# Psalms 39.5

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Psalms](/codex/psalms/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 3. My heart was hot within me; While I was musing the fire burned: Then spake I with my tongue: 4. Jehovah, make me to know mine end, And the measure of my days, what it is; Let me know how frail I am.
>
> **5. Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths; And my life-time is as nothing before thee: Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. Selah**
>
> 6. Surely every man walketh in a vain show; Surely they are disquieted in vain: He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. 7. And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee. (Psalms 39:3-7, ASV)

**WEB** ([[WEB)
> 3. My heart was hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned. I spoke with my tongue: 4. “Yahweh, show me my end, what is the measure of my days. Let me know how frail I am.
>
> **5. Behold, you have made my days hand widths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath.” <i>Selah.</i>**
>
> 6. “Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather. 7. Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. (Psalms 39:3-7, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 3. My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, 4. LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. <sup>how: or, what time I have here</sup>
>
> **5. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. <sup>at: Heb. settled</sup>**
>
> 6. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. <sup>a vain: Heb. an image</sup> 7. And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. (Psalms 39:3-7, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 3. Hot [is] my heart within me, In my meditating doth the fire burn, I have spoken with my tongue. 4. 'Cause me to know, O Jehovah, mine end, And the measure of my days, what it [is],' I know how frail I [am].
>
> **5. Lo, handbreadths Thou hast made my days, And mine age [is] as nothing before Thee, Only, all vanity [is] every man set up. Selah.**
>
> 6. Only, in an image doth each walk habitually, Only, [in] vain, they are disquieted, He heapeth up and knoweth not who gathereth them. 7. And, now, what have I expected? O Lord, my hope, it [is] of Thee. (Psalms 39:3-7, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Lexicon:**

- [H0120 - adam](/codex/h0120-adam/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.