 32b. As a reason for his being heard, David appeals to the instability and finite character of this earthly life in language which we also hear from his own lips in Ch1 29:15. גּר is the stranger who travels about and sojourns as a guest in a country that is not his native land; תּושׁב is a sojourner, or one enjoying the protection of the laws, who, without possessing any hereditary title, has settled down there, and to whom a settlement is allotted by sufferance. The earth is God's; that which may be said of the Holy Land (Lev 25:23) may be said of the whole earth; man has no right upon it, he only remains there so long as God permits him. כּכל־אבותי glances back even to the patriarchs (Gen 47:9, cf. Psa 23:4). Israel is, it is true, at the present time in possession of a fixed dwelling-place, but only as the gift of his God, and for each individual it is only during his life, which is but a handbreadth long. May Jahve, then - so David prays - turn away His look of wrath from him, in order that he may shine forth, become cheerful or clear up, before he goes hence and it is too late. השׁע is imper. apoc. Hiph. for השׁעה (in the signification of Kal), and ought, according to the form הרב, properly to be השׁע; it is, however, pointed just like the imper. Hiph. of שׁעע in Isa 6:10, without any necessity for explaining it as meaning obline (oculos tuos) = connive (Abulwald), which would be an expression unworthy of God. It is on the contrary to be rendered: look away from me; on which compare Job 7:19; Job 14:6; on אבליגה cf. ib. Job 10:20; Job 9:27; on אלך בּטרם, ib.Job 10:21; on ואיננּי, ib. Job 7:8, Job 7:21. The close of the Psalm, consequently, is re-echoed in many ways in the Book of Job The Book of Job is occupied with the same riddle as that with which this Psalm is occupied. But in the solution of it, it advances a step further. David does not know how to disassociate in his mind sin and suffering, and wrath and suffering. The Book of Job, on the contrary, thinks of suffering and love together; and in the truth that suffering also, even though it be unto death, must serve the highest interests of those who love God, it possesses a satisfactory solution. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
A stranger - I am only in my journey or passage to my real home, which is in the other world. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Hear my prayer - Therefore, O Lord, show that mercy upon me which I so much need, and without which I must perish everlastingly.
I am a stranger with thee - I have not made this earth my home; I have not trusted in any arm but thine. Though I have sinned, I have never denied thee, and never cast thy words behind my back. I knew that here I had no continuing city. Like my fathers, I looked for a city that has permanent foundations, in a better state of being. |
13 These [3778] all [3956] died [599] in [2596] faith [4102], not [3361] having received [2983] the promises [1860], but [235] having seen [1492] them [846] afar off [4207], and [2532] were persuaded of [3982] them, and [2532] embraced [782] them, and [2532] confessed [3670] that [3754] they were [1526] strangers [3581] and [2532] pilgrims [3927] on [1909] the earth [1093].
14 For [1063] they that say [3004] such things [5108] declare plainly [1718] that [3754] they seek [1934] a country [3968].
15 And [2532] truly [3303], if [1487] they had been mindful [3421] of that [1565] country from [575] whence [3739] they came out [1831], they might [302] have had [2192] opportunity [2540] to have returned [344].
15 For we are strangers [01616] before [06440] thee, and sojourners [08453], as were all our fathers [01]: our days [03117] on the earth [0776] are as a shadow [06738], and there is none abiding [04723].
11 Dearly beloved [27], I beseech [3870] you as [5613] strangers [3941] and [2532] pilgrims [3927], abstain from [567] fleshly [4559] lusts [1939], which [3748] war [4754] against [2596] the soul [5590];
13 These [3778] all [3956] died [599] in [2596] faith [4102], not [3361] having received [2983] the promises [1860], but [235] having seen [1492] them [846] afar off [4207], and [2532] were persuaded of [3982] them, and [2532] embraced [782] them, and [2532] confessed [3670] that [3754] they were [1526] strangers [3581] and [2532] pilgrims [3927] on [1909] the earth [1093].
