Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 39:2
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, [even] from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
2. silence ] The word carries with it the idea of mute submission. Cp. Psa 62:1; Psa 37:7; Lam 3:26.
even from good ] I kept absolute silence, speaking neither good nor bad (Gen 31:24). Less probably as R.V. marg., and had no comfort.
my sorrow was stirred ] The effort to suppress his feelings only aggravated the pain. Cp. Psa 32:3. So Ovid, Trist. v. 1. 63, ‘Strangulat inclusus dolor atque exaestuat intus.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I was dumb with silence – Compare Psa 38:13. The addition of the words with silence, means that he was entirely or absolutely mute; he said nothing at all. The idea is, that he did not allow himself to give utterance to the thoughts which were passing in his mind in regard to the divine dealings. He kept his thoughts to himself, and endeavored to suppress them in his own bosom.
I held my peace, even from good – I said nothing. I did not even say what I might have said in vindication of the ways of God. I did not even endeavor to defend the divine character, or to explain the reasons of the divine dealings, or to suggest any considerations which would tend to calm down the feelings of complaint and dissatisfaction which might be rising in the minds of other men as well as my own.
And my sorrow was stirred – The anguish of my mind; my trouble. The word stirred here, rendered in the margin troubled, means that the very fact of attempting to suppress his feelings – the purpose to say nothing in the case – was the means of increased anguish. His trouble on the subject found no vent for itself in words, and at length it became so insupportable that he sought relief by giving utterance to his thoughts, and by coming to God to obtain relief. The state of mind referred to here is that which often occurs when a man broods over his own troubled thoughts, and dwells upon things which are in themselves improper and rebellious. We are under no necessity of endeavoring to vindicate the psalmist in what he here did; nor should we take his conduct in this respect as our example. He evidently himself, on reflection, regarded this as wrong; and recorded it not as a pattern for others, but as a faithful transcript of what was passing at the time through his own mind. Yet, wrong as it was, it was what often occurs even in the minds of good men. Even they, as in the cases referred to above, often have thoughts about God and his dealings which they do not dare to express, and which it would do harm to express. They, therefore, hide them in their own bosom, and often experience just what the psalmist did – increased trouble and perplexity from the very purpose to suppress them. They should go at once to God. They may say to him what it would not be proper to say to men. They may pour out all their feelings before him in prayer, with the hope that in such acts of praying, and in the answers which they will receive to their prayers, they may find relief.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 39:2
I was dumb with silence.
Silence: sinful and sacred
Was David right in keeping silence even from good? Matthew Henry remarks, Was it his wisdom that he refrained from good discourse when the wicked were before him, because he would not cast pearls before swine? I rather think it was his weakness. The same law which forbids all corrupt communications requires that which is good to the use of edifying. Commendable virtues may be practised so eagerly as to degenerate into vices. Silence may indicate the greatest strength of character, or the greatest weakness.
I. To be dumb with silence may be a great sin. It often involves–
1. Neglect of duty. Our tongues and voices were given us quite as much for the purpose of making vocal the praises of God, as to hold converse with one another. Shall we be so indebted to God for all His mercies and never render to Him our praise? Nature is ever vocal with adorations to our King. His praise finds expression on every hand, The birds warble it, in deep bass the seas roar it, the stars shine it, the flowers with sweet perfume breathe it, mighty winds and gentle zephyrs chant it, spring, summer, autumn, winter, are four choristers from which ascend but four parts of one glad anthem. And yet how often man remains dumb with guilty silence amid the myriad harmonious voices around him. We are often silent, also, when we should speak for God. We fear to confess Him though He calls upon us to be His witnesses. Oh, that you could feel the sin of your reticence; the criminality of sealed lips! A silent religion, or a speaking religion, Christian professor, which shall it be?
2. The permission afforded us of speaking for Christ should be looked upon in the light of a high privilege as well as a solemn duty. We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
3. Our sinful silence often involves a loss of personal blessing.
II. But silence is often a virtue. When David was overwhelmed with a sense of Gods mercy as expressed in Nathans message (2Sa 7:18), his sense of obligation to God was so great, that he felt his soul big with emotions to which he could scarce give expression, so he sat before the Lord, overpowered with the weight of blessing. Have not we often felt our souls tremulous with an adoration our lips could not express? When we have sought fellowship with our Lord in His sufferings and mused upon His unknown agonies. The silent growth and secret development of character is most acceptable to God. Many Christians are yielding Him greater praise by the silent yet mighty influence of a sanctified character, than others who are loud in talk yet less circumspect in life. All growth is silent. The tree rises year by year without any noise. Contrast the building of the tower of Babel and that of the temple, which, Like some tall palm the noiseless fabric sprung. Think, too, of silent prayer; and of sweet and gracious submission. How exalted is that Christians attainment who can be silent while man persecutes. To me no portion of the story of our Saviours life on earth is more convincing in its proof of His Deity than His submission to His cruel persecutors–When reviled, He reviled not again; when buffeted, He threatened not. Here is Divinity indeed. Omnipotence restrains omnipotence. Let us seek grace to imitate Him. (W. Williams.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 2. I held any peace, even from good] “I ceased from the words of the law,” says the Chaldee. I spoke nothing, either good or bad. I did not even defend myself.
