Psalm 39 12

Psalm 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.

Psalm 39:12 nkjv

"Hear my prayer, O LORD, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

Psalm 39:12 niv

"Hear my prayer, LORD, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. I dwell with you as a foreigner, a stranger, as all my ancestors were.

Psalm 39:12 esv

"Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.

Psalm 39:12 nlt

Hear my prayer, O LORD!
Listen to my cries for help!
Don't ignore my tears.
For I am your guest ?
a traveler passing through,
as my ancestors were before me.

Psalm 39 verses

Psalm 39 12 Meaning

Psalm 39:12 is a heartfelt, escalating plea from the psalmist, likely David, for God to intently listen and respond to his intense distress and profound sorrow, marked by tears. The plea is founded on the deep theological understanding that he is but a temporary resident and an outsider on Earth, similar to all his ancestors, emphasizing humanity's transient nature and complete dependence on God as their true and ultimate host.

Psalm 39 12 Context

Psalm 39:12 is a pivotal and intense plea within a psalm that opens with the psalmist's silent struggle and resolves into a lament. The psalmist begins by vowing to be silent under his affliction, to avoid sinning with his tongue (v. 1-2). However, his inner turmoil becomes too great to contain, and he eventually speaks (v. 3). His contemplation then shifts to the brevity of human life, acknowledging its transient and vaporous nature (v. 4-6) and confessing that his only true hope is in the Lord (v. 7). He then petitions God for deliverance from his transgressions and from the reproach he suffers (v. 8-11), recognizing God's discipline. Verse 12 is the climax of this passionate appeal, where the psalmist fully pours out his heart, using his transient earthly status as a profound justification for his urgent cry for divine intervention before his time runs out.

Historically and culturally, the concept of the "stranger" (Hebrew: ger) was significant in ancient Israel. Mosaic law mandated care and hospitality for foreigners and sojourners, reminding the Israelites of their own time as aliens in Egypt. By identifying himself as a ger and toshav (temporary dweller) before God, David is not merely stating a physical condition but drawing upon this theological and legal framework, appealing to God as the divine Host. This confession acknowledges that his life on earth is a temporary assignment in God's domain, making him fully dependent on God's protection and provision, just as an ancient traveler depended on the hospitality of the one whose land he temporarily occupied.

Psalm 39 12 Word analysis

• Hear (שְׁמַע, Shema): This imperative carries strong connotations of attentive listening, but more profoundly, of heeding and acting upon what is heard. It’s a call for active engagement, not mere auditory perception.
• my prayer (תְּפִלָּתִי, tefillati): Refers to a specific, intimate supplication or plea offered directly to God.
• O LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): The divine covenant name, underscoring the psalmist's personal relationship with the God who made promises and faithfully keeps them.
• and give ear (הַאֲזִינָה, Ha'azina): An intensified synonym for "hear," meaning to incline the ear, to listen closely, to pay utmost attention. It conveys a sense of earnest urgency and desperation for divine attention.
• unto my cry (רִנָּתִי, rinnati): This noun can refer to a joyous shout but here signifies a loud cry of deep anguish, pain, or lament. It denotes an emotional outburst, signifying distress that cannot be contained.
• hold not thy peace (אַל-תֶּחֱרַשׁ, al-tekherash): An emphatic negative imperative, meaning "do not be silent," "do not remain unresponsive," or "do not deafen yourself." It highlights the psalmist's profound distress over God's perceived non-response or silence in his suffering, a common theme in lament psalms. It is a desperate plea for God to intervene and speak.
• at my tears (דִּמְעָתִי, dim'ati): Represents a raw, visible manifestation of overwhelming sorrow and pain when words are insufficient. Tears are presented as silent prayers themselves, which God is implored to observe and respond to.
• for (כִּי, ki): A conjunction introducing the reason, justification, or basis for the preceding fervent pleas.
• I am (אֲנִי, ani): Emphatic first-person singular pronoun, placing direct personal weight on the statement.
• a stranger (גֵּר, ger): A "resident alien" or "foreigner"; one living temporarily in a land that is not his or her own, without native rights, and utterly dependent on the hospitality of the host. This implies vulnerability and a need for protection.
• with thee (עִמָּךְ, immach): Critically important phrase. It clarifies that the psalmist is not a stranger wandering aimlessly, but a stranger in relation to God. This places him under God's divine care and hospitality, implying a unique host-guest relationship rooted in covenant.
• and a sojourner (תּוֹשָׁב, toshav): Similar to ger, this term emphasizes the temporary nature of dwelling or residence. It underscores the fleeting, non-permanent existence on earth.
• as (כְּ, ke): A comparative particle, "like" or "just as."
• all my fathers (כָּל-אֲבוֹתָי, kol-avotay): Refers not just to immediate ancestors but broadly to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and the lineage of the faithful who also understood their earthly lives as temporary pilgrimages towards an ultimate homeland.
• were (הָיוּ, hayu): The verb "to be," indicating past existence.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears": This tripartite clause illustrates a deepening spiral of human distress and a mounting intensity in the psalmist's appeal. It begins with a general request for God to "hear" a spoken "prayer," escalates to "give ear" to an anguished "cry," and culminates in a desperate plea for God to not remain "silent" in the face of raw, inarticulate "tears." It moves from verbal petition to visible, desperate emotional expression, demanding active, vocal intervention from God against His perceived absence or silence.
• "for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were": This section provides the foundational theological and existential reason for the preceding plea. It's a profound declaration of human transience and dependence. The psalmist identifies with the biblical lineage of faith (patriarchs and ancestors) who perceived their earthly existence not as a permanent residence but as a temporary sojourn. The phrase "with thee" is crucial, transforming a lament of isolation into an affirmation of relationship; the psalmist is a stranger with God, implying that God Himself is the divine host responsible for his guest. This universalized human condition is the basis for seeking God's attention and provision, anticipating a permanent spiritual home that is not of this world.

