Psalms 39:12 Meaning and Explanation
“Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Hear my prayer and tears; acknowledge that I'm a stranger and exile like my ancestors
The Context of Psalms 39:12
The speaker's emotional and spiritual condition intensifies—grief, tears, foreignness even to God
What Does Psalms 39:12 Mean?
The intensity of the speaker's plea deepens. He begs God to hear not just words but tears—the visible sign of complete emotional distress. His phrase a stranger with thee, and a sojourner echoes the language of biblical pilgrims and patriarchs who lived as outsiders in foreign lands. The speaker experiences himself as alienated, not truly at home even in God's presence, echoing the condition of Israel's ancestors in exile.
By invoking his fathers' similar status as sojourners, the speaker places himself in a lineage of those who knew displacement and longing. This genealogical connection provides both humility and grounds for petition: if God cared for his ancestors in their homelessness, surely He will hear the prayers of this generation. The accumulation—prayer, tears, the acknowledgment of alienation—creates an urgent appeal to God's compassion.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psalms 39:12
What does Psalms 39:12 mean?
Hear my prayer and tears; acknowledge that I'm a stranger and exile like my ancestors
What is the context of Psalms 39:12?
The speaker's emotional and spiritual condition intensifies—grief, tears, foreignness even to God