Bible Commentary

Psalms 90:1-6

Matthew Henry on Psalms 90:1-6

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · Matthew Henry · CC0 1.0 Universal

It is supposed that this psalm refers to the sentence passed on Israel in the wilderness, Nu 14. The favour and protection of God are the only sure rest and comfort of the soul in this evil world. Christ Jesus is the refuge and dwelling-place to which we may repair.

We are dying creatures, all our comforts in the world are dying comforts, but God is an ever-living God, and believers find him so. When God, by sickness, or other afflictions, turns men to destruction, he thereby calls men to return unto him to repent of their sins, and live a new life.

A thousand years are nothing to God's eternity: between a minute and a million of years there is some proportion; between time and eternity there is none. All the events of a thousand years, whether past or to come, are more present to the Eternal Mind, than what was done in the last hour is to us.

And in the resurrection, the body and soul shall both return and be united again. Time passes unobserved by us, as with men asleep; and when it is past, it is as nothing. It is a short and quickly-passing life, as the waters of a flood.

Man does but flourish as the grass, which, when the winter of old age comes, will wither; but he may be mown down by disease or disaster.

Recommended reading

More for Psalms 90:1-6

Continue with other commentaries and DiscipleDeck content connected to this verse, chapter, or topic.

Other commentaries

commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 90:1-17EXPOSITION THE ascription of this psalm in the title to Moses must be admitted to be very remarkable. No other psalm is so ascribed. Nor indeed is a date given to any other earlier than the time of David. The psalm itse…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 90:1God a Dwelling place. God our Home; the soul's Home. There seem to be no sufficient reasons for rejecting the Mosaic authorship of this psalm; but this much appears to be certain—the associations of the time of Moses fo…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 90:1The glorious habitation. It has been remarked that we have Moses presented to us in three aspects—as poet (see his song at the Red Sea); as preacher (see Deuteronomy and elsewhere); and as a man of prayer (see the closi…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 90:1-17The Lord our Dwelling place. There is no need to doubt the assigned authorship of this psalm. It is in entire harmony with the facts and surroundings of Moses' and Israel's life in the wilderness. Observe— I. THE BLESSE…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 90:1Lord, thou hast been our Dwelling place in all generations; or, "our habitation" (see Psalms 91:9); comp. Psalms 32:7, "Thou art my Hiding place." For well nigh forty years Moses had had no fixed material dwelling place.Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 90:2The past, present, and future eternity of God. "There is something in the psalm that is wonderfully striking and solemn, acquainting us with the profoundest depths of the Divine nature" (Ewald). In contrast with the eve…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 90:2Before the mountains were brought forth (comp. Proverbs 8:25). The "mountains" are mentioned as perhaps the grandest, and certainly among the oldest, of all the works of God. Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 90:3Thou turnest man to destruction; or, "to dust" (comp. Genesis 3:19). And sayest, Return, ye children of men; i.e. "return once more, and replenish the earth." There may be an allusion to the destruction of mankind by th…Joseph S. Exell and contributors