1 A prayer of Moses the man of God. O Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in generation and generation.
2 Before mountains were brought forth, and thou gavest birth to earth and world, even from eternity to eternity thou [art] God (El).
3 Thou turnest man to crumbling, and sayest, Return, sons of men.
4 For a thousand years in thine eyes [are] as yesterday when it passeth, and a watch in the night.
5 Thou sweepest them away— a sleep are they; In the morning as grass changeth;
6 In the morning it flourisheth and changeth; at the evening it is mown and withereth.
7 For we decay in thine anger, and in thy wrath are we confounded.
8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret [sins] in the light of thy face.
9 For all our days are turned away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a thought.
10 The days of our years! in them are seventy years, and if by strength eighty years, even their pride [is] trouble and mischief; for it is soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger, and, as thy fear, thy wrath?
12 To number our days thus make [us] know, and we will get us a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, Jehovah: how long? and repent as to thy servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with thy mercy, and we will rejoice and be glad all oar days.
15 Make us glad like the days thou hast afflicted us, the years we have seen evil.
16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy majesty to their sons.
17 And let the beauty of Jehovah our God be upon us, and the work of our hands establish thou upon us; even the work of our hands, establish thou it.
Notes on Psalm 90
It is “A prayer of Moses the man of God.” This is the suited introduction and finds its place here rather than in any other among the 150. Historically it would precede all probably; for there is no substantial ground for doubting that Moses was the writer according to its title. Adonai„ is owned as Israel’s dwelling-place in all generations, from everlasting to everlasting El, turning weak man (enosh) to dust, and saying, Return, sons of men (Adam). He is the God of creation and of providence. But faith, that owns man’s transient littleness and the power of the divine displeasure, can also say, Return, Jehovah: how long? Their prayer rises that Jehovah’s work may appear to His servants; and His majesty on their sons.