TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Complete Jewish Bible
A prayer of Moshe the man of God: Adonai, you have been our dwelling place in every generation.
Geneva Bible (1599)
A prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, thou hast bene our habitation from generation to generation.
Young's Literal Translation
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, a habitation Thou--Thou hast been, To us--in generation and generation,
In the KJVVerse 15,380 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 90 verses 1–6
1 ¶ A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
This psalm is entitled a prayer of Moses. Where, and in what volume, it was preserved from Moses's time till the collection of psalms was begun to be made, is uncertain; but, being divinely inspired, it was under a special protection: perhaps it was written in the book of Jasher, or the book of the wars of the Lord. Moses taught the people of Israel to pray, and put words into their mouths which they might make use of in turning to the Lord. Moses is here called the man of God, because he was a prophet, the father of prophets, and an eminent type of the great prophet. In these verses we are taught,
I. To give God the praise of his care concerning his people at all times, and concerning us in our days (Psa 90:1): Lord, thou hast been to us a habitation, or dwelling-place, a refuge or help, in all generations. Now that they had fallen under God's displeasure, and he threatened to abandon them, they plead his former kindnesses to their ancestors. Canaan was a land of pilgrimage to their fathers the patriarchs, who dwelt there in tabernacles; but then God was their habitation, and, wherever they went, they were at home, at rest, in him. Egypt had been a land of bondage to them for many years, but even then God was their refuge; and in him that poor oppressed people lived and were kept in being. Note, True believers are at home in God, and that is their comfort in reference to all the toils and tribulations they meet with in this world. In him we may repose and shelter ourselves as in our dwelling-place.
II. To give God the glory of his eternity (Psa 90:2): Before the mountains were brought forth, before he made the highest part of the dust of the world (as it is expressed, Pro 8:26), before the earth fell in travail, or, as we may read it, before thou hadst formed the earth and the world (that is, before the beginning of time) thou hadst a being; even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God, an eternal God, whose existence has neither its commencement nor its period with time, nor is measured by the successions and revolutions of it, but who art the same yesterday, today, and for ever, without beginning of days, or end of life, or change of time. Note, Against all the grievances that arise from our own mortality, and the mortality of our friends, we may take comfort from God's immortality. We are dying creatures, and all our comforts in the world are dying comforts, but God is an everliving God, and those shall find him so who have him for theirs.
III. To own God's absolute sovereign dominion over man, and his irresistible incontestable power to dispose of him as he pleases (Psa 90:3): Thou turnest man to destruction, with a word's speaking, when thou pleasest, to the destruction of the body, of the earthly house; and thou sayest, Return, you children of men. 1. When God is, by sickness or other afflictions, turning men to destruction, he does thereby call men to return unto him, that is, to repent of their sins and live a new life. This God speaketh once, yea, twice. "Return unto me, from whom you have revolted," Jer 4:1. 2. When God is threatening to turn men to destruction, to bring them to death, and they have received a sentence of death within themselves, sometimes he wonderfully restores them, and says, as the old translation reads it, Again thou sayest, Return to life and health again. For God kills and makes alive again, brings down to the grave and brings up. 3. When God turns men to destruction, it is according to the general sentence passed upon all, which is this, "Return, you children of men, one, as well as another, return to your first principles; let the body return to the earth as it was (dust to dust, Gen 3:19) and let the soul return to God who gave it," Ecc 12:7. 4. Though God turns all men to destruction, yet he will again say, Return, you children of men, at the general resurrection, when, though a man dies, yet he shall live again; and "then shalt thou call and I will answer (Job 14:14, Job 14:15); thou shalt bid me return, and I shall return." The body, the soul, shall both return and unite again.
IV. To acknowledge the infinite disproportion there is between God and men, Psa 90:4. Some of the patriarchs lived nearly a thousand years; Moses knew this very well, and had recorded it: but what is their long life to God's eternal life? "A thousand years, to us, are a long period, which we cannot expect to survive; or, if we could, it is what we could not retain the remembrance of; but it is, in thy sight, as yesterday, as one day, as that which is freshest in mind; nay, it is but as a watch of the night," which was but three hours. 1. A thousand years are nothing to God's eternity; they are less than a day, than an hour, to a thousand years. Betwixt a minute and a million of years there is some proportion, but betwixt time and eternity there is none. The long lives of the patriarchs were nothing to God, not so much as the life of a child (that is born and dies the same day) is to theirs. 2. All the events of a thousand years, whether past or to come, are as present to the Eternal Mind as what was done yesterday, or the last hour, is to us, and more so. God will say, at the great day, to those whom he has turned to destruction, Return - Arise you dead. But it might be objected against the doctrine of the resurrection that it is a long time since it was expected and it has not yet come. Let that be no difficulty, for a thousand years, in God's sight, are but as one day. Nullum tempus occurrit regi - To the king all periods are alike. To this purport these words are quoted, Pe2 3:8.
