Psalms 90:11-17

Context

90:11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger?¹

Your raging fury causes people to fear you.²

90:12 So teach us to consider our mortality,³

so that we might live wisely.⁴

90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!

How long must this suffering last?⁵

Have pity on your servants!⁶

90:14 Satisfy us in the morning⁷ with your loyal love!

Then we will shout for joy and be happy⁸ all our days!

90:15 Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us,

in proportion to the years we have experienced⁹ trouble!

90:16 May your servants see your work!¹⁰

May their sons see your majesty!¹¹

90:17 May our sovereign God extend his favor to us!¹²

Make our endeavors successful!

Yes, make them successful!¹³

[90:11] ¹tn Heb “Who knows the strength of your anger?”

[90:11] ²tn Heb “and like your fear [is] your raging fury.” Perhaps one should emend וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ (ukhyir’otekh, “and like your fear”) to יִרְאָתְךְ (yir’otkh, “your fear”), understanding a virtual dittography (אַפֶּךָ וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ, ’apekha ukhyir’otekh) to have occurred. In this case the psalmist asserts “your fear [is] your raging fury,” that is, your raging fury is what causes others to fear you. The suffix on “fear” is understood as objective.

[90:12] ³tn Heb “to number our days,” that is, to be aware of how few they really are.

[90:12] ⁴tn Heb “and we will bring a heart of wisdom.” After the imperative of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates purpose/result. The Hebrew term “heart” here refers to the center of one’s thoughts, volition, and moral character.

[90:13] ⁵tn Heb “Return, O Lord! How long?”

[90:13] ⁶tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (’al) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.

[90:14] ⁷sn Morning is used metaphorically for a time of renewed joy after affliction (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 49:14; 59:16; 143:8).

[90:14] ⁸tn After the imperative (see the preceding line) the cohortatives with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose/result.

[90:15] ⁹tn Heb “have seen.”

[90:16] ¹¹tn Heb “may your work be revealed to your servants.” In this context (note v. 17) the verb form יֵרָאֶה (yera’eh) is best understood as an unshortened jussive (see Gen 1:9; Isa 47:3).

[90:16] ¹²tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[90:17] ¹³tn Heb “and may the delight of the Master, our God, be on us.” The Hebrew term נֹעַם (no’am, “delight”) is used in Ps 27:4 of the Lord’s “beauty,” but here it seems to refer to his favor (see BDB 653 s.v.) or kindness (HALOT 706 s.v.).

[90:17] ¹⁴tn Heb “and the work of our hands establish over us, and the work of our hands, establish it.”