Psalm 89:47 Study Bible: Remember how short my time is. For what vanity have you created all the children of men.

◄ Psalm 89:47 ►

Remember the briefness of my lifespan! For what futility You have created all men!

Remember
The Hebrew word for "remember" is "זָכַר" (zakar), which implies more than just recalling a memory. In the biblical context, it often signifies an active consideration that leads to action. The psalmist is imploring God to actively consider the plight of humanity. This plea is rooted in the covenantal relationship between God and His people, where remembrance by God often leads to deliverance or blessing. The call to "remember" is a profound expression of faith, trusting that God’s memory is tied to His faithfulness and mercy.

how short
The phrase "how short" translates from the Hebrew "מָה־חָלֶד" (mah-chaled), emphasizing the brevity and transience of human life. This acknowledgment of life's fleeting nature is a common theme in wisdom literature, reminding believers of the urgency to live righteously and purposefully. It serves as a humbling reminder of human mortality and the need for divine intervention and grace. The brevity of life is contrasted with the eternal nature of God, highlighting the dependence of humanity on the divine.

is my lifespan
The term "lifespan" in Hebrew is "שָׁוְא" (shav), which can also mean vanity or emptiness. This reflects the biblical perspective that life, without God, is ultimately empty and meaningless. The psalmist is expressing a deep existential truth that resonates throughout Scripture: true fulfillment and purpose are found only in relationship with the eternal God. This phrase encourages believers to seek a life that is rich in spiritual significance rather than temporal achievements.

For what futility
The word "futility" comes from the Hebrew "שָׁוְא" (shav), similar to the word for "lifespan," reinforcing the theme of life's vanity without divine purpose. This echoes the sentiments found in Ecclesiastes, where earthly pursuits are deemed futile without God. The psalmist is lamenting the seeming pointlessness of human endeavors in the face of mortality, urging a reflection on what truly matters in life. It is a call to prioritize spiritual over material pursuits.

have You created all the children of men?
This phrase acknowledges God as the Creator of all humanity, using the Hebrew "בְּנֵי אָדָם" (benei adam), meaning "children of Adam" or "sons of man." It underscores the universal nature of human existence and the shared destiny of all people. The rhetorical question highlights the tension between the divine purpose in creation and the apparent futility of human life. It invites believers to trust in God's sovereign plan, even when it is not immediately apparent. The psalmist is appealing to God's creative intent, suggesting that there must be a greater purpose behind the creation of humanity, one that transcends the visible and temporal.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ethan the Ezrahite
Traditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 89, Ethan was a wise man during the time of Solomon. His psalm reflects on God's covenant with David and the apparent contradiction between God's promises and the current state of Israel.

2. Davidic Covenant
This is the promise God made to David, ensuring that his lineage would endure forever. Psalm 89 reflects on this covenant and the seeming delay or failure in its fulfillment.

3. Israel
The nation of Israel is central to the context of this psalm, as it grapples with the tension between God's promises and their present struggles.

4. God's Creation
The psalmist reflects on the nature of humanity and creation, questioning the purpose and brevity of human life.

5. Human Mortality
The fleeting nature of human life is a key theme in this verse, prompting reflection on the purpose and meaning of life.

Teaching Points

The Brevity of Life
Recognize the shortness of life as a call to live purposefully and in alignment with God's will.

Trust in God's Promises
Even when circumstances seem contrary, trust in the faithfulness of God's promises, as exemplified in the Davidic Covenant.

Human Limitations and Divine Sovereignty
Acknowledge human limitations and the futility of life without God, leading to a deeper reliance on His sovereignty.

Reflecting on Mortality
Use the awareness of life's brevity to prioritize spiritual growth and eternal values over temporal concerns.

Seeking God's Perspective
In times of doubt or confusion, seek God's perspective through prayer and scripture, trusting in His ultimate plan.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the brevity of life, as mentioned in Psalm 89:47, influence your daily decisions and priorities?

2. In what ways can the apparent delay in the fulfillment of God's promises, as seen in the Davidic Covenant, encourage you to trust in God's timing?

3. How do other scriptures, such as Ecclesiastes 1 and James 4:14, deepen your understanding of the themes in Psalm 89:47?

4. What practical steps can you take to align your life more closely with God's eternal purposes, given the fleeting nature of human existence?

5. How can reflecting on human mortality lead to a greater appreciation for the hope and assurance found in Christ?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Genesis 3
The fall of man introduces the concept of mortality and the futility of life without God, which is echoed in the psalmist's lament.

Ecclesiastes 1
The theme of life's futility and brevity is explored extensively, resonating with the psalmist's cry for understanding.

James 4:14
This New Testament passage reflects on the brevity of life, similar to the psalmist's acknowledgment of human mortality.

2 Samuel 7
The Davidic Covenant is established here, providing the backdrop for the psalmist's reflections on God's promises.

