Psalms 39:5

Look, you make my days short-lived, ¹  and my life span is nothing from your perspective. ²  Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor. ³ 

Ge 47:9; Job 7:6; Job 9:25,26; Job 14:1,2; Ps 39:11; Ps 62:9; Ps 89:47; Ps 90:4,5,9,10; Ps 144:4; Ec 1:2; Ec 2:11; Isa 40:17; Jas 4:14; 2Pe 3:8

¹ tn Heb “Look, handbreadths you make my days.” The “handbreadth” (equivalent to the width of four fingers) was one of the smallest measures used by ancient Israelites. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 309.

² tn Heb “is like nothing before you.”

³ tn Heb “surely, all vapor [is] all mankind, standing firm.” Another option is to translate, “Surely, all mankind, though seemingly secure, is nothing but a vapor.”