Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
Psalm 39:5 answers David’s prayer in the preceding verse: “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am” (v.4). He has restrained his tongue before the wicked, carried his burning sorrow to God, and now reckons honestly with the brevity of life. Verse 5 is prayerful confession spoken directly before God: David acknowledges that his days are short, his lifetime is as nothing before Him, and every man at his best state is altogether vanity. The verse belongs to worship because it humbles man before his Maker and turns the heart from confidence in passing life to hope in God.
“Behold.” David calls attention to what he has learned. He had asked God to make him know the measure of his days, and now he looks directly at that measure. “Behold” arrests the mind. Men easily forget how short life is while making plans, gathering possessions, defending reputations, and postponing duties. Moses prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Wisdom numbers life according to God’s measure rather than man’s wishes.
“Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth.” David gives God the action. His lifetime is not self-appointed. “Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;” (Job 14:5). David’s days are like an handbreadth, a very small measure. In verse 4 he asked for the measure of his days; here he confesses how little that measure is before God.
This should destroy presumption about tomorrow. James warns those who confidently plan a year of buying, selling, and getting gain though they do not know what shall be on the morrow. “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). He then gives the proper confession: “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:15). The duty is not to abandon lawful planning, but to hold every plan beneath the will of God.
“And mine age is as nothing before thee.” David now places his whole lifetime before God. What seems substantial among men is as nothing when set before the everlasting God. Psalm 90 sets God’s everlasting existence against man’s brief life (Psalm 90:2-3), and declares, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). David does not say his life has no purpose. He confesses that its duration is exceedingly small before God.
The words “before thee” make the comparison searching. Men compare age, strength, achievement, and experience with other men and may think themselves established. David compares himself with God, and pride collapses. The creature is brief; the Creator remains. Therefore, a short life must not be wasted in sin, grudges, laziness, or worldly distraction. Paul commanded believers to redeem the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).
“Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” David broadens the confession from himself to all mankind. “Every man” leaves no exception. Rich and poor, ruler and servant, strong and weak, learned and simple all share the same frailty. Verse 6 continues the thought: man walks in a vain show, disquiets himself in vain, heaps up riches, and does not know who shall gather them.
The phrase “at his best state” makes the judgment stronger. David does not wait until man is sick, poor, old, defeated, or dying. Let him have health, strength, wealth, reputation, family, success, wisdom, and earthly honor. Even then he is altogether vanity. Psalm 62 agrees: “Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity” (Psalm 62:9). The point is not that life has no purpose, but that man is a passing creature and cannot safely trust in himself or anything that dies with him.
The New Testament sets Jesus Christ in direct contrast to this failing condition. Hebrews applies Psalm 102:25-27 to Him: “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail” (Hebrews 1:10-12). Man’s days are as an handbreadth; Christ’s years shall not fail. The eternal Word made all things and, when made flesh, entered our brief human life without ceasing to be the unchanging God.
“Selah.” Stop and consider what David has confessed. “LORD, make me to know mine end” (v.4), and two verses later he says, “And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee” (v.7). Number your days before God, set your hope in Him, and spend the little measure He has given you in His fear and service.
Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
Psalm 39:5 answers David’s prayer in the preceding verse: “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am” (v.4). He has restrained his tongue before the wicked, carried his burning sorrow to God, and now reckons honestly with the brevity of life. Verse 5 is prayerful confession spoken directly before God: David acknowledges that his days are short, his lifetime is as nothing before Him, and every man at his best state is altogether vanity. The verse belongs to worship because it humbles man before his Maker and turns the heart from confidence in passing life to hope in God.
“Behold.” David calls attention to what he has learned. He had asked God to make him know the measure of his days, and now he looks directly at that measure. “Behold” arrests the mind. Men easily forget how short life is while making plans, gathering possessions, defending reputations, and postponing duties. Moses prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Wisdom numbers life according to God’s measure rather than man’s wishes.
“Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth.” David gives God the action. His lifetime is not self-appointed. “Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;” (Job 14:5). David’s days are like an handbreadth, a very small measure. In verse 4 he asked for the measure of his days; here he confesses how little that measure is before God.
This should destroy presumption about tomorrow. James warns those who confidently plan a year of buying, selling, and getting gain though they do not know what shall be on the morrow. “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). He then gives the proper confession: “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:15). The duty is not to abandon lawful planning, but to hold every plan beneath the will of God.
“And mine age is as nothing before thee.” David now places his whole lifetime before God. What seems substantial among men is as nothing when set before the everlasting God. Psalm 90 sets God’s everlasting existence against man’s brief life (Psalm 90:2-3), and declares, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). David does not say his life has no purpose. He confesses that its duration is exceedingly small before God.
The words “before thee” make the comparison searching. Men compare age, strength, achievement, and experience with other men and may think themselves established. David compares himself with God, and pride collapses. The creature is brief; the Creator remains. Therefore, a short life must not be wasted in sin, grudges, laziness, or worldly distraction. Paul commanded believers to redeem the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).
“Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” David broadens the confession from himself to all mankind. “Every man” leaves no exception. Rich and poor, ruler and servant, strong and weak, learned and simple all share the same frailty. Verse 6 continues the thought: man walks in a vain show, disquiets himself in vain, heaps up riches, and does not know who shall gather them.
The phrase “at his best state” makes the judgment stronger. David does not wait until man is sick, poor, old, defeated, or dying. Let him have health, strength, wealth, reputation, family, success, wisdom, and earthly honor. Even then he is altogether vanity. Psalm 62 agrees: “Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity” (Psalm 62:9). The point is not that life has no purpose, but that man is a passing creature and cannot safely trust in himself or anything that dies with him.
The New Testament sets Jesus Christ in direct contrast to this failing condition. Hebrews applies Psalm 102:25-27 to Him: “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail” (Hebrews 1:10-12). Man’s days are as an handbreadth; Christ’s years shall not fail. The eternal Word made all things and, when made flesh, entered our brief human life without ceasing to be the unchanging God.
“Selah.” Stop and consider what David has confessed. “LORD, make me to know mine end” (v.4), and two verses later he says, “And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee” (v.7). Number your days before God, set your hope in Him, and spend the little measure He has given you in His fear and service.