Psalms

Psalm 39:4–6

4“Show me, O LORD, my end

and the measure of my days.

Let me know how fleeting my life is.

5You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths,

and my lifetime as nothing before You.

Truly each man at his best

exists as but a breath.

Selah

6Surely every man goes about like a phantom;

surely he bustles in vain;

he heaps up riches

not knowing who will haul them away.

Read all of Psalm 39

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Psalm 39:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Show meהוֹדִ֘יעֵ֤נִיhō·w·ḏî·‘ê·nîVerb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular; first person common singularH3045 know
O LORDיְהוָ֨ה׀Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
my endקִצִּ֗יqiṣ·ṣîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH7093 end
and the measureוּמִדַּ֣תū·mid·daṯConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular constructH4060 measure, measurement, stature, size, garment
of my daysיָמַ֣יyā·mayNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common singularH3117 day
Let me knowאֵ֝דְעָ֗ה’ê·ḏə·‘āhVerb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularH3045 know
howמַה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
fleetingחָדֵ֥לḥā·ḏêlAdjective - masculine singularH2310 forbearing, lacking
my life isאָֽנִי׃’ā·nîPronoun - first person common singularH589 I

Psalm 39:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Youהִנֵּ֤הhin·nêhInterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
indeedהִנֵּ֤הhin·nêhInterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
have madeנָ֘תַ֤תָּהnā·ṯat·tāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularH5414 give, put, set
my daysיָמַ֗יyā·mayNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common singularH3117 day
handbreadthsטְפָח֨וֹת׀ṭə·p̄ā·ḥō·wṯNoun - masculine pluralH2947 a span, hand-breadth
and my lifetimeוְחֶלְדִּ֣יwə·ḥel·dîConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH2465 duration, world
as nothingכְאַ֣יִןḵə·’a·yinPreposition-k; AdverbH369 nothing, nought
before Youנֶגְדֶּ֑ךָneḡ·de·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH5048 what is conspicuous or in front
Trulyאַ֥ךְ’aḵAdverbH389 surely
eachכָּֽל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
manאָ֝דָ֗ם’ā·ḏāmNoun - masculine singularH120 man, mankind
at his bestנִצָּ֥בniṣ·ṣāḇVerb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singularH5324 take one's stand, stand
exists as but a breathהֶ֥בֶלhe·ḇelNoun - masculine singularH1892 vapour, breath
Selahסֶֽלָה׃se·lāhInterjectionH5542 lift up

Psalm 39:6

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Surelyאַךְ־’aḵ-AdverbH389 surely
every manאִ֗ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
goes aboutיִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־yiṯ·hal·leḵ-Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH1980 go, come, walk
like a phantomבְּצֶ֤לֶם׀bə·ṣe·lemPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singularH6754 image
surelyאַךְ־’aḵ-AdverbH389 surely
he bustlesיֶהֱמָי֑וּןye·hĕ·mā·yūnVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; Paragogic nunH1993 murmur, growl, roar, be boisterous
in vainהֶ֥בֶלhe·ḇelNoun - masculine singularH1892 vapour, breath
he heaps upיִ֝צְבֹּ֗רyiṣ·bōrVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH6651 heap up
notוְֽלֹא־wə·lō-Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
knowingיֵדַ֥עyê·ḏa‘Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH3045 know
whoמִי־mî-InterrogativeH4310 who?
will haul them awayאֹסְפָֽם׃’ō·sə·p̄āmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH622 gather, remove

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Psalm 39:4 Psalm 90:12 · Psalm 103:14 · Psalm 119:84 · Job 14:13

Psalm 39:5 Psalm 144:4 · Psalm 89:47 · Psalm 90:9–10 · Psalm 62:9 · Ecclesiastes 2:11 · Psalm 39:11 · Job 14:1–2 · James 4:14 · Psalm 90:4–5 · Job 9:25–26 · Job 7:6 · Genesis 47:9

Psalm 39:6 Luke 12:20–21 · Ecclesiastes 2:26 · James 4:14 · 1 Corinthians 7:31 · Ecclesiastes 12:13 · Psalm 127:2 · Ecclesiastes 2:17–21 · Ecclesiastes 4:7–8 · Luke 12:29 · Ecclesiastes 5:14 · 1 Peter 5:7 · Ecclesiastes 6:11–12

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.