Psa 39:1 | NETfull | STEP | I decided, “I will watch what I say and make sure I do not sin with my tongue. I will put a muzzle over my mouth while in the presence of an evil man.”

Psalms 39:1

1 I decided, ^{▼▼ Heb “I said.”} “I will watch what I say
and make sure I do not sin with my tongue. ^{▼▼ Heb “I will watch my ways, from sinning with my tongue.”}
I will put a muzzle over my mouth
while in the presence of an evil man.” ^{▼▼ The psalmist wanted to voice a lament to the Lord (see vv. 4–6), but he hesitated to do so in the presence of evil men, for such words might be sinful if they gave the wicked an occasion to insult God. See C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 1:345.}