This psalm purports to be a Psalm of David, but the special occasion in his life when it was composed is not specified, and it cannot now be ascertained. It was evidently, like the previous psalm, in a time of affliction, but to what particular affliction it refers is unknown. It is, however, of so general a character, and expresses feelings which so often spring up in the mind of the afflicted, that it is adapted for general use in the world, and nothing would be gained, perhaps, if we could ascertain the particular trial in the life of the author of the psalm to which it had referred. On the meaning of the phrase in the title, "To the chief Musician," see the notes at the title to Psalm 4:1-8. The addition to that in this place, "to Jeduthun," implies, according to the rendering in our common version, that "Jeduthun," at the time when the psalm was composed, occupied that position; and this is probable. The word Jeduthun means properly "praising, celebrating;" but here it is used evidently as a proper name, and designates someone who was placed over the music, or who had charge of it. The reference is to one of the choristers appointed by David. Jeduthun is expressly mentioned, among others, as having been appointed for this service, 1-Chronicles 16:41 : "And with them Heman and Jeduthun to give thanks to the Lord." So, also, Psalm 39:1-13 :42: "And with them Heman and Jeduthun, with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God." See, also, 1-Chronicles 25:6; 2-Chronicles 35:15. It would seem, also, from Nehemiah 11:17, that his descendants held the same office in his time.
The psalm was composed by one who was in trouble, and who had such thoughts in his affliction that he did not dare to express them for fear that they would do injury to the cause of religion. He was sad and dispirited. He could not understand the reason of the divine dealings. He did not know why he was thus afflicted. He did not see the justice, the propriety, or the benevolence of the divine arrangements by which the life of man was made so short and so vain, and by which he was called to suffer so much. There was, in his case, a conscious spirit of complaining against the divine arrangements; or there was so much that, in his view, was mysterious and apparently inconsistent with benevolence in the divine dealings, that he did not dare to express what was going on in his own mind, or to give vent to the secret thoughts of his soul; and he therefore resolved that he would keep silence, and would say nothing on the subject, especially when the wicked were before him. He bore this as long as he could, and then he gave vent to his suppressed emotions, and sought comfort in prayer.
The psalm, therefore, consists of two parts:
I. His purpose to keep silence; to say nothing; to suppress the emotions which were struggling in his bosom, or not to give utterance to what was passing in his mind, lest, by such an expression, he should strengthen and confirm the wicked in what they were thinking about, or in their views of God. So far did he carry this, that he says he resolved to hold his "peace even from good;" that is, he resolved that he would say nothing, lest he should be tempted to say something which would injure the cause of religion, and which he would have occasion to regret, Psalm 39:1-2.
II. The fact that he was constrained to speak; that he could not confine his thoughts to his own bosom; that he was in such anguish that he "must" find relief by giving utterance to what was passing in his soul. This occupies the remainder of the psalm, Psalm 39:3-13. This part of the psalm embraces the following points:
(1) The depth and anguish of his feeling; the fact that his feelings became so intense, like a pent-up fire in his bosom, that he could not but speak and make known his thoughts, Psalm 39:3.
(2) The utterance in words of the thoughts which he had been cherishing, which gave him so much trouble, and which he had been unwilling to express before the wicked, lest he should confirm them in their views about God and his dealings, Psalm 39:4-6. These thoughts pertained to his contemplation of human life - its brevity, its vanity, and its sorrows; to his doubts and perplexities about the purpose for which such a being as man was made; and to the darkness of his own mind concerning the reasons why God had made man thus, and why he dealt thus with him. Why was life so short? Why was it so vain? Why was it so full of sorrow?
(3) his calmest appeal to God in this state of mind, Psalm 39:7-13.
(a) He says that his only hope was in God, Psalm 39:7.
(b) He asks for deliverance from his transgressions - that is, here, from the calamities which had come upon him for his sins, Psalm 39:8.
(c) He says that he had been dumb before God, and had endeavored not to complain at his dealings, Psalm 39:9.
(d) He refers to the fact that when God undertakes to rebuke man for his iniquity, man cannot stand before him - that his beauty is made to consume away like a moth, Psalm 39:10-11.
(e) He earnestly cries, therefore, to God, and prays that he would deliver him, Psalm 39:12-13. He asks for strength in these struggles and trials, before he should go forth and be no more.
The psalm will be found to express feelings which often pass through the minds of even good men in regard to the mysteries of our condition here, and will be found to be adapted to calm down those feelings which often arise in the soul, and which could not be expressed without doing injury by paining the hearts of the good, and by confirming the wicked in their notions; to silence the complaints of the heart; and to bring the soul into a state of humble acquiescence before God under a recognition that all the events of life are controlled by his hand.

