Psalms 90:2-4

90:2 Even before the mountains came into existence, ¹ 

or you brought the world into being, ² 

you were the eternal God. ³ 

90:3 You make mankind return ⁴  to the dust, ⁵ 

and say, “Return, O people!”

90:4 Yes, ⁶  in your eyes a thousand years

are like yesterday that quickly passes,

or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. ⁷ 

Psalms 102:12

102:12 But you, O Lord, rule forever, ⁸ 

and your reputation endures. ⁹ 

Psalms 102:24-27

102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! ¹⁰ 

You endure through all generations. ¹¹ 

102:25 In earlier times you established the earth;

the skies are your handiwork.

102:26 They will perish,

but you will endure. ¹² 

They will wear out like a garment;

like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear. ¹³ 

102:27 But you remain; ¹⁴ 

your years do not come to an end.

Hebrews 1:12

1:12 and like a robe you will fold them up

and like a garment ¹⁵  they will be changed,

but you are the same and your years will never run out.” ¹⁶ 

Hebrews 1:2

1:2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, ¹⁷  whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. ¹⁸ 

Hebrews 3:8

3:8 “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.

¹ tn Heb “were born.”

² tn Heb “and you gave birth to the earth and world.” The Polel verbal form in the Hebrew text pictures God giving birth to the world. The LXX and some other ancient textual witnesses assume a polal (passive) verbal form here. In this case the earth becomes the subject of the verb and the verb is understood as third feminine singular rather than second masculine singular.

³ tn Heb “and from everlasting to everlasting you [are] God.” Instead of אֵל (’el, “God”) the LXX reads אַל (’al, “not”) and joins the negative particle to the following verse, making the verb תָּשֵׁב (tashev) a jussive. In this case v. 3a reads as a prayer, “do not turn man back to a low place.” However, taking תָּשֵׁב as a jussive is problematic in light of the following following wayyiqtol form וַתֹּאמֶר (vato’mer, “and you said/say”).

⁴ tn In this context the shortened prefix form does not function as a preterite, but indicates what is typical of the world.

⁵ tn The Hebrew term דַּכָּא (daka’) carries the basic sense of “crushed.” Elsewhere it refers to those who are “crushed” in spirit or contrite of heart (see Ps 34:18; Isa 57:15). If one understands this nuance here, then v. 3 is observing that God leads mankind to repentance (the term שׁוּב, shuv, “return,” which appears twice in this verse, is sometimes used of repentance.) However, the following context laments mankind’s mortality and the brevity of life, so it is doubtful if v. 3 should be understood so positively. It is more likely that דַּכָּא here refers to “crushed matter,” that is, the dust that fills the grave (see HALOT 221 s.v. s.v. I דַּכָּא; BDB 194 s.v. דַּכָּא). In this case one may hear an echo of Gen 3:19.

⁶ tn Or “for.”

⁷ sn The divisions of the nighttime. The ancient Israelites divided the night into distinct periods, or “watches.”

⁸ tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.

⁹ tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”

¹¹ tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”

¹² tn Heb “stand.”

¹³ tn The Hebrew verb חָלַף (khalaf) occurs twice in this line, once in the Hiphil (“you will remove them”) and once in the Qal (“they will disappear”). The repetition draws attention to the statement.

¹⁴ tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the Lord’s affirmation “I am he” in Isa 41:4; 43:10, 13; 46:10; 48:12. In each of these passages the affirmation emphasizes the fact that the Lord transcends time limitations, the very point being made in Ps 102:27.

¹⁵ tc The words “like a garment” (ὡς ἱμάτιον, Jw" Jimation) are found in excellent and early mss (Ì⁴⁶ א A B D* 1739) though absent in a majority of witnesses (D¹ Ψ 0243 0278 33 1881 Ï lat sy bo). Although it is possible that longer reading was produced by overzealous scribes who wanted to underscore the frailty of creation, it is much more likely that the shorter reading was produced by scribes who wanted to conform the wording to that of Ps 102:26 (101:27 LXX), which here lacks the second “like a garment.” Both external and internal considerations decidedly favor the longer reading, and point to the author of Hebrews as the one underscoring the difference between the Son and creation.

¹⁶ sn A quotation from Ps 102:25-27.

¹⁷ tn The Greek puts an emphasis on the quality of God’s final revelation. As such, it is more than an indefinite notion (“a son”) though less than a definite one (“the son”), for this final revelation is not just through any son of God, nor is the emphasis specifically on the person himself. Rather, the focus here is on the nature of the vehicle of God’s revelation: He is no mere spokesman (or prophet) for God, nor is he merely a heavenly messenger (or angel); instead, this final revelation comes through one who is intimately acquainted with the heavenly Father in a way that only a family member could be. There is, however, no exact equivalent in English (“in son” is hardly good English style).

¹⁸ tn Grk “the ages.” The temporal (ages) came to be used of the spatial (what exists in those time periods). See Heb 11:3 for the same usage.