22 And she bare [03205] him a son [01121], and he called [07121] his name [08034] Gershom [01647]: for he said [0559], I have been a stranger [01616] in a strange [05237] land [0776].
13 And he said [0559] unto Abram [087], Know [03045] of a surety [03045] that thy seed [02233] shall be a stranger [01616] in a land [0776] that is not theirs, and shall serve [05647] them; and they shall afflict [06031] them four [0702] hundred [03967] years [08141];
26 [1161] Likewise [5615] the Spirit [4151] also [2532] helpeth [4878] our [2257] infirmities [769]: for [1063] we know [1492] not [3756] what [5101] we should pray for [4336] as [2526] we ought [1163]: but [235] the Spirit [4151] itself [846] maketh intercession [5241] for [5228] us [2257] with groanings [4726] which cannot be uttered [215].
20 My friends [07453] scorn [03887] me: but mine eye [05869] poureth out [01811] tears unto God [0433].
1 To the chief Musician [05329], even to Jeduthun [03038], A Psalm [04210] of David [01732]. I said [0559], I will take heed [08104] to my ways [01870], that I sin [02398] not with my tongue [03956]: I will keep [08104] my mouth [06310] with a bridle [04269], while the wicked [07563] is before me.
2 I was dumb [0481] with silence [01747], I held my peace [02814], even from good [02896]; and my sorrow [03511] was stirred [05916].
21 And why dost thou not pardon [05375] my transgression [06588], and take away [05674] mine iniquity [05771]? for now shall I sleep [07901] in the dust [06083]; and thou shalt seek me in the morning [07836], but I shall not be.
8 The eye [05869] of him that hath seen [07210] me shall see [07789] me no more: thine eyes [05869] are upon me, and I am not.
21 Before I go [03212] whence I shall not return [07725], even to the land [0776] of darkness [02822] and the shadow of death [06757];
27 If I say [0559], I will forget [07911] my complaint [07879], I will leave off [05800] my heaviness [06440], and comfort [01082] myself:
20 Are not my days [03117] few [04592]? cease [02308] [02308] then, and let me alone [07896] [07896], that I may take comfort [01082] a little [04592],
6 Turn [08159] from him, that he may rest [02308], till he shall accomplish [07521], as an hireling [07916], his day [03117].
19 How long [04100] wilt thou not depart [08159] from me, nor let me alone [07503] till I swallow down [01104] my spittle [07536]?
10 Make the heart [03820] of this people [05971] fat [08080], and make their ears [0241] heavy [03513], and shut [08173] their eyes [05869]; lest they see [07200] with their eyes [05869], and hear [08085] with their ears [0241], and understand [0995] with their heart [03824], and convert [07725], and be healed [07495].
4 Yea, though I walk [03212] through the valley [01516] of the shadow of death [06757], I will fear [03372] no evil [07451]: for thou art with me; thy rod [07626] and thy staff [04938] they comfort [05162] me.
9 And Jacob [03290] said [0559] unto Pharaoh [06547], The days [03117] of the years [08141] of my pilgrimage [04033] are an hundred [03967] and thirty [07970] years [08141]: few [04592] and evil [07451] have the days [03117] of the years [08141] of my life [02416] been, and have not attained [05381] unto the days [03117] of the years [08141] of the life [02416] of my fathers [01] in the days [03117] of their pilgrimage [04033].
23 The land [0776] shall not be sold [04376] for ever [06783]: for the land [0776] is mine; for ye are strangers [01616] and sojourners [08453] with me.
15 For we are strangers [01616] before [06440] thee, and sojourners [08453], as were all our fathers [01]: our days [03117] on the earth [0776] are as a shadow [06738], and there is none abiding [04723].
45 The days [03117] of his youth [05934] hast thou shortened [07114]: thou hast covered [05844] him with shame [0955]. Selah [05542].
23 And Adam [0120] said [0559], This [02063] is now [06471] bone [06106] of my bones [06106], and flesh [01320] of my flesh [01320]: she [02063] shall be called [07121] Woman [0802], because she [02063] was taken [03947] out of Man [0376].