Psalm 90:9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 90:7-11

Moses had, in the Ps. 90:1-6, lamented the frailty of human life in general; the children of men are as a sleep and as the grass. But here he teaches the people of Israel to confess before God that righteous sentence of death which they were under in a special manner, and which by their sins they had brought upon themselves. Their share in the common lot of mortality was not enough, but they are, and must live and die, under peculiar tokens of God's displeasure. Here they speak of themselves:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 90:9

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath ,.... The life of man is rather measured by days than by months or years; and these are but few, which pass away or "decline" F7 פנו "declinaverunt", Pagninus, Montanus; "declinant", Munster, Muis. as the day does towards the evening; see Jeremiah 6:4 or "turn away their face", as the word F8 "Deflectunt faciem", Gejerus, so Ainsworth. may be rendered: they turn their backs upon us, and not the face to us; so that it is a hard... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 90:9

We spend our years as a tale - The Vulgate has: Anni nostri sicut aranea meditabuntur; "Our years pass away like those of the spider." Our plans and operations are like the spider's web; life is as frail, and the thread of it as brittle, as one of those that constitute the well-wrought and curious, but fragile, habitation of that insect. All the Versions have the word spider; but it neither appears in the Hebrew, nor in any of its MSS. which have been collated. My old Psalter has a curious... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 90:9

Verse 9 9.For all our days are passed away in thy indignation. This might be viewed as a general confirmation of the preceding sentence, That the whole course of man’s life is suddenly brought to an end, as soon as God shows himself displeased. But in my opinion Moses rather amplifies what he has said above concerning the rigour of God’s wrath, and his strict examination of every case in which he punishes sin. He asserts that this terror which God brought upon his people was not only for a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 90:1-17

The psalm is termed, "A Prayer of Moses, the man of God." It is, however, only in part a "prayer," Meditation occupies the opening portion ( Psalms 90:1-6 ); complaint follows ( Psalms 90:7-11 ); it is only with Psalms 90:12 that prayer begins. (For the application to Moses of the phrase, "man of God," see Deuteronomy 33:1 ; Joshua 14:6 ; Ezra 3:2 .) read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 90:1-17

The Lord our Dwelling place. There is no need to doubt the assigned authorship of this psalm. It is in entire harmony with the facts and surroundings of Moses' and Israel's life in the wilderness. Observe— I. THE BLESSED FACT . The Lord our Dwelling place, which this psalm tells of at its beginning. Weary wanderers as the Israelites were, with no settled resting place, here today, gone tomorrow, how blessed for them that there was refuge, a dwelling place, a home, in God! And... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 90:9

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath; or, "under thy wrath"—"whilst thou art still angry with us" (comp. Deuteronomy 32:15-25 ). We spend our years —rather, bring our years to an end (Hengstenberg, Kay, Revised Version) as a tale that is told; rather, as a reverie, or "as a murmur." read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 90:9

As a tale that is told. Yes, it is true; we do spend our lives as is here said. I know the word rendered "tale" may bear other meanings—a thought, a breath, a meditation, a numbering ( Exodus 5:8 ). But this in our text sets forth the psalmist's thought as well as, if not better than, any other. His view of life is a very sad one, and is by no means true as concerns the blessed dead who die in the Lord. Their lives are not all "labour and sorrow;" still less are they "all passed away in"... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 90:9

Brief life as judgment on sin. This is the point that is specially present to the mind of the author of the psalm; and it is the point specially impressed by the historical associations of the psalm. "Human transitoriness, the creature made subject to vanity, death in its much-disregarded connection with sin,—these and the awful contrast, God's eternity, his absolute disposition of men's lives, his mindfulness of their misdeeds, are here the theme of melancholy contemplation." Recall the... 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

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