Psalms 90:2

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

or you brought the world into being, ² 

you were the eternal God. ³ 

Psalms 90:4

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

are like yesterday that quickly passes,

or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. ⁵ 

[90:2]  ¹ tn Heb “were born.”

[90:2]  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.

[90:2]  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”).

[90:4]  ⁴ tn Or “for.”

[90:4]  ⁵ sn The divisions of the nighttime. The ancient Israelites divided the night into distinct periods, or “watches.”