Psalm 90:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

NIV: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.

NASB: In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; Toward evening it wilts and withers away.

CSB: in the morning it sprouts and grows; by evening it withers and dries up.

NLT: In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered.

KJV: In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

NKJV: In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers.

Moses compares human life to grass that looks healthy for a brief time but quickly loses its color and withers. Hot, dry climates can wreak drastic changes on plants. A stand of grass may be full and verdant in the morning, but when the hot sun appears the grass quickly pales and dries up.

The prophet Isaiah makes a similar comment about human life resembling grass. He writes: "A voice says, 'Cry!' And I said, 'What shall I cry?' All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass" (Isaiah 40:6–7). The apostle James comments on the brevity of life in James 4:14 by comparing it to a mist that appears for a brief time but then vanishes. In view of life's brevity and uncertainty no one should boast about what he will do tomorrow (James 4:13–16; Proverbs 27:1).

Psalm 90:3–10 reflects on life's brevity and God's wrath. Psalm 8:4 raises the question of man's status, and James 4:14 describes life as finite and fleeting. Numbers 14:33–35 spells out God's judgment on the Israelites for refusing His call to enter Canaan.

Psalm 90, likely the oldest psalm, opens with Moses addressing God as eternal and Israel's dwelling place, but quickly shifts to an acknowledgement of man's brief life on earth. Our iniquity is the reason God directs His wrath at us. In most cases, a person can expect to live somewhere around 70 or 80 years, barring disease or misfortune. Short or long, life is full of toil and trouble. In view of life's brevity, Moses asks the Lord to fill His people with wisdom. He also asks the Lord to reveal His work, demonstrate His power, grant His favor, and make Israel's labor successful.

Psalm 90, written by Moses, is most likely the oldest psalm, presuming it was written during Israel's wandering in the desert. This begins the fourth division of Psalms (90—106) and likely was written after Israel refused to heed the Lord's command to enter and occupy Canaan (Numbers 13—14). The background for Psalm 90 is Israel's wanderings for forty years in the desert and the perishing of a generation as a result of its disobedience. The psalm focuses on God's eternal nature and man's finite nature. It stresses God's anger against sin and appeals to His compassion to restore and bless His people.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 11/21/2024 10:43:55 AM