My sorrow was stirred.] My afflictions increased, and I had an exacerbation of pain. It is a hard thing to be denied the benefit of complaint in sufferings, as it has a tendency to relieve the mind, and indeed, in some sort, to call off the attention from the place of actual suffering: and yet undue and extravagant complaining enervates the mind, so that it becomes a double prey to its sufferings. On both sides there are extremes: David seems to have steered clear of them on the right hand and on the left.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I was dumb with silence; I was so long and so obstinately silent, that I seemed to myself and to others to be dumb. Two words put together expressing the same thing, to aggravate or increase it. Or, I was dumb with quietness, i.e. not out of sullenness, but with submissiveness to Gods dispensations, which is oft noted by silence.
I held my peace, even from good; I forbore to speak what I justly might upon that occasion, lest the flood-gates of speech being once opened, and speech stirring up my passion, I should by degrees break forth into some indecent and sinful expressions, to the dishonour of God, the wounding of mine own conscience, and the offence of others. or this may be a proverbial speech, signifying strict silence; like that Gen 31:29, speak to him neither good nor bad, i.e. nothing at all, to wit, about that matter, to persuade him to return.
My sorrow was stirred; my silence did not assuage my grief, but increase it, as it naturally and commonly doth.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. even from good (Ge31:24), everything.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I was dumb with silence,…. Quite silent, as if he had been a dumb man, and could not speak; so he was before men, especially wicked men, and under the afflicting hand of God; see Ps 39:9; thus he put his resolution into practice;
I held my peace, [even] from good; that is, he said neither good nor bad: this expresses the greatness of his silence: he did not choose to open his lips, and say anything that was good, lest evil should come out along with it; though this may be considered as carrying the matter too far, even to a criminal silence; saying nothing of the affliction he laboured under as coming from the hand of God, and of his own desert of it; nor praying to God for the removal of it, nor giving him thanks for his divine goodness in supporting him under it, and making it useful to him; though it seems rather to have respect to his silence concerning the goodness of his cause before men; he said not one word in the vindication of himself; but committed his cause to him that judgeth righteously. The Targum and Jarchi interpret it of his silence and cessation “from the words of the law”: he said nothing concerning the good word of God; which sense, could it be admitted, the words in
Jer 20:9; might be compared with these and the following;
and my sorrow was stirred; this was the issue and effect of his silence; his sorrow being pent up, and not let out and eased by words, swelled and increased the more; or the sorrow of his heart was stirred up at the insults and reproaches of his enemies, as Paul’s spirit was stirred up by the superstition and idolatry of the city of Athens,
Ac 17:16.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. I was dumb in silence. He now declares that this resolution of which he has spoken had not been a mere passing and momentary thought, but that he had shown by his conduct that it was indeed a resolution deeply fixed in his heart. He says, then, that he held his peace for a time, just as if he had been deaf, which was a singular manifestation of his patience. When he thus determined to be silent, it was not such a resolution as persons of a changeable disposition, who scarcely ever know their own mind, and who can with difficulty be brought to carry their desires into effect, often make: he had long and steadfastly inured himself to the exercise of patience; and this he had done, not only by keeping silence but by making himself utterly dumb, as if he had been deprived of the power of speech. The expression from good is expounded by some in the sense that he not only refrained from uttering sinful and unadvised words, but also that he abstained from speaking on any subject whatever. Others think that he held his peace from good, either because, being overwhelmed with miseries and afflictions, he found no relief to whatever side he turned, or else, because, by reason of the greatness of his sorrow, he was unable to sing the praises of God. But in my opinion the natural sense is, that although he was able adequately to defend himself, and it could not be shown that he wanted just and proper grounds of complaint, yet he refrained from speaking of his own mere will. (63) He might have encountered the ungodly with a good defense of his own innocence, but he rather preferred to forego the prosecution of his righteous cause than indulge in any intemperate sorrow. He adds in the last clause of the verse, that although he thus restrained himself for a time, yet at length the violence of his grief broke through all the barriers which he had set to his tongue. If David, who was so valiant a champion, failed in the midst of his course, how much greater reason have we to be afraid lest we fall in like manner? He says that his sorrow was stirred, because, as we shall soon see, the ardor of his affections was inflamed so as to become tumultuous. Some render the phrase in this sense, that his sorrow was corrupted, as if his meaning were, that it became worse; just as we know that a wound becomes worse when it happens to putrify or fester: but this sense is forced.