V. To see the frailty of man, and his vanity even at his best estate (Psa 90:5, Psa 90:6): look upon all the children of men, and we shall see, 1. That their life is a dying life: Thou carriest them away as with a flood, that is, they are continually gliding down the stream of time into the ocean of eternity. The flood is continually flowing, and they are carried away with it; as soon as we are born we begin to die, and every day of our life carries us so much nearer death; or we are carried away violently and irresistibly, as with a flood of waters, as with an inundation, which sweeps away all before it; or as the old world was carried away with Noah's flood. Though God promised not so to drown the world again, yet death is a constant deluge. 2. That it is a dreaming life. Men are carried away as with a flood and yet they are as a sleep; they consider not their own frailty, nor are aware how near they approach to an awful eternity. Like men asleep, they imagine great things to themselves, till death wakes them, and puts an end to the pleasing dream. Time passes unobserved by us, as it does with men asleep; and, when it is over, it is as nothing. 3. That it is a short and transient life, like that of the grass which grows up and flourishes, in the morning looks green and pleasant, but in the evening the mower cuts it down, and it immediately withers, changes its colour, and loses all its beauty. Death will change us shortly, perhaps suddenly; and it is a great change that death will make with us in a little time. Man, in his prime, does but flourish as the grass, which is weak, and low, and tender, and exposed, and which, when the winter of old age comes, will wither of itself: but he may be mown down by disease or disaster, as the grass is, in the midst of summer. All flesh is as grass.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–6. Public domain.
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Athanasius of AlexandriaAD 373
Discourses Against the Arians 1.4.13
It is plain then from the above that the Scriptures declare the Son’s eternity; it is equally plain from what follows that the Arian phrases “he was not” and “before” and “when” are in the same Scriptures predicated of creatures. Moses, for instance, in his account of the generation of our world, says, “And every plant of the field, before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew; for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.” And in Deuteronomy, “When the most High gave to the nations their inheritance.” And the Lord said, “If you love me, you will rejoice because I said, I go to the Father, for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass, you might believe.” And concerning the creation he says in the words of Solomon, “Before the world existed, when there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth.” And, “Before Abraham was, I am.” And concerning Jeremiah he says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” And David in the psalm says, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made, you are God from everlasting and world without end.” And in Daniel, “Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, O everlasting God, you know the secrets, and know all things before they are.” Thus it appears that the phrases “once was not,” and “before it came to be,” and “when” and the like, belong to things that have an origin and were created, which come out of nothing but are alien to the Word.
