Psalms 39:11
When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
Original Language Analysis
בְּֽתוֹכָ֘ח֤וֹת
When thou with rebukes
H8433
בְּֽתוֹכָ֘ח֤וֹת
When thou with rebukes
Strong's:
H8433
Word #:
1 of 13
chastisement; figuratively (by words) correction, refutation, proof (even in defense)
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 13
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
יִסַּ֬רְתָּ
dost correct
H3256
יִסַּ֬רְתָּ
dost correct
Strong's:
H3256
Word #:
4 of 13
to chastise, literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence, to instruct
אִ֗ישׁ
man
H376
אִ֗ישׁ
man
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
5 of 13
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
אַ֤ךְ
H389
הֶ֖בֶל
is vanity
H1892
הֶ֖בֶל
is vanity
Strong's:
H1892
Word #:
10 of 13
emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
11 of 13
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Cross References
Job 13:28And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.Isaiah 50:9Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.Revelation 3:19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.Hebrews 12:6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.1 Corinthians 5:5To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern cultures often portrayed humans as having eternal glory or achieving immortality through great deeds. Israel's theology radically differed: only God possesses inherent glory and permanence; humanity's glory is borrowed, dependent, and temporary. This worldview prepared for the gospel: our only lasting glory comes through union with Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Questions for Reflection
- What 'beauty' or strength in your life are you treating as permanent when it's actually as fragile as moth-eaten fabric?
- How does accepting that 'every man is vanity' free you from the exhausting pursuit of self-glory?
- In what ways does God's rebuke for iniquity function as corrective love rather than vindictive punishment in your experience?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity—The Hebrew construction bəṯôḵāḥôṯ 'al-'āwōn 'îsh (בְּתוֹכָחוֹת עַל־עָוֹן אִישׁ) shows God using tôḵāḥāh (rebuke/reproof) to address 'āwōn (iniquity/guilt). This verse universalizes David's experience: all humanity faces divine correction for sin. The purpose isn't destruction but transformation—God as the wise father who disciplines wayward children (Proverbs 3:11-12, quoted in Hebrews 12:5-6).
Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth—The imagery is haunting. Tattemes kā'āsh ḥămûḏô (תַּתֶּמֶס כָּעָשׁ חֲמוּדוֹ, "thou makest melt away like a moth his desirableness") uses māsas (melt/dissolve) to describe how God's rebuke erodes ḥemuḏ (beauty/desirable things). The moth comparison is deliberate—moths silently, gradually destroy valuable garments. Sin's consequences similarly eat away at human glory, reducing strength and splendor to nothing. Job used similar language: "He breaketh me with breach upon breach" (Job 16:14).
Surely every man is vanity. Selah—Aḵ heḇel kol-'āḏām selāh (אַךְ הֶבֶל כָּל־אָדָם סֶלָה). The verdict is emphatic: surely (aḵ, אַךְ—certainly, only) every man (kol-'āḏām, כָּל־אָדָם—all humanity without exception) is vanity (heḇel, הֶבֶל—vapor, breath, futility). Selāh marks a pause for meditation on this sobering truth. Human beauty, strength, accomplishments—all dissolve like moth-eaten fabric under divine scrutiny. This isn't nihilism but realism that drives us to find permanence in God alone. Jesus warned that life doesn't consist in abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15), and James compared life to vapor that appears briefly then vanishes (James 4:14).