The Meaning of Psalms 39:12 Explained

Psalms 39:12

KJV: 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.

YLT: Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And to my cry give ear, Unto my tear be not silent, For a sojourner I am with Thee, A settler like all my fathers.

Darby: Hear my prayer, Jehovah, and give ear unto my cry; be not silent at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, a sojourner, like all my fathers.

ASV: Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and give ear unto my cry; Hold not thy peace at my tears: For I am a stranger with thee, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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]. 

What does Psalms 39:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 39:1-13 - The Fleeting Measure Of Our Days
In the opening verses David describes the circumstances out of which this psalm arose. The presence and prosperity of the wicked stirred him to the depths, but he carefully refrained from speech. There are hot moments in our lives, when we do well not to say what is in our hearts. But if our feelings demand a vent, let us get alone and speak out our hearts to God. A softer tone settles on heart and tongue, when we reach His holy presence.
How frail we are, not only in our life, but in our moods! We need not fear men; they are but for a moment; as a breath that curls up in the frosty air, or as a shadow sweeping across the mountainside. Only God abides. Man is vanity; his pride and beauty are like a bursting soap-bubble; he is a stranger and pilgrim along this bank and shoal of time. But the child of the Eternal God is a guest with him, Psalms 39:12. He travels in our company. He makes Himself responsible for our well-being. He will bring us safely home as He did all our "fathers." [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 39

1  David's care of his thoughts
4  The consideration of the brevity and vanity of life
7  the reverence of God's judgments
10  and prayer, are his bridles of impatience

What do the individual words in Psalms 39:12 mean?

Hear my prayer Yahweh and to my cry give ear at my tears not do be silent for a stranger I [am] with You a sojourner as all my fathers [were]
שִֽׁמְעָ֥ה־ תְפִלָּתִ֨י ׀ יְהוָ֡ה וְשַׁוְעָתִ֨י ׀ הַאֲזִינָה֮ אֶֽל־ דִּמְעָתִ֗י אַֽל־ תֶּ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ כִּ֤י גֵ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י עִמָּ֑ךְ תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב כְּכָל־ אֲבוֹתָֽי

שִֽׁמְעָ֥ה־  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
תְפִלָּתִ֨י ׀  my  prayer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
יְהוָ֡ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְשַׁוְעָתִ֨י ׀  and  to  my  cry 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שַׁוְעָה  
Sense: cry for help.
הַאֲזִינָה֮  give  ear 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אָזַן  
Sense: to hear, listen.
אֶֽל־  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
דִּמְעָתִ֗י  my  tears 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: דִּמְעָה  
Sense: tears.
תֶּ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ  do  be  silent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָרַשׁ 
Sense: to cut in, plough, engrave, devise.
גֵ֣ר  a  stranger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּר  
Sense: sojourner.
אָנֹכִ֣י  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
עִמָּ֑ךְ  with  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב  a  sojourner 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תֹּושָׁב  
Sense: sojourner, stranger.
כְּכָל־  as  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲבוֹתָֽי  my  fathers  [were] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.