Basil of CaesareaAD 379
HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 18:2
Therefore, “God is our refuge and strength.” To him who is able to say, “I can do all things in him,” Christ, “who strengthens me,” God is strength. Now, it is the privilege of many to say, “God is our refuge,” and “Lord, you have been our refuge.” But to say it with the same feelings as the prophet is the privilege of few. For there are few who do not admire human interests but depend wholly on God and breathe him and have all hope and trust in him. And our actions convict us whenever in our afflictions we run to everything else rather than to God. Is a child sick? You look around for an enchanter or one who puts superstitious marks on the necks of the innocent children; or finally, you go to a doctor and to medicines, having neglected him who is able to save. If a dream troubles you, you run to the interpreter of dreams. And, if you fear an enemy, you cunningly secure some man as a patron. In short, in every need you contradict yourself in word, naming God as your refuge; in act, drawing on aid from useless and vain things. God is the true aid for the righteous person. Just as a certain general, equipped with a noble heavy-armed force, is always ready to give help to an oppressed district, so God is our helper and an ally to everyone who is waging war against the wiliness of the devil, and he sends out ministering spirits for the safety of those who are in need.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 261:1
The resurrection of the Lord is our hope, the Lord’s ascension our glorification. Today, you see, we are celebrating the feast of the ascension. So if we are to celebrate the Lord’s ascension in the right way, with faith, with devotion, with reverence as God-fearing people, we must ascend with him and lift up our hearts. In ascending, however, we must not get above ourselves. Yes, we should lift up our hearts, but to the Lord. As you know, not lifting up hearts to the Lord is due to pride; lifting up hearts to the Lord is called “taking refuge.” After all, we say to the one who has ascended, “Lord, you have become a refuge for us.”He rose again, you see, to give us hope, because what rises again is what first dies. So it [Christ’s resurrection] was to save us from despair at dying and from thinking that our whole life ends with death. We were anxious, I mean, about the soul, and he by rising again gave us an assurance even about the flesh. So he ascended—who did? The one who descended. He descended in order to heal you; he ascended in order to lift you up. You will fall if you have lifted yourself up; you remain standing if you have been lifted up by him. So, lift up your hearts, but to the Lord—that is taking refuge. Lifting up your heart, but not to the Lord, that is pride. So let us say to him as he rises again, “Since you, O Lord, are my hope”; and as he ascends, “You have placed your refuge very high.” How, I mean, can we possibly be proud, if we lift up our hearts to him, seeing that he humbled himself for our sakes, so that we should not remain proud?
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 90
"Lord," he says, "You have been our refuge from one generation to another" [Psalm 90:1]: either in every generation, or in two generations, the old and new: because, as I said, he was the Minister of the Testament that related to the old generation, and the Prophet of the Testament which appertained to the new. Jesus Himself, the Surety of that covenant, and the Bridegroom in the marriage which He entered into in that generation, says, "Had ye believed Moses, you would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me." [John 5:46] Now it is not to be believed that this Psalm was entirely the composition of that Moses, as it is not distinguished by any of those of his expressions which are used in his songs: but the name of the great servant of God is used for the sake of some intimation, which should direct the attention of the reader or listener. "Lord," he says, "You have been our refuge from one generation to the other."
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 90:1, uniquely attributed to Moses, serves as a profound overture to a psalm that contrasts the eternal, unchanging nature of God with the fleeting, transient reality of human life. It declares God as the perpetual "dwelling place" for His people across all generations, establishing Him as their constant refuge, secure home, and unwavering source of stability amidst the uncertainties and brevity of mortal existence. This foundational truth anchors the subsequent reflections on human frailty, the consequences of sin, and the divine call for wisdom and mercy.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 90:1 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message. The most prominent is Metaphor, where God is described as "our dwelling place." This is not a literal house, but a rich symbolic representation of God as the ultimate source of security, stability, refuge, and belonging for His people. It evokes a sense of home, warmth, and permanence in stark contrast to the wilderness wanderings and the transient nature of human life. The psalm also utilizes Apostrophe, a direct address to an absent or personified entity, in this case, "Lord, thou hast been..." This direct address creates an intimate, personal, and reverent tone, immediately establishing a relationship between the psalmist (and by extension, Israel) and God, inviting the reader into this personal address. Furthermore, the phrase "in all generations" functions as a form of Hyperbole or an expression of Timelessness, emphasizing the eternal and unchanging nature of God's constancy. It stretches the concept beyond mere historical periods to encompass an unending, perpetual reality, highlighting God's faithfulness throughout all of history and into eternity, underscoring His immutability against the backdrop of human mortality.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 90:1 lays a foundational truth about God's nature: His eternal immutability and His unwavering commitment as a refuge for His people. This declaration resonates deeply with the broader biblical narrative of God's covenant faithfulness, where He consistently presents Himself as the secure anchor in a world of flux. The concept of God as a "dwelling place" speaks to His omnipresence and His active involvement in the lives of His people across history, providing not just physical protection but spiritual solace, identity, and a sense of ultimate belonging. It underscores that true security is not found in earthly structures, fleeting circumstances, or the passing of generations, but in the unchanging character and presence of the Almighty. This theological truth serves as the bedrock upon which all subsequent biblical teachings about God's reliability and humanity's dependence are built, establishing a profound sense of trust and peace in His enduring nature.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world characterized by relentless change, pervasive instability, and profound uncertainty, the declaration of Psalms 90:1 offers profound comfort and a steadfast anchor for the human soul. We live in an era where economic landscapes shift, social norms evolve rapidly, political climates are volatile, and personal circumstances can be upended in an instant. Yet, this verse powerfully reminds us that our ultimate "dwelling place" is not in any earthly institution, financial portfolio, personal achievement, or transient relationship, but in the unchanging, eternal God. To truly embrace God as our dwelling place means finding our identity, security, and rest in His character and presence, rather than in the fleeting realities of this world. It encourages us to cultivate a deep, abiding trust in His faithfulness, knowing that He has been, is, and always will be our constant refuge, regardless of the "generation" or season of life we find ourselves in. This truth empowers us to face life's challenges with courage, resilience, and a profound sense of peace, knowing that our true home is eternally secure in Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is this psalm attributed to Moses, and what significance does that hold?
