Psalm 90

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:1

Lord - Not יהוה Yahweh here, but אדני 'Adonāy. The word is properly rendered “Lord,” but it is a term which is often applied to God. It indicates, however, nothing in regard to his character or attributes except that he is a “Ruler or Governor.”Thou hast been our dwelling-place - The Septuagint renders this, “refuge” - καταφυγἡ kataphugē. So the Latin Vulgate, “refugium;” and Luther, “Zuflucht.” The Hebrew word - מעון mâ‛ôn - means properly a habitation, a dwelling, as of God in his... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:2

Before the mountains were brought forth - Before the earth brought forth or produced the mountains. In the description of the creation it would be natural to represent the mountains as the first objects that appeared, as emerging from the waters; and, therefore, as the “first” or “most ancient” of created objects. The phrase, therefore, is equivalent to saying, Before the earth was created. The literal meaning of the expression, “were brought forth,” is, in the Hebrew, “were born.” The... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:3

Thou turnest man to destruction - In contradistinction from his own unchangeableness and eternity. Man passes away; God continues ever the same. The word rendered “destruction” - דכא dakkâ' - means properly anything beaten or broken small or very fine, and hence, “dust.” The idea here is, that God causes man to return to dust; that is, the elements which compose the body return to their original condition, or seem to mingle with the earth. Genesis 3:19 : “dust thou art, and unto dust shalt... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:4

For a thousand years in thy sight - Hebrew, “In thy eyes;” that is, It so appears to thee - or, a thousand years so seem to thee, however long they may appear to man. The utmost length to which the life of man has reached - in the case of Methuselah - was nearly a thousand years Genesis 5:27; and the idea here is, that the longest human life, even if it should be lengthened out to a thousand years, would be in the sight of God, or in comparison with his years, but as a single day.Are but as... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:5

Thou carriest them away as with a flood - The original here is a single verb with the suffix - זרמתם zerametâm. The verb - זרם zâram - means, to flow, to pour; then, to pour upon, to overwhelm, to wash away. The idea is, that they were swept off as if a torrent bore them from the earth, carrying them away without regard to order, rank, age, or condition. So death makes no discrimination. Every day that passes, multitudes of every age, sex, condition, rank, are swept away and consigned to the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:6

In the morning it flourisheth - This does not mean that it grows with any special vigor or rapidity in the morning, as if that were illustrative of the rapid growth of the young; but merely that, in fact, in the morning it is green and vigorous, and is cut down in the short course of a day, or before evening. The reference here is to grass as an emblem of man.And groweth up - The same word in the Hebrew which is used in the close of the previous verse.In the evening it is cut down, and... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:7

For we are consumed by thine anger - That is, Death - the cutting off of the race of man - may be regarded as an expression of thy displeasure against mankind as a race of sinners. The death of man would not have occurred but for sin Genesis 3:3, Genesis 3:19; Romans 5:12; and all the circumstances connected with it - the fact of death, the dread of death, the pain that precedes death, the paleness and coldness and rigidity of the dead, and the slow and offensive returning to dust in the grave... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:8

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee - Thou hast arrayed them, or brought them forth to view, as a “reason” in thy mind for cutting us down. Death may be regarded as proof that God has brought before his mind the evidence of man’s guilt, and has passed sentence accordingly. The fact of death at all; the fact that anyone of the race dies; the fact that human life has been made so brief, is to be explained on the supposition that God has arrayed before his own mind the reality of human... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:9

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath - Margin, “turned.” The Hebrew word - פנה pânâh - means to “turn;” then, to turn to or “from” anyone; and hence, to turn away as if to flee or depart. Here it means that our days seem to turn from us; to give the back to us; to be unwilling to remain with us; to leave us. This seems to be the fruit or result of the anger of God, as if he were unwilling that our days should attend us any longer. Or, it is as if he took away our days, or caused them... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:10

The days of our years - Margin, “As for the days of our years, in them are seventy years.” Perhaps the language would better be translated: “The days of our years! In them are seventy years;” or, they amount to seventy years. Thus the psalmist is represented as reflecting on human life - on the days that make up the years of life; - as fixing his thought on those days and years, and taking the sum of them. The days of our years - what are they?Are threescore years and ten - Not as life... read more

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:1

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:2

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:3

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:4

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:5

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:6

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:7

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:8

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:9

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 90:10

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