PSALM XC _The eternity of God_, 1, 2; _the frailty of the state of man_, 3-9; _the general limits of human life_, 10; _the danger of displeasing God_, 11; _the necessity of considering the shortness of life, and of_ _regaining the favour of the Almighty_, 12; _earnest prayer for the restorati... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:2. _BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE BROUGHT FORTH_] The mountains and hills _appear_ to have been everlasting; but as they were _brought forth_ out of the womb of eternity, there was a _time_ when _they were not_: but THOU hast been _ab aeternitate a parte ante, ad_ _aeternitatem a parte p... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:3. _THOU TURNEST MAN TO DESTRUCTION_] Literally, Thou shalt turn dying man, אנוש _enosh_, to the small dust, דכא _dacca_ but thou wilt say, Return, ye children of Adam. This appears to be a clear and strong promise of the _resurrection_ of the human body, after it has long slept, min... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:4. _FOR A THOUSAND YEARS IN THY SIGHT_] As if he had said, Though the resurrection of the body may be a _thousand_ (or any indefinite number of) years distant; yet, when these are past, they are _but as yesterday_, or a single _watch of the night_. They pass through the mind in a mom... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:5. _THOU CARRIEST THEM AWAY AS WITH A FLOOD_] Life is compared to a _stream_, ever _gliding away_; but sometimes it is as a _mighty torrent_, when by reason of _plague, famine_, or _war_, thousands are swept away daily. In particular cases it is a _rapid_ _stream_, when the _young_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:7. _WE ARE CONSUMED BY THINE ANGER_] _Death_ had not entered into the world, if men had not fallen from God. _BY THY WRATH ARE WE TROUBLED_] Pain, disease, and sickness are so many proofs of our defection from original rectitude. The _anger_ and _wrath_ of God are moved against all... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:8. _THOU HAST SET OUR INIQUITIES BEFORE THEE_] Every one of our transgressions is _set before thee_; noted and minuted down in thy awful register! _OUR SECRET_ SINS] Those committed in darkness and privacy are easily discovered by thee, being shown by the splendours of thy face shin... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:9. _WE SPEND OUR YEARS AS A TALE_] The _Vulgate_ has: Anni nostri sicut aranea meditabuntur; "Our years pass away like those of the spider." Our _plans_ and _operations_ are like the _spider's_ _web_; life is as _frail_, and the _thread_ of it as _brittle_, as one of those that const... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:10. _THREESCORE YEARS AND TEN_] See the note on the _title_ of this Psalm. Psalms 90:1. This Psalm could not have been written by _Moses_, because the _term_ of human life was much more _extended_ when he flourished than _eighty_ years at the most. Even in _David's_ time many lived _... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:11. _WHO KNOWETH THE POWER OF THINE ANGER?_] The afflictions of _this life_ are not to be compared to the _miseries_ which await them who live and die without being reconciled to God, and saved from their sins.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:12. _SO TEACH_ US _TO NUMBER OUR DAYS_] Let us deeply consider our own frailty, and the shortness and uncertainty of life, that we may live for eternity, acquaint ourselves with thee, and be at peace; that we may die in thy favour and live and reign with thee eternally.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:13. _RETURN, O LORD, HOW LONG?_] Wilt thou continue angry with us for ever? _LET IT REPENT THEE_] הנחם _hinnachem, be comforted_, rejoice over them to do them good. Be glorified rather in our salvation than in our destruction.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:14. _O SATISFY US EARLY_] Let us have thy mercy soon, (literally, _in the morning_.) Let it now shine upon us, and it shall seem as the morning of our days, and we shall exult in thee all the days of our life.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:15. _MAKE US GLAD ACCORDING TO THE DAYS_] Let thy people have as many years of _prosperity_ as they have had of _adversity_. We have now suffered _seventy_ years of a most distressful captivity.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:16. _LET THY WORK APPEAR UNTO THY SERVANTS_] That thou art working for us we know; but O, let thy work _appear_! Let us _now_ _see_, in our deliverance, that thy thoughts towards us were mercy and love. _AND THY GLORY_] Thy pure worship be established among our _children_ for ever.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 90:17. _AND LET THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD_] Let us have thy _presence, blessing_, and _approbation_, as our fathers had. _ESTABLISH THOU THE WORK OF OUR HANDS_] This is supposed, we have already seen, to relate to their _rebuilding the temple_, which the surrounding heathens and Samaritan... [ Continue Reading ]