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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 90:12–17. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
These are the petitions of this prayer, grounded upon the foregoing meditations and acknowledgments. Is any afflicted? Let him learn thus to pray. Four things they are here directed to pray for: -
I.For a sanctified use of the sad dispensation they were now under.
Being condemned to have our days shortened, "Lord, teach us to number our days (Psa 90:12); Lord, give us grace duly to consider how few they are, and how little a while we have to live in this world." Note,
1.It is an excellent art rightly to number our days, so as not to be out in our calculation, as he was who counted upon many years to come when, that night, his soul was required of him. We must live under a constant apprehension of the shortness and uncertainty of life and the near approach of death and eternity. We must so number our days as to compare our work with them, and mind it accordingly with a double diligence, as those that have no time to trifle.
2.Those that would learn this arithmetic must pray for divine instruction, must go to God, and beg of him to teach them by his Spirit, to put them upon considering and to give them a good understanding.
3.We then number our days to good purpose when thereby our hearts are inclined and engaged to true wisdom, that is, to the practice of serious godliness. To be religious is to be wise; this is a thing to which it is necessary that we apply our hearts, and the matter requires and deserves a close application, to which frequent thoughts of the uncertainty of our continuance here, and the certainty of our removal hence, will very much contribute.
II.For the turning away of God's anger from them, that though the decree had gone forth, and was past revocation, there was no remedy, but they must die in the wilderness: "Yet return, O Lord! be thou reconciled to us, and let it repent thee concerning thy servants (Psa 90:13); send us tidings of peace to comfort us again after these heavy tidings. How long must we look upon ourselves as under thy wrath, and when shall we have some token given us of our restoration to thy favour? We are thy servants, thy people (Isa 64:9); when wilt thou change thy way toward us?" In answer to this prayer, and upon their profession of repentance (Num 14:39, Num 14:40), God, in the next chapter, proceeding with the laws concerning sacrifices (Num 15:1, etc.), which was a token that it repented him concerning his servants; for, if the Lord had been pleased to kill them, he would not have shown them such things as these.
III.For comfort and joy in the returns of God's favour to them, Psa 90:14, Psa 90:15.
They pray for the mercy of God; for they pretend not to plead any merit of their own. Have mercy upon us, O God! is a prayer we are all concerned to say Amen to. Let us pray for early mercy, the seasonable communications of divine mercy, that God's tender mercies may speedily prevent us, early in the morning of our days, when we are young and flourishing, Psa 90:6. Let us pray for the true satisfaction and happiness which are to be had only in the favour and mercy of God, Psa 4:6, Psa 4:7. A gracious soul, if it may but be satisfied of God's lovingkindness, will be satisfied with it, abundantly satisfied, will take up with that, and will take up with nothing short of it. Two things are pleaded to enforce this petition for God's mercy: - 1. That it would be a full fountain of future joys: "O satisfy us with thy mercy, not only that we may be easy and at rest within ourselves, which we can never be while we lie under thy wrath, but that we may rejoice and be glad, not only for a time, upon the first indications of thy favour, but all our days, though we are to spend them in the wilderness." With respect to those that make God their chief joy, as their joy may be full (Jo1 1:4), so it may be constant, even in this vale of tears; it is their own fault if they are not glad all their days, for his mercy will furnish them with joy in tribulation and nothing can separate them from it. 2. That it would be a sufficient balance to their former griefs: "Make us glad according to the days wherein thou has afflicted us; let the days of our joy in thy favour be as many as the days of our pain for thy displeasure have been and as pleasant as those have been gloomy. Lord, thou usest to set the one over-against the other (Ecc 7:14); do so in our case. Let it suffice that we have drunk so long of the cup of trembling; now put into our hands the cup of salvation." God's people reckon the returns of God's lovingkindness a sufficient recompence for all their troubles.
IV.For the progress of the work of God among them notwithstanding, Psa 90:16, Psa 90:17.
