Psalm 39:2
New International Version
So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good. But my anguish increased;

New Living Translation
But as I stood there in silence— not even speaking of good things— the turmoil within me grew worse.

English Standard Version
I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse.

Berean Standard Bible
I was speechless and still; I remained silent, even from speaking good, and my sorrow was stirred.

King James Bible
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

New King James Version
I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; And my sorrow was stirred up.

New American Standard Bible
I was mute and silent, I refused to say even something good, And my pain was stirred up.

NASB 1995
I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse.

NASB 1977
I was dumb and silent, I refrained even from good; And my sorrow grew worse.

Legacy Standard Bible
I was mute with silence, I even kept silent from speaking good, And my anguish grew worse.

Amplified Bible
I was mute and silent [before my enemies], I refrained even from good, And my distress grew worse.

Christian Standard Bible
I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified.

American Standard Version
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; And my sorrow was stirred.

Contemporary English Version
I kept completely silent, but it did no good, and I hurt even worse.

English Revised Version
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I remained totally speechless. I kept silent, although it did me no good. While I was deep in thought, my pain grew worse.

Good News Translation
I kept quiet, not saying a word, not even about anything good! But my suffering only grew worse,

International Standard Version
I was as silent as a mute person; I said nothing, not even something good, and my distress deepened.

Majority Standard Bible
I was speechless and still; I remained silent, even from speaking good, and my sorrow was stirred.

NET Bible
I was stone silent; I held back the urge to speak. My frustration grew;

New Heart English Bible
I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.

Webster's Bible Translation
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

World English Bible
I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I was mute [with] silence, "" I kept silent from good, and my pain is excited.

Young's Literal Translation
I was dumb with silence, I kept silent from good, and my pain is excited.

Smith's Literal Translation
I was dumb with silence, I was silent from good, and my pain was moved.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I was dumb, and was humbled, and kept silence from good things : and my sorrow was renewed.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I was silenced and humbled, and I was quiet before good things, and my sorrow was renewed.

New American Bible
Mute and silent before the wicked, I refrain from good things. But my sorrow increases;

New Revised Standard Version
I was silent and still; I held my peace to no avail; my distress grew worse,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I was dumb and sorrowful, I was wretched, I held myself aloof, even from good; and my sorrow was multiplied.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I was dumb; I was sorrowful and grieved for what is good and my sorrow was agitated.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I was dumb with silence; I held my peace, had no comfort; And my pain was held in check.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I was dumb, and humbled myself, and kept silence from good words; and my grief was renewed.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Watch My Ways
1For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present.” 2I was speechless and still; I remained silent, even from speaking good, and my sorrow was stirred. 3My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:…

Cross References
James 1:19
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

Ecclesiastes 3:7
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

James 3:2
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.

Proverbs 17:27-28
A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit. / Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.

Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

Proverbs 21:23
He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress.

Matthew 12:36-37
But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. / For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Proverbs 13:3
He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.

1 Peter 3:10
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

Ecclesiastes 5:2
Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.

Matthew 5:37
Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

Proverbs 15:28
The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.

James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.


Treasury of Scripture

I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

I was

Psalm 38:13,14
But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth…

Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Matthew 27:12-14
And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing…

even

Matthew 7:6
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

my sorrow

Job 32:19,20
Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles…

Acts 4:20
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

stirred [heb.

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Anguish Avail Check Comfort Distress Dumb Excited Good Grew Held Increased Kept Moved Mute Pain Peace Refrained Silence Silent Sorrow Sound Stirred Word Worse
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Anguish Avail Check Comfort Distress Dumb Excited Good Grew Held Increased Kept Moved Mute Pain Peace Refrained Silence Silent Sorrow Sound Stirred Word Worse
Psalm 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














I was speechless and still
The psalmist begins by expressing a state of silence and stillness. The Hebrew root for "speechless" is "charash," which can mean to be silent or to hold one's peace. This word choice suggests a deliberate restraint, a conscious decision to refrain from speaking. In the context of ancient Israel, silence was often a sign of wisdom and reflection, as seen in other wisdom literature. The psalmist's stillness indicates a pause for contemplation, a moment to seek God's guidance rather than reacting impulsively.

I remained silent, even from good
Here, the psalmist emphasizes the extent of his silence, choosing not to speak even when it might have been beneficial or righteous to do so. The Hebrew word for "good" is "tov," which encompasses goodness, welfare, and moral integrity. This phrase suggests a deep internal struggle, where the psalmist refrains from speaking out of a desire to avoid sin or folly, even if it means withholding positive or constructive words. This reflects a profound trust in God's timing and wisdom, acknowledging that sometimes silence can be more powerful than words.

and my sorrow was stirred
The phrase "my sorrow was stirred" reveals the emotional turmoil within the psalmist. The Hebrew root "akar" for "stirred" implies being troubled or agitated. This suggests that the silence and restraint have not alleviated the psalmist's inner distress but have instead intensified it. In the historical context of the Psalms, this reflects the human experience of grappling with suffering and the challenge of maintaining faith amidst trials. The psalmist's sorrow is a reminder of the brokenness of the world and the longing for divine intervention and comfort.

(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 (1Kings 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.

Verse 2. - I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good. Some explain, "I held my peace, but it did me no good - I was none the better for it" (Hupfeld, Hengstenberg, Canon Cook); others adopt the Prayer-book Version, I kept silence even from good words" (Kay, Alexander, Revised Version). And my sorrow was stirred. The pain at my heart was not quieted thereby, nor even lessened; rather, it was roused up, quickened, and aggravated. This is the natural result of repressing any strong feeling.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I was speechless
נֶאֱלַ֣מְתִּי (ne·’ĕ·lam·tî)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 481: To tie fast, to be tongue-tied

and still;
ד֭וּמִיָּה (ḏū·mî·yāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1747: A silence, a quiet waiting, repose

I held my peace,
הֶחֱשֵׁ֣יתִי (he·ḥĕ·šê·ṯî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2814: To be silent, inactive, or still

[even] from good,
מִטּ֑וֹב (miṭ·ṭō·wḇ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

and my sorrow
וּכְאֵבִ֥י (ū·ḵə·’ê·ḇî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3511: Suffering, adversity

was stirred.
נֶעְכָּֽר׃ (ne‘·kār)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5916: To roil water, to disturb, affict


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OT Poetry: Psalm 39:2 I was mute with silence (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 39:1
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