Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 39:5

"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" — Psalms 39:5 (ASV)

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth—literally, “Look, you have given my days as handbreadths.” The word translated “handbreadth” properly means the spread hand, the palm, and the hand when the four fingers are expanded. The word is then used to denote anything very short or brief. It is one of the smallest natural measures, as distinguished from the “foot”—that is, the length of the foot—and from the cubit—that is, the length of the arm to the elbow. It is the shortness of life, therefore, that is the subject of painful and complaining reflection here.

Who has not been in a state of mind to sympathize with the feelings of the psalmist? Who is there who does not often wonder, when he thinks of what he could and would accomplish on earth if his life extended to one thousand years, and when he thinks of the great interests at stake concerning another world which God has made dependent on such a short life? Who can always so calm his feelings as to utter no expressions of impatience that life is so soon to end? Who is there who reflects on the great interests at stake and has not asked why God has not given man more time to prepare for eternity?

And mine age—Or, my life. The word used here—חלד cheled—properly means “duration of life,” lifetime; and then, life itself (Job 11:17).

Is as nothing—That is, it is so short that it seems to be nothing at all.

Before thee—When set against you; that is, in comparison with you. Compare Isaiah 40:17: All nations before him are as nothing; that is, when set against him, or in comparison with him.

When the two are placed together, the one seems to be as nothing in the presence of the other. So the life of man, when placed by the side of the life of God, seems to be absolutely nothing.

Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.—The margin says, “settled.” The idea is that every man is constituted vanity. Literally, “All vanity every man is constituted.” There seems to be nothing but vanity, and this is the result of a divine constitution or arrangement. The idea expressed in our common version, “at his best state,” however true in itself, is not in the original. The thoughts in the original are:

1. that all people are vanity—that is, life is so short, and man accomplishes so little, that it seems to be perfect vanity; and
2. that this is the result of the divine constitution under which man was made.

It was the fact that man has been so made which caused so much trouble to the mind of the psalmist.