Psalms 39:2. I was dumb with silence, -
"I was as silent as if I had been dumb. I did not say a word." It seems to me that this silence of the psalmist was partly sullen and partly judicious: "I was dumb with silence," -
Psalms 39:2. I held my peace, even from good; -
He was a total abstainer from all speech. Perhaps he felt that he could not speak a little without speaking too much, and so he refrained from speech altogether. Yet we must not follow his example so closely in this matter, for there is a time for speech as well as a time for silence. It was not good for David to hold his peace even from good. It is good for us to hold our peace rather than speak unwisely, but it would be better for us to speak wisely, discreetly, as God’s Spirit should direct us.
Psalms 39:2. And my sorrow was stirred.
It is a great relief to sorrow to be able to speak about it. Be not silent in thy grief, lest thy grief should burn too fiercely within thy heart. It is often one of the signs of a failing mind when persons sit quite still, and will not tell their grief to anyone. Tell thy grief to thy God first of all, and thou mayest also tell it with advantage to some sympathizing friend. But David felt that he could not speak, so his sorrow was stirred, troubled, agitated, like a pent-up fire that must sooner or later burst into a blaze.
Psalms 39:2. I was dumb with silence, -
"I was as silent as if I had been dumb. I did not say a word." It seems to me that this silence of the psalmist was partly sullen and partly judicious: "I was dumb with silence," -
Psalms 39:2. I held my peace, even from good; -
He was a total abstainer from all speech. Perhaps he felt that he could not speak a little without speaking too much, and so he refrained from speech altogether. Yet we must not follow his example so closely in this matter, for there is a time for speech as well as a time for silence. It was not good for David to hold his peace even from good. It is good for us to hold our peace rather than speak unwisely, but it would be better for us to speak wisely, discreetly, as God’s Spirit should direct us.
Psalms 39:2. And my sorrow was stirred.
It is a great relief to sorrow to be able to speak about it. Be not silent in thy grief, lest thy grief should burn too fiercely within thy heart. It is often one of the signs of a failing mind when persons sit quite still, and will not tell their grief to anyone. Tell thy grief to thy God first of all, and thou mayest also tell it with advantage to some sympathizing friend. But David felt that he could not speak, so his sorrow was stirred, troubled, agitated, like a pent-up fire that must sooner or later burst into a blaze.