Psalms 39:3
My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,
Original Language Analysis
לִבִּ֨י׀
My heart
H3820
לִבִּ֨י׀
My heart
Strong's:
H3820
Word #:
2 of 8
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything
בְּקִרְבִּ֗י
within
H7130
בְּקִרְבִּ֗י
within
Strong's:
H7130
Word #:
3 of 8
properly, the nearest part, i.e., the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition)
בַּהֲגִיגִ֥י
me while I was musing
H1901
בַּהֲגִיגִ֥י
me while I was musing
Strong's:
H1901
Word #:
4 of 8
properly, a murmur, i.e., complaint
Cross References
Luke 24:32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?Jeremiah 20:9Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Historical Context
The psalm's superscription links it to Jeduthun, suggesting use in temple worship. David's personal crisis thus became corporate resource—Israel learned to voice their existential anguish through his words. This demonstrates the communal nature of biblical lament; individual struggle becomes shared vocabulary for God's people across generations.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'fires' are currently burning within you through prolonged meditation on life's difficulties or God's silence?
- How might speaking your internal turmoil to God, rather than suppressing it, transform destructive burning into purifying prayer?
- What can you learn from David about the relationship between honest self-examination (musing) and honest conversation with God (speaking)?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
My heart was hot within me—The Hebrew ḥam-libbî bəqirbî (חַם־לִבִּי בְקִרְבִּי) describes internal burning, the physical sensation of emotional turmoil. The lēḇ (heart) in Hebrew thought encompasses mind, will, and emotions—David's entire inner being was aflame. This wasn't anger primarily but the heat of suppressed grief and existential distress.
While I was musing the fire burned—Bəhagîgî (בַּהֲגִיגִי, in my musing/meditation) comes from hāgāh, to meditate, murmur, or ponder deeply. Ironically, the very act of meditation—normally associated with peace (Psalm 1:2)—here fueled the fire. As David reflected on life's brevity and God's discipline, his inner turmoil intensified until the fire burned (tib'ar-'ēsh, תִּבְעַר־אֵשׁ)—the verb bā'ar suggests flames bursting forth uncontrollably.
Then spake I with my tongue—The dam finally broke. 'Ădabbərāh bilshônî (אֲדַבְּרָה בִלְשׁוֹנִי, "I spoke with my tongue") marks the transition from internal torture to external expression. What follows (vv. 4-13) is David's raw prayer. This teaches that honest expression before God is not failure but spiritual health. Suppressed meditation can become toxic; poured-out meditation becomes prayer.
This progression—silence, inner burning, speech—mirrors Job's experience (Job 2:13; 3:1) and anticipates Jeremiah's frustration (Jeremiah 20:9, "His word was in mine heart as a burning fire"). God created us for communion, not compartmentalization. The psalms model bringing our fires before God rather than letting them consume us internally.