Sermons

The Argument from the Brevity of Life	R. Tuck	Psalm 89:47
A Majestic Song		Psalm 89:1-52
God's Promise to David and His Seed	C. Short	Psalm 89:1-52
The Uncovenanted Mercies of God	Samuel Cox, D.D.	Psalm 89:1-52
A Homily for the Closing Year	Joseph Waite, M.A.	Psalm 89:47-48
Suggestions of Life's Vanity	Homilist	Psalm 89:47-48
The Sense of Life's Brevity	Homilist	Psalm 89:47-48
The Vanity and Value of Human Life	John Penn, M.A	Psalm 89:47-48
Unfulfilled Lives	E. Paxton Hood.	Psalm 89:47-48
Vanity of Man, If not Immortal	I. S. Spencer, D.D.	Psalm 89:47-48

People

David, Ethan, Psalmist, Rahab

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Created, Fleeting, Futility, Hast, Life-time, Measure, O, Oh, Purpose, Regards, Remember, Short, Sons, Span, Vain, Vanity, Wherefore

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Psalm 89:47

     4016   life, human
     5204   age
     5864   futility

Psalm 89:47-48

9021 death, natural

Library

Continual Sunshine
'Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance.'--PSALM lxxxix. 15. The Psalmist has just been setting forth, in sublime language, the glories of the divine character--God's strength, His universal sway, the justice and judgment which are the foundation of His Throne, the mercy and truth which go as heralds before His face. A heathen singing of any of his gods would have gone on to describe the form and features of the god or goddess who …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

December the Ninth National Blessedness
"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound." --PSALM lxxxix. 1-18. Blessed is the people who love the sound of the silver trumpet which calls to holy convocation! Blessed is the people who are sacredly impatient for the hour of holy communion! Blessed is the people "in whose heart are the highways to Zion." And in what shall their blessedness consist? In illumination. "They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance." The favour of the Lord shall shine upon them when they walk …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

September the Sixteenth the Steadfastness of the Lord
"My covenant shall stand fast." --PSALM lxxxix. 19-29. Such a divine assurance ought to make me perfectly quiet in spirit. Restlessness in a Christian always spells disloyalty. The uncertainty is born of suspicion. There is a rift in the faith, and the disturbing breath of the devil blows through, and destroys my peace. If I am sure of my great Ally, my heart will not be troubled, neither will it be afraid. And such a divine assurance ought to make me bold in will and majestic in labour. I ought …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

The People's Christ
We do not believe that Israel or Judah ever had a better ruler than David; and we are bold to affirm that the reign of the man "chosen out of the people" outshines in glory the reigns of high-bred emperors, and princes with the blood of a score of kings running in their veins. Yea, more, we will assert that the humility of his birth and education, so far from making him incompetent to rule, rendered him, in a great degree, more fit for his office, and able to discharge its mighty duties. He could …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

The Blessing of God.
NUMB. VI. 22-27. We have already seen the grace of GOD making provision that His people, who had lost the privilege of priestly service, might draw near to Him by Nazarite separation and consecration. And not as the offence was the free gift: those who had forfeited the privilege of priestly service were the males only, but women and even children might be Nazarites; whosoever desired was free to come, and thus draw near to GOD. We now come to the concluding verses of Numb. vi, and see in them one …
James Hudson Taylor—Separation and Service

A vision of the King.
ONE of the most blessed occupations for the believer is the prayerful searching of God's holy Word to discover there new glories and fresh beauties of Him, who is altogether lovely. Shall we ever find out all which the written Word reveals of Himself and His worthiness? This wonderful theme can never be exhausted. The heart which is devoted to Him and longs through the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be closer to the Lord, to hear and know more of Himself, will always find something …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The City of God. Index of Subjects.
Abel, the relation of, to Christ, [1]299. See Cain. Abraham, the era in the life of, from which a new succession begins, [2]318; time of the migration of, [3]319, etc.; the order and nature of God's promises to, [4]320, etc.; the three great kingdoms existing at the time of the birth of, [5]321; the repeated promises of the land of Canaan made to, and to his seed, [6]321; his denial of his wife in Egypt, [7]322; the parting of Lot and, [8]322; the third promise of the land to, [9]322; his victory …
St. Augustine—On Christian Doctrine In Four Books.

Unity of Moral Action.
CAN OBEDIENCE TO MORAL LAW BE PARTIAL? 1. What constitutes obedience to moral law? We have seen in former lectures, that disinterested benevolence is all that the spirit of moral law requires; that is, that the love which it requires to God and our neighbor is good-willing, willing the highest good or well-being of God, and of being in general, as an end, or for its own sake; that this willing is a consecration of all the powers, so far as they are under the control of the will, to this end. Entire …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Letter Lv. Replies to Questions of Januarius.
Or Book II. of Replies to Questions of Januarius. (a.d. 400.) Chap. I. 1. Having read the letter in which you have put me in mind of my obligation to give answers to the remainder of those questions which you submitted to me a long time ago, I cannot bear to defer any longer the gratification of that desire for instruction which it gives me so much pleasure and comfort to see in you; and although encompassed by an accumulation of engagements, I have given the first place to the work of supplying …
St. Augustine—The Confessions and Letters of St

