Psalms 89:45 - Exposition

The days of his youth hast thou shortened. This does not seem to mean an actual cutting short by death (since the Davidical king has been spoken of as alive in Psalms 89:38 , Psalms 89:41 , Psalms 89:43 ), but rather a cutting short of youthful energy and vigour, a premature senescence, such as may well have fallen upon Jehoiachin or Zedekiah. Thou hast covered him with shame; or, "heaped shame upon him"—"covered him up with shame." The phrase would suit Jehoiachin, who was kept in prison by Nebuchadnezzar, and in "prison garments" ( 2 Kings 25:29 ), for the space of thirty-five years.