(63) French and Skinner read, “I held my peace from good and bad.” In the Hebrew it is simply “from good;” but they observe, “This expression occurs frequently in Scripture, and it would seem, that owing to the constant use of it, one part only of the sentence has been here expressed. Thus, ‘Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad, ’ (Gen 31:24.) Again, ‘Absalom spake neither good nor bad, ’ (2Sa 13:22.”)
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Even from good.This interpretation, while following the LXX., Vulg., and most ancient versions, is suspicious, since the particle, rendered from, is not generally used in this sense after a verb expressing silence. Indeed there is only one instance which at all supports this rendering (1Ki. 22:3, margin). Nor does the context require or even admit it. If the bright side of things had been so evident that he could speak of it the Psalmist would not have feared reproach for doing so, nor was there cause for his silence as to the law, the rabbinical mode of explaining the passage. The obvious translation makes the clause parallel with that which follows: I held my peace without profit. My sorrow was increased, i.e., instead of lessening my grief by silence, I only increased it.
Stirred.The LXX. and Vulg. renewed, which is nearer the meaning than either the Authorised Version or margin.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 39:2. I was dumb with silence I was dumb in silence: I held my peace from what is good; but my pain was irritated: i.e. “I refrained from speaking what is good, from giving God the glory with relation to my illness, by acknowledging the greatness and justice of God, and the nothingness and sinfulness of man.” This seems to shew, that the reason why he would not speak at all before his enemies was, because he did not care to give them an occasion of triumph; as he must by acknowledging his own weakness and sin. But he could not bear this restraint; it grew worse and worse; and therefore he burst out, &c. Mudge. I have before observed, and it is especially remarkable in the poetical parts of Scripture, that the whole energy and beauty of the passages are frequently spoiled by the addition of connective and other particles which are not in the Hebrew. There is a remarkable instance in the next verse; which in the original is very expressive, My heart grew hot within meWhile I was musing, the fire flamed out:I spake with my tongue.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 39:2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, [even] from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
Ver. 2. I was dumb with silence ] As not willing either to open the mouths of those dead dogs or to cast pearls before those sensual swine.
I held my peace, even from good
And my sorrow was stirred
Hanc fraenis, hanc tu compesce catenis.
dumb: as if tongue-tied.
good. Perhaps the Ellipsis (App-6) may be supplied “from good [words]”. See P.B.V.
Psa 39:2
Psa 39:2
“I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred.”
David did indeed refrain from speaking, even many of the good things, which he might have said; and this is a hint that there might have been things “not so good,” which he thought, but did not speak; however we shall not attempt to supply the details on that, which are not in the text.
“And my sorrow was stirred” (Psa 39:2). “The attempt to suppress his feelings by not speaking of them provided no help at all but only increased his anguish.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 39:2. Even from good means that even when the facts would have been in his favor he refrained from “talking back.” This restraint caused his troubles to burn in him, yet for the better effect he practiced control of his mouth.
I was: Psa 38:13, Psa 38:14, Isa 53:7, Mat 27:12-14
even: Mat 7:6
my sorrow: Job 32:19, Job 32:20, Act 4:20
stirred: Heb. troubled
Reciprocal: Job 3:1 – opened Job 6:24 – I will Job 20:2 – my thoughts Ecc 3:7 – time to keep Jer 8:14 – be silent Mar 14:61 – he held Luk 23:9 – but Act 8:32 – opened Jam 1:26 – bridleth
Psa 39:2. I was dumb with silence Or, I was dumb in silence; two words expressing the same thing with greater force. I held my peace even from good I spake not a word, either good or bad, but remained, like a dumb man, in perfect silence. I refrained even from giving God the glory, with respect to my illness, by acknowledging his greatness and justice, and the nothingness and sinfulness of man. Perhaps the reason why he would not speak at all before his enemies was, because he was unwilling to give them an occasion of triumph, as he thought he should do if he acknowledged his weakness and sin. But he could not bear this restraint long; it became more and more grievous. My sorrow, he says, was stirred My silence did not assuage my grief, but increased it, as it naturally and commonly does. There is a time to keep silence, says Dr. Horne, because there are men who will not hear; there are tempers, savage and sensual, as those of swine, before whom evangelical pearls, or the treasures of heavenly wisdom, are not to be cast. This consideration stirreth up fresh grief and trouble in a pious and charitable heart.
39:2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, [even] from good; {c} and my sorrow was stirred.
(c) Though when the wicked ruled he thought to have kept silence, yet his zeal caused him to change his mind.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes