Psalm 90:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

NIV: All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.

NASB: For all our days have dwindled away in Your fury; We have finished our years like a sigh.

CSB: For all our days ebb away under your wrath; we end our years like a sigh.

NLT: We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan.

KJV: For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.

NKJV: For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh.

Humans spend their lives under God's wrath—meaning that humans are persistently sinful and always subject to the judgment of the Lord. Certainly, the generation that disobeyed God in the wilderness languished under His wrath until every member of that generation died, except faithful Caleb and Joshua. Even the faithful, however, still carry the burden of sin and wrongdoing.

Paul informed the Romans that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Death comes upon mankind like a sigh: a fading and temporary puff of breath. Nevertheless, there is hope. John 3:36 tells us God's wrath abides on whoever does not obey the Son of God, but "whoever believes in the Son has eternal life." Ephesians 2:4–5 contrasts the life believers enjoy with the death that enveloped them when they were still eternally lost in their sin. God's mercy, love, and grace give believers an endless hope, whereas unbelievers have a hopeless end. Because God had saved him, the apostle Paul could testify, "for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

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 4/28/2024 12:58:03 AM