Psalms 39:5 - Exposition

Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth . It seems inconsistent that one who professes to be weary of his life should then complain of life's shortness. But such inconsistency is human. Job does the same ( Job 14:1 , Job 14:2 ). And mine age is as nothing before thee . The short human existence can scarcely be regarded by God as existence at all; rather, it is mere nothingness . Verily every man living at his best state is but vanity . So our Revisers. But most moderns translate, "Verily every man living was ordained for utter vanity" (comp. Psalms 62:9 ; Psalms 144:4 ).