Psalm 39 12 Bonus section

• God as the Divine Host: The theological undercurrent of Psalm 39:12 suggests God's responsibility to care for the "stranger" and "sojourner" residing with Him on His earth (Lev 25:23). This concept deepens the meaning of God's covenant loyalty and provision for His people who are always pilgrims on this temporal earth.
• Eschatological Fulfillment: This verse finds its profound fulfillment and spiritual echo in the New Testament's understanding of Christian life as a spiritual pilgrimage. Believers are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth," explicitly seeking "a better country, that is, an heavenly" (Heb 11:13-16; 1 Pet 2:11). Thus, David's lament becomes a foundational hope for an ultimate, eternal home with God.
• Universal Human Condition: While written from David's personal suffering, the verse articulates a universal human experience of vulnerability, transience, and dependence. Every person, regardless of their earthly status, is ultimately a temporary sojourner under God's dominion, reinforcing the need for reliance on divine grace.
• The Problem of Divine Silence: The plea "hold not thy peace" highlights a recurrent motif in the Psalms: the anguished cry of the righteous who feel unheard or ignored by God during intense suffering. This paradox of a loving, attentive God appearing silent to the afflicted is central to lament and expresses the deep human longing for God's active, vocal presence in their trials.

Psalm 39 12 Commentary

Psalm 39:12 captures the raw human cry to a seemingly silent God, framed within the understanding of life's brevity. The psalmist, through layers of intensifying requests—from prayer to cry to tears—implores God to break His perceived quietness and act. This fervent appeal is not an entitled demand but springs from a posture of profound humility and self-awareness: the psalmist acknowledges himself as a transient being, a mere guest or resident alien on Earth. By referencing "all my fathers," he connects his personal experience to the broader historical journey of faith, where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob similarly confessed their pilgrim status. This identity as a "stranger and sojourner with thee" shifts the dynamic; it means God is the ultimate Host. The plea then becomes an invocation of God's divine character and His covenantal hospitality, seeking His protective, responsive care for one utterly dependent on His grace. It teaches us to frame our desperation and vulnerability not as a sign of weakness, but as an opportunity to cling more deeply to God, recognizing our true, temporary nature and His eternal, constant presence.

• Practical Usage Example: When facing overwhelming sorrow or instability in life, remember that earthly permanence is an illusion. Frame your cry to God as a "sojourner," appealing to His nature as the faithful Host who provides for His temporary dwellers until their eternal home is reached. Your tears are known to Him, and He is called upon not to be silent.