1. That he would manifest himself in carrying it on: "Let thy work appear upon thy servants; let it appear that thou hast wrought upon us, to bring us home to thyself and to fit us for thyself." God's servants cannot work for him unless he work upon them, and work in them both to will and to do; and then we may hope the operations of God's providence will be apparent for us when the operations of his grace are apparent upon us. "Let thy work appear, and in it thy glory will appear to us and those that shall come after us." In praying for God's grace God's glory must be our end; and we must therein have an eye to our children as well as to ourselves, that they also may experience God's glory appearing upon them, so as to change them into the same image, from glory to glory. Perhaps, in this prayer, they distinguish between themselves and their children, for so God distinguished in his late message to them (Num 14:31, Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness, but your little ones I will bring into Canaan): "Lord," say they, "let thy work appear upon us, to reform us, and bring us to a better temper, and then let thy glory appear to our children, in performing the promise to them which we have forfeited the benefit of." 2. That he would countenance and strengthen them in carrying it on, in doing their part towards it. (1.) That he would smile upon them in it: Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; let it appear that God favours us. Let us have God's ordinances kept up among us and the tokens of God's presence with his ordinances; so some. We may apply this petition both to our sanctification and to our consolation. Holiness is the beauty of the Lord our God; let that be upon us in all we say and do; let the grace of God in us, and the light of our good works, make our faces to shine (that is the comeliness God puts upon us, and those are comely indeed who are so beautified), and then let divine consolations put gladness into our hearts, and a lustre upon our countenances, and that also will be the beauty of the Lord upon us, as our God. (2.) That he would prosper them in it: Establish thou the work of our hands upon us. God's working upon us (Psa 90:16) does not discharge us from using our utmost endeavours in serving him and working out our salvation. But, when we have done all, we must wait upon God for the success, and beg of him to prosper our handy works, to give us to compass what we aim at for his glory. We are so unworthy of divine assistance, and yet so utterly insufficient to bring any thing to pass without it, that we have need to be earnest for it and to repeat the request: Yea, the work of our hands, establish thou it, and, in order to that, establish us in it.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
Next, in anticipation of future blessings, of which he speaks as already vouchsafed, he says, "We are satisfied with Your mercy in the morning" [Psalm 90:14]. Prophecy has thus been kindled for us, in the midst of these toils and sorrows of the night, like a lamp in the darkness, until day dawn, and the Day-star arise in our hearts. [2 Peter 1:19] For blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God: then shall the righteous be filled with that blessing for which they hunger and thirst now, [Matthew 5:8, 6] while, walking in faith, they are absent from the Lord. [2 Corinthians 5:6] Hence are the words, "In Your presence is fullness of joy:" and, "Early in the morning they shall stand by, and shall look up:" and as other translators have said it, "We shall be satisfied with Your mercy in the morning;" then they shall be satisfied. As he says elsewhere, "I shall be satisfied, when Your glory shall be revealed." So it is said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices us:" and our Lord Himself answers, "I will manifest Myself to Zion;" [John 14:8, 21] and until this promise is fulfilled, no blessing satisfies us, or ought to do so, lest our longings should be arrested in their course, when they ought to be increased until they gain their objects. "And we rejoiced and were glad all the days of our life." Those days are days without end: they all exist together: it is thus they satisfy us: for they give not way to days succeeding: since there is nothing there which exists not yet because it has not reached us, or ceases to exist because it has passed; all are together: because there is one day only, which remains and passes not away: this is eternity itself. These are the days respecting which it is written, "What man is he that lusts to live, and would fain see good days?" These days in another passage are styled years: where unto God it is said, "But You are the same, and Your years shall not fail:" for these are not years that are accounted for nothing, or days that perish like a shadow: but they are days which have a real existence, the number of which he who thus spoke, "Lord, let me know mine end" (that is, after reaching what term I shall remain unchanged, and have no further blessing to crave), "and the number of my days, what it is" (what is, not what is not): prayed to know. He distinguishes them from the days of this life, of which he speaks as follows, "Behold, You have made my days as it were a span long," which are not, because they stand not, remain not, but change in quick succession: nor is there a single hour in them in which our being is not such, but that one part of it has already passed, another is about to come, and none remains as it is. But those years and days, in which we too shall never fail, but evermore be refreshed, will never fail. Let our souls long earnestly for those days, let them thirst ardently for them, that there we may be filled, be satisfied, and say what we now say in anticipation, "We have been satisfied," etc. "We have been comforted again now, after the time that You have brought us low, and for the years wherein we have seen evil" [Psalm 90:15].
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Summary
Psalms 90:15 is a profound and poignant petition within a prayer traditionally attributed to Moses, expressing a fervent desire for divine restoration and gladness. Following a sobering meditation on the brevity and frailty of human life, the eternal nature of God, and the consequences of divine wrath against sin, this verse implores God to grant a period of joy and favor that is commensurate with the duration and intensity of the suffering and adversity experienced by His people. It embodies a deep trust in God's redemptive power and His ultimate desire to bring comfort and blessing after tribulation, reflecting a hopeful appeal for divine compensation.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 90 stands as a unique and ancient prayer, traditionally attributed to Moses, making it potentially the oldest psