Psalms 39:1

American Standard Version (1901)

[For the Chief Musician, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David]. I said, I will take heed to my ways, That I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, While the wicked is before me.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ לִֽידוּת֗וּן מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

Transliteration

To-the-mənaṣṣēaḥ to-yədûtûn mizmôr to-dāwid

Grammar Details

• *mənaṣṣēaḥ*: noun, masculine singular with prefixed preposition 'lə' - to/for the director/chief musician
• *yədûtûn*: proper noun with prefixed preposition 'lə' - to/for Jeduthun (possibly a musician or music style)
• *mizmôr*: noun, masculine singular construct - psalm/melody
• *dāwid*: proper noun with prefixed preposition 'lə' - to/for/of David

Word Meanings

• *mənaṣṣēaḥ*: director/chief musician/conductor/overseer
• *yədûtûn*: Jeduthun (proper name of musician or musical guild or style)
• *mizmôr*: psalm/melody/song/musical composition

Referenced Verses

• 1 Kgs 2:4 : 4 That Jehovah may establish his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
• 2 Kgs 10:31 : 31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Jehovah, the God of Israel, with all his heart: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
• Job 2:10 : 10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
• Ps 62:1 : 1 [For the Chief Musician; after the manner of Jeduthun. A Psalm of David]. My soul waiteth in silence for God only: From him [cometh] my salvation.
• 1 Chr 16:41 : 41 and with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to Jehovah, because his lovingkindness [endureth] for ever;
• Ps 119:9 : 9 BETH. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed [thereto] according to thy word.
• Ps 141:3 : 3 Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips.
• Prov 4:26-27 : 26 Make level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: Remove thy foot from evil.
• Prov 18:21 : 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
• Prov 21:23 : 23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue Keepeth his soul from troubles.
• Amos 5:13 : 13 Therefore he that is prudent shall keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.
• Mic 7:5-6 : 5 Trust ye not in a neighbor; put ye not confidence in a friend; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6 For the son dishonoreth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
• Col 4:5 : 5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
• Heb 2:1 : 1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away [from them] .
• Jas 1:26 : 26 If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man's religion is vain.
• Jas 3:2-8 : 2 For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. 3 Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. 4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. 5 So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind. 8 But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] a restless evil, [it is] full of deadly poison.
• 1 Chr 25:1-6 : 1 Moreover David and the captains of the host set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of them that did the work according to their service was: 2 of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah, the sons of Asaph, under the hand of Asaph, who prophesied after the order of the king. 3 Of Jeduthun; the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising Jehovah. 4 Of Heman; the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. 5 All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6 All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of Jehovah, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God; Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman being under the order of the king.
• Ps 73:8-9 : 8 They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression: They speak loftily. 9 They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walketh through the earth.
• Ps 77:1 : 1 [For the Chief Musician; afer the manner of Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph]. I will cry unto God with my voice, Even unto God with my voice; and he will give ear unto me.
• Ps 12:4 : 4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; Our lips are our own: Who is lord over us?
• Ps 34:13 : 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking guile.