16 Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, And Thine honour on their sons.
To the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. An Instruction. O God, with our ears we have heard, Our fathers have recounted to us, The work Thou didst work in their days, In the days of old.
O Jehovah, I heard thy report, I have been afraid, O Jehovah, Thy work! in midst of years revive it, In the midst of years Thou makest known In anger Thou dost remember mercy.
`And Thou hast put to death this people as one man, and the nations who have heard Thy fame have spoken, saying, From Jehovah's want of ability to bring in this people unto the land which He hath sworn to them -- He doth slaughter them in the wilderness. `And now, let, I pray Thee, the power of my Lord be great, as Thou hast spoken, saying: Jehovah `is' slow to anger, and of great kindness; bearing away iniquity and transgression, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on sons, on a third `generation', and on a fourth; -- forgive, I pray Thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of Thy kindness, and as Thou hast borne with this people from Egypt, even until now.' And Jehovah saith, `I have forgiven, according to thy word; and yet, I live -- and it is filled -- the whole earth -- `with' the honour of Jehovah; for all the men who are seeing My honour, and My signs, which I have done in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and try Me these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice -- they see not the land which I have sworn to their fathers, yea, none of those despising Me see it; and My servant Caleb, because there hath been another spirit with him, and he is fully after Me -- I have brought him in unto the land whither he hath entered, and his seed doth possess it.
ye -- ye come not in unto the land which I have lifted up My hand to cause you to tabernacle in it, except Caleb son of Jephunneh, and Joshua son of Nun. `As to your infants -- of whom ye have said, A spoil they are become -- I have even brought them in, and they have known the land which ye have kicked against;
`And your infants, of whom ye have said, For a prey they are, and your sons who have not known to-day good and evil, they go in thither, and to them I give it, and they possess it;
then ye have caused your sons to know, saying, On dry land Israel passed over this Jordan; because Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan at your presence, till your passing over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea which He dried up at our presence till our passing over; so that all the people of the land do know the hand of Jehovah that it `is' strong, so that ye have reverenced Jehovah your God all the days.'
`And lo, I am going, to-day, in the way of all the earth, and ye have known -- with all your heart, and with all your soul -- that there hath not fallen one thing of all the good things which Jehovah your God hath spoken concerning you; the whole have come to you; there hath not failed of it one thing.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 90
Commentary on Psalms 90 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 90
Ps 90:1-17. Contrasting man's frailty with God's eternity, the writer mourns over it as the punishment of sin, and prays for a return of the divine favor. A Prayer [mainly such] of Moses the man of God—(De 33:1; Jos 14:6); as such he wrote this (see on Ps 18:1, title, and Ps 36:1, title).
1. dwelling-place—home (compare Eze 11:16), as a refuge (De 33:27).
2. brought forth [and] formed—both express the idea of production by birth.
3. to destruction—literally, "even to dust" (Ge 3:19), which is partly quoted in the last clause.
4. Even were our days now a thousand years, as Adam's, our life would be but a moment in God's sight (2Pe 3:8).
a watch—or, third part of a night (compare Ex 14:24).
5, 6. Life is like grass, which, though changing under the influence of the night's dew, and flourishing in the morning, is soon cut down and withereth (Ps 103:15; 1Pe 1:24).
7, 8. For—A reason, this is the infliction of God's wrath.
troubled—literally, "confounded by terror" (Ps 2:5). Death is by sin (Ro 5:12). Though "secret," the light of God's countenance, as a candle, will bring sin to view (Pr 20:27; 1Co 4:5).
9. are passed—literally, "turn," as to depart (Jer 6:4).
spend—literally, "consume."
as a tale—literally, "a thought," or, "a sigh" (Eze 2:10).
10. Moses' life was an exception (De 34:7).
it is … cut off—or, "driven," as is said of the quails in using the same word (Nu 11:31). In view of this certain and speedy end, life is full of sorrow.
11. The whole verse may be read as a question implying the negative, "No one knows what Thy anger can do, and what Thy wrath is, estimated by a true piety."
12. This he prays we may know or understand, so as properly to number or appreciate the shortness of our days, that we may be wise.
13. (Compare Ps 13:2).
let it repent—a strong figure, as in Ex 32:12, imploring a change in His dealings.
14. early—promptly.
15. As have been our sorrows, so let our joys be great and long.
16. thy work—or, providential acts.
thy glory—(Ps 8:5; 45:3), the honor accruing from Thy work of mercy to us.
17. let the beauty—or sum of His gracious acts, in their harmony, be illustrated in us, and favor our enterprise.