The Promised King and Temple-Builder
'And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying, 5. Go and tell My servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build Me an house for Me to dwell in! 6. Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"He is the Rock, his Work is Perfect. For all his Ways are Judgment. A God of Truth, and Without Iniquity, Just and Right is He.
Deut. xxxii. 4, 5.--"He is the rock, his work is perfect. For all his ways are judgment. A God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children. They are a perverse and crooked generation." "All his ways are judgment," both the ways of his commandments and the ways of his providence, both his word which he hath given as a lantern to men's paths, and his works among men. And this were the blessedness of men, to be found …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Atonement.
We come now to the consideration of a very important feature of the moral government of God; namely, the atonement. In discussing this subject, I will-- I. Call attention to several well-established principles of government. 1. We have already seen that moral law is not founded in the mere arbitrary will of God or of any other being, but that it has its foundation in the nature and relations of moral agents, that it is that rule of action or of willing which is imposed on them by the law of their …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Second Sunday in Lent
Text: First Thessalonians 4, 1-7. 1 Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk,--that ye abound more and more. 2 For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; 4 that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust, …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.
The duty of Covenanting is founded on the law of nature; but it also stands among the arrangements of Divine mercy made from everlasting. The promulgation of the law, enjoining it on man in innocence as a duty, was due to God's necessary dominion over the creatures of his power. The revelation of it as a service obligatory on men in a state of sin, arose from his unmerited grace. In the one display, we contemplate the authority of the righteous moral Governor of the universe; in the other, we see …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

His Future Work
The Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work on earth the Father gave Him to do, who is now bodily present in the highest heaven, occupying the Father's throne and exercising His priesthood in behalf of His people, is also King. To Him belongeth a Kingdom and a kingly Glory. He has therefore a kingly work to do. While His past work was foretold by the Spirit of God and His priestly work foreshadowed in the Old Testament, His work as King and His glorious Kingdom to come are likewise the subjects …
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ

Assurance
Q-xxxvi: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS WHICH FLOW FROM SANCTIFICATION? A: Assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. The first benefit flowing from sanctification is assurance of God's love. 'Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.' 2 Pet 1:10. Sanctification is the seed, assurance is the flower which grows out of it: assurance is a consequent of sanctification. The saints of old had it. We know that we know …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Of the Name of God
Exod. iii. 13, 14.--"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." We are now about this question, What God is. But who can answer it? Or, if answered, who can understand it? It should astonish us in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
1. The Hebrews reckon but three books as poetical, namely: Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, which are distinguished from the rest by a stricter rhythm--the rhythm not of feet, but of clauses (see below, No. 3)--and a peculiar system of accentuation. It is obvious to every reader that the poetry of the Old Testament, in the usual sense of the word, is not restricted to these three books. But they are called poetical in a special and technical sense. In any natural classification of the books of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

How Shall one Make Use of Christ as the Life, when Wrestling with an Angry God Because of Sin?
That we may give some satisfaction to this question, we shall, 1. Shew what are the ingredients in this case, or what useth to concur in this distemper. 2. Shew some reasons why the Lord is pleased to dispense thus with his people. 3. Shew how Christ is life to the soul in this case. 4. Shew the believer's duty for a recovery; and, 5. Add a word or two of caution. As to the first, There may be those parts of, or ingredients in this distemper: 1. God presenting their sins unto their view, so as …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

The Firstborn.
"THE Firstborn" or "The Firstbegotten" is one of the names of our blessed Lord. It is applied to Him after His resurrection from the dead. As the Only Begotten He came into this world, the unspeakable gift of God to a lost and ruined world; after the accomplishment of His work on the cross He left the earth, He had created, as the Firstborn. As the Firstbegotten He is now in the highest heaven and as the Firstbegotten the Man of Glory He will be sent back to this earth and rule in power and glory. …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The First Commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Exod 20: 3. Why is the commandment in the second person singular, Thou? Why does not God say, You shall have no other gods? Because the commandment concerns every one, and God would have each one take it as spoken to him by name. Though we are forward to take privileges to ourselves, yet we are apt to shift off duties from ourselves to others; therefore the commandment is in the second person, Thou and Thou, that every one may know that it is spoken to him, …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Call of Matthew - the Saviour's Welcome to Sinners - Rabbinic Theology as Regards the Doctrine of Forgiveness in Contrast to the Gospel of Christ
In two things chiefly does the fundamental difference appear between Christianity and all other religious systems, notably Rabbinism. And in these two things, therefore, lies the main characteristic of Christ's work; or, taking a wider view, the fundamental idea of all religions. Subjectively, they concern sin and the sinner; or, to put it objectively, the forgiveness of sin and the welcome to the sinner. But Rabbinism, and every other system down to modern humanitarianism - if it rises so high in …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Being of God
Q-III: WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES PRINCIPALLY TEACH? A: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. Q-IV: WHAT IS GOD? A: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. Here is, 1: Something implied. That there is a God. 2: Expressed. That he is a Spirit. 3: What kind of Spirit? I. Implied. That there is a God. The question, What is God? takes for granted that there …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

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