Answer: Psalm 90 is unique in the Psalter for its explicit attribution to Moses, "the man of God." This attribution is significant for several reasons. Thematically, the psalm's profound focus on human mortality, divine judgment, and the brevity of life resonates deeply with the experiences of the Israelites during their forty years of wilderness wanderings, a period Moses led them through. During this time, an entire generation perished due to disobedience and divine wrath, a stark reality that would have profoundly shaped Moses's perspective on life, death, and God's justice. Linguistically and stylistically, some scholars note similarities between the language and theological depth of Psalm 90 and other Mosaic writings, particularly in Deuteronomy. Theologically, Moses, who experienced God's intimate presence at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-6) and on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16-20), and who regularly met with God in the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 33:7-11), was uniquely qualified to declare God as an eternal "dwelling place" for His people, having personally known God as his constant refuge amidst immense challenges and the transience of human existence.
What does "dwelling place" mean in this context, and how does it apply to believers today?
Answer: In Psalms 90:1, "dwelling place" (Hebrew: mâʻôwn) signifies much more than a physical house or temporary shelter. It conveys the idea of a permanent, secure, and intimate abode; a place of refuge, rest, and consistent presence. For the nomadic Israelites, who had no fixed home and faced constant movement and mortality, this declaration emphasized that their true security, stability, and belonging were found not in a physical location but in the very being and unchanging character of God Himself. For believers today, this concept remains profoundly relevant. In a world marked by constant change, instability, and personal trials, God is our ultimate source of stability and security. He is our unchanging refuge, our constant home where we can find peace, rest, and safety for our souls, regardless of our external circumstances. It calls us to find our identity, ultimate belonging, and deepest sense of security in Him, rather than in the fleeting realities of this world.
How does this opening verse set the tone for the rest of Psalm 90?
Answer: Psalms 90:1 serves as the foundational premise for the entire psalm, establishing the eternal and unchanging nature of God ("Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations"). This grand declaration of divine eternity then provides the stark contrast against which the psalm immediately proceeds to lament the brevity and frailty of human life (e.g., Psalms 90:3-6), the consequences of divine wrath against sin (Psalms 90:7-11), and the urgent need for divine wisdom and mercy (Psalms 90:12-17). The opening verse acts as an unshakeable anchor, reminding the reader that even amidst human suffering, mortality, and divine judgment, God remains the constant, eternal, and reliable refuge for His people. It sets a tone of profound reverence for God's majesty and a humble recognition of humanity's dependence on Him, framing the subsequent lament and petition within the context of God's enduring faithfulness.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 90:1, with its declaration of God as "our dwelling place in all generations," finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the very embodiment of God's eternal presence and the ultimate secure abode for humanity. Just as God "tabernacled" among His people in the wilderness, John 1:14 reveals that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," literally pitching His tent with humanity. Jesus is Immanuel, "God with us" (Matthew 1:23), the living manifestation of God's enduring presence and refuge. In Him, we find the unchanging stability that Moses longed for, for Hebrews 13:8 declares that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." He is the one in whom "all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9), making Him the true and eternal dwelling place where believers find their rest, security, and eternal home. Furthermore, Jesus promises to prepare a "place" for His followers, assuring them that they will ultimately be with Him where He is (John 14:2-3), culminating in the glorious vision of Revelation 21:3 where God's "tabernacle is with men, and he will dwell with them." Thus, Christ is not merely a temporary shelter but the eternal, personal, and ever-present "dwelling place" for all who trust in Him, providing an unshakeable foundation for every generation.