The psalmist's care and watchfulness over his thoughts, tongue, and actions, Psalm 39:1-3. He considers the brevity and uncertainty of human life, Psalm 39:4-7; prays for deliverance from sin, Psalm 39:8-11; and that he may be protected and spared till he is fitted for another world, Psalm 39:12, Psalm 39:13.
The title says, To the chief Musician, Jeduthun himself, A Psalm of David. It is supposed that this Jeduthun is the same with Ethan, 1-Chronicles 6:44, compared with 1-Chronicles 16:41; and is there numbered among the sons of Merari. And he is supposed to have been one of the four masters of music, or leaders of bands, belonging to the temple. And it is thought that David, having composed this Psalm, gave it to Jeduthun and his company to sing. But several have supposed that Jeduthun himself was the author. It is very likely that this Psalm was written on the same occasion with the preceding. It relates to a grievous malady by which David was afflicted after his transgression with Bath-sheba. See what has been said on the foregoing Psalm.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 39
To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, a Psalm of David. Some take Jeduthun to be the name of a musical instrument, as Jarchi, on which, and others the first word of a song, to the tune of which, this psalm was sung, as Aben Ezra; though it seems best, with Kimchi and others, to understand it as the name of the chief musician, to whom this psalm was sent to be made use of in public service; since Jeduthun was, with his sons, appointed by David to prophesy with harps and psalteries, and to give praise and thanks unto the Lord, 1-Chronicles 16:41; he is the same with Ethan (s). The occasion of it is thought, by some, to be the rebellion of his son Absalom; so Theodoret thinks it was written when he fled from Absalom, and was cursed by Shimei; or rather it may be some sore affliction, which lay upon David for the chastisement of him; see Psalm 39:9; and the argument of the psalm seems to be much the same with that of the preceding one, as Kimchi observes.
(s) Vid. Hiller. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 513, 805.

(Psalm 39:1-6) David meditates on man's frailty.
(Psalm 39:7-13) He applies for pardon and deliverance.

Prayers of One Sorely Tried at the Sight of the Prosperity of the Ungodly
In Psalm 38:14 the poet calls himself a dumb person, who opens not his mouth; this submissive, resigned keeping of silence he affirms of himself in the same words in Psalm 39:3 also. This forms a prominent characteristic common to the two Psalm, which fully warranted their being placed together as a pair. There is, however, another Psalm, which is still more closely related to Psalm 39:1-13, viz., Psalm 62:1-12, which, together with Psalm 4:1-8, has a similar historical background. The author, in his dignity, is threatened by those who from being false friends have become open enemies, and who revel in the enjoyment of illegitimately acquired power and possessions. From his own experience, in the midst of which he commits his safety and his honour to God, he derives the general warnings, that to trust in riches is deceptive, and that power belongs alone to God the Avenger - two doctrines, in support of which the issue of the affair with Absalom was a forcible example. Thus it is with Psalm 62:1-12, and in like manner Psalm 39:1-13 also. Both Psalm bear the name of Jeduthun side by side with the name of David at their head; both describe the nothingness of everything human in the same language; both delight more than other Psalm in the use of the assuring, confident אך; both have סלה twice; both coincide in some points with the Book of Job; the form of both Psalm, however, is so polished, transparent, and classic, that criticism is not authorized in assigning to this pair of Psalm any particular poet other than David. The reason of the redacteur not placing Psalm 62:1-12 immediately after Psalm 39:1-13 is to be found in the fact that Psalm 62:1-12 is an Elohim-Psalm, which could not stand in the midst of Jahve-Psalm.
To the inscribed למנצּח, לידיתוּן is added in this instance. The name is also written thus in Psalm 77:1; 1-Chronicles 16:38; Nehemiah 11:17, and always with the Kerמ ידוּתוּן, which, after the analogy of זבוּלוּן, is the more easily pronouncible pointing (Psalm 62:1). It is an offshoot of the form ידוּת or ידית; cf. שׁבוּת and שׁבית, חפשׁוּת and חפשׁית. It is the name of one of David's three choir-masters or precentors - the third in conjunction with Asaph and Heman, 1-Chronicles 16:41., Psalm 25:1., 2-Chronicles 5:12; 2-Chronicles 35:15, and is, without doubt, the same person as איתן, 1 Chr. 15, a name which is changed into ידותון after the arrangement in Gibeon, 1 Chr. 16. Consequently side by side with למנצח, לידותון will be the name of the מנצח himself, i.e., the name of the person to whom the song was handed over to be set to music. The fact that in two inscriptions (Psalm 62:1; Psalm 77:1) we read על instead of the ל of לידיתון, does not militate against this. By ל Jeduthun is denoted as the person to whom the song was handed over for performance; and by על, as the person to whom the performance was assigned. The rendering: "to the director of the Jeduthunites," adopted by Hitzig, is possible regarding the ידותון as used as a generic name like אהרן in 1-Chronicles 12:27; 1-Chronicles 27:17; but the customary use of the ל in inscriptions is against it.
The Psalm consists of four stanzas without any strophic symmetry. The first three are of only approximately the same compass, and the final smaller stanza has designedly the character of an epilogue.