Psalm 90 is the 90th psalm from the book of psalms. Keil and delitzsch biblical commentary on the old testament. This work combines literary, historical, grammatical, and theological insights in a widely accessible manner. David guzik commentary on psalm 90, a song of moses in the wilderness where he wrote of gods eternal greatness and mans frailty. This psalm focuses our attention on the difficulty and the brevity of life. Moses begins with the declaration of the majesty of the lord adonai but when he arrives at ps 90. Verses 16 this psalm is entitled a prayer of moses.
Use this guide for either personal or group study of psalm 90. In the whole of the fourth division of the psalter psalm 90 106 only three psalms have the traditional author given. Since this psalm emphasizes the transitoriness of human life, it was likely composed after the israelites were delivered from egyptian bondage and during their 40year trek in the wilderness, when thousands of deaths brought a faithless generation to its end. Psalm 90 is unique in that it is the only psalm attributed to moses.
Moses he had a unique perspective to offer on life when he wrote this psalm. Psalm 90 tells us there is a place for pessimism, a very important lesson to learn. In book iv, the name yahweh or jehovah is prominent. This is the oldest of the psalms, and stands between two books of psalms. This is the last in our threeweek study of psalms, a book of. Jan 07, 2014 charles spurgeon the treasury of david, psalm 90, a prayer of moses the man of god treasury of david. Book 4, psalms 90106 psalm 90 a prayer of moses the man of god. An easyenglish translation with notes about 1200 word vocabulary on psalm 90. You may also want to use it alongside bobby grosss personal liturgy for the work day based on psalm 90. Contrasting mans frailty with gods eternity, the writer mourns over it as the punishment of sin, and prays for a return of the divine favor.
Psalms 90 150 baker commentary on the old testament wisdom and psalms baker commentary on the old testament volume 3 of psalms, john goldingay. He killed a man and had to run away to live in the. Psalms 90150 baker commentary on the old testament. Psalms 90 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this commentary provides notes on all 66 books of the bible, and contain more than 7,000 pages of material. Study the bible online using commentary on psalms 90 and more. Sep 18, 2005 as the zondervan niv study bible notes, this section of the psalter begins with psalms 90100, a series of 11 psalms arranged within the frame you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations psalms 90. John goldingays threevolume commentary on the book of psalms is now complete with this third volume. Note, true believers are at home in god, and that is their comfort in reference to all.
The superscription of psalm 90 calls it a prayer of moses, the man of the true god. From the midst of the scurry, we occasionally lift our heads and pause long enough. An integrated digital bible study library including complete notes from the believers bible commentary and the cultural backgrounds study bible. Psalm 90 clearly describes this conundrum of human life and powerfully gives a word of hope to the existence and purpose of man. This attribution makes psalm 90 the psalm of oldest recorded origin. This psalm is placed at the beginning of the fourth book of the psalter, according to the ancient traditional division of the psalms.
This psalm has several words and phrases denoting time. For example, commenting on psalm 8 he writes that the psalm does not refer to the messiah. The lectionary text is the first part of the psalm verses 112 that contrasts gods permanence with the brevity of human life. Some commentators think this was not the same famous and familiar moses, but the evidence is much stronger for believing that this was indeed the great leader of israel. The frailty of man the brevity of human life as contrasted with this unchanging nature this eternity of god, psalm 90. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are god. Book four psalm 90 106 psalm ninety a prayer of moses the man of god. Book iv opens with this rehearsal of human frailty, but then moves on in the psalms that follow to praise gods good and enduring rule. Psalm 90 who is god and what is man outline for church. Spurgeons treasury of david to better understand scripture with full outline and verse meaning. Alexander regards it as the heart or centre of the whole collection and a model upon which david formed his hymnology.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. The second major critique i have of this commentary set ties in with the previous one. Psalm 90 takes a full view of life including human frailty and divine wrath and a plea for divine grace. Where, and in what volume, it was preserved from mosess time till the collection of psalms was begun to be made, is uncertain. Psalm 90 marks the beginning of book four of psalms. For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday. Check out these helpful resources biblical commentary sermons childrens sermons hymn lists. We come now to book iv of the psalter, which, as pointed out in the beyond today bible commentarys introduction to psalms, appears to have originally been joined with book v in a single collection.
Psalms 90 commentary james burton coffman commentaries. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures. It is entitled from everlasting to everlasting and is noted as a prayer of moses, the man of god. The psalm begins book iv of the hebrew psalter psalms 90106. In summary, our meaning in life comes not through what we do, but through. It is realistic, facing troublesome realities squarely and without flinching. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in jesus christ. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty. In its literary setting in the book of psalms, then, psalm 90 is a kind of response to the problem of exile articulated at the end of psalm 89. Charles spurgeon the treasury of david, psalm 90, a prayer of moses the man of god treasury of david. Psalms 90, new king james version nkjv the bible app.
The favour and protection of god are the only sure rest and comfort of the soul in this evil world. His divine existence reaches out of the unlimited past into the unlimited future this is the second. The arrangement of the psalms into five books goes back at least to the time when the hebrew scriptures were translated into greek the septuagint approximately 200 b. Nov 01, 2008 the second major critique i have of this commentary set ties in with the previous one. Goldingay does not read the psalms as messianic, eschatological, or forward looking. An interpretive study on psalm 90 the ninetieth psalm is a masterpiece, archetypal of all hebrew hymnic literature, a prism through which the rest of the book of psalms is refracted. Psalm 90 is the oldest psalm, written by moses by the year 1440 bc. Psalms 90 commentary albert barnes notes on the whole bible. Study the bible online using commentary on psalm 90. Advance your knowledge of scripture with this resource library of over 40 reference books, including commentaries and study bible notes.
Psalms 90 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available. Psalms 90 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this classic commentary, ed in 1804, is scotts observations on the book of psalms. Spurgeons treasury of david to better understand scripture. Psalms 90 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. The search for significance leah joy taylor in our modern society, much of life is spent at a frantic pace, an endless striving to keep up with the many demands placed upon it. Commentaries for psalm chapter 90 the eternity of god, the frailty of man. Psalm 90 is one of the most wellknown psalms of the psalter. Still, it was possible in that time to relate to god in prayer. Psalm 90 is the only psalm attributed to moses in the book of psalms although he wrote two other songs that we know of, found in exodus 15 and deuteronomy 32. The book is actually a collection of 150 individual songs composed over a period of approximately years, from the time of moses psalm 90 to the postexilic period psalm 126. In summary, while god is eternal, man is mortal and his life is. Or, perhaps, the author of the arrangement probably ezra designed to place this by itself between the two great divisions of the book, containing respectively the earlier and the later psalms. Unique among the psalms, it is attributed to moses. The psalm uses words that moses said, from these books.
The foregoing psalm is supposed to have been penned as late as the captivity in babylon. We may note how similar this is to the way the babylonian god. You turn us back to dustour years come to an end like a sigh ps. Observe the change of the divine names in this psalm.
Psalms 90 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by the leading authority in the church of christ, presents a verse level look at the bible. Book four from everlasting to everlasting a prayer of moses, the man of god. In the whole of the fourth division of the psalter psalm 90106 only three psalms have the traditional author given. Through an exploration of psalm 90, this article will strive to give answer to the eternal question of meaning and purpose, particularly in the entrepreneurial realm of business. Comment if you are preaching or teaching the psalms be sure to check dr barricks resource as he has brief well done comments, a suggested hymn to sing with the psalm, suggested prayers from the psalm and application of the psalm. Psalm 90 is the first psalm in book iv of the psalms psalms 90106.
Articles sermons topics books podcasts filter resources by. The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong. This is the oldest of the psalms, and stands between two books of psalms as a composition. This is the oldest of the psalms, and stands between two books of psalms as a composition unique in its grandeur, and alone in its sublime antiquity. Psalms 90 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. It is supposed that this psalm refers to the sentence passed on israel in the wilderness, nu 14. There are a number of great commentaries on the book of psalms. One of todays foremost experts on biblical theology, goldingay covers psalms 90150 with his own translation of each passage, followed by interpretive comments. You have been our dwelling place in all generations. This psalm was composed by moses, the man of god, some time after god had sentenced the hebrews to wandering and death in the wilderness, num. Moses comforts himself, and his people, with the eternal and unchangeable duration. You return man to dust and say, return, o children of man. Christ jesus is the refuge and dwellingplace to which we may repair. The lord was god before the world was that is the first assertion of psalm 90.
Kidner notes that book i 141 tends to be personal, book ii 4272 and book iii 7389 tend to be national, and book iv 90106 and book v 107150 are more liturgical. The book of psalms is one of the most beloved portions of holy scripture. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Biblical commentary bible study psalm 90 introduction. At the time when this psalm was written, caleb was exactly 80 and as strong this day as in the day when moses sent me jos 14. We are studying psalm 91 for sunday, february 27 a popular psalm of trust in gods protection. Psalms 90 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this commentary by albert barnes, a dedicated student of the bible, continues to be very popular even today. As the zondervan niv study bible notes, this section of the psalter begins with psalms 90100, a series of 11 psalms arranged within the frame you have been our dwelling. Before i read the passage let me remind you a little bit about moses. In verse one of psalm 90, god is introduced as both a refuge and the creator. What can we learn from the prayer of moses psalm 90. These facts do not imply that moses is the author of psalm 90, but rather that the editors of the psalter invite readers to hear psalm 90 as a prayer offered by moses on behalf of the people in response to the crisis of exile that is articulated in the concluding psalm of book iii see psalm 89.
Studies in the book of psalms previous page next page. We should also bear in mind that books iv and v look forward to the coming reign of god over all the earth. The translated bible text has yet to go through advanced checking. This psalm is titled a prayer of moses the man of god. Notice, as well, that even in its somber thoughts, god is described as israels dwelling place. But even years could be characterized, by one who had lived them, as few and evil gen 47. Summary remembering their frailty, their relatively short time on earth, people pray for gods compassion and that their lives and their work matter. This psalm was penned by moses as appears by the title, the most ancient penman of sacred writ. Psalm 90 and the ascent into insignificance, peter lockhart, a different heresy, 2014. Psalm 90 is the first psalm in book iv of the psalms psalms 90 106. Book 4 psalms 90106 bible commentary theology of work. Whats new sermon illustrations faqs daily bible reading. The psalm is well known for its reference to human life expectancy being 70 or 80. An integrated digital bible study library including complete notes from the niv study bible and the nkjv macarthur study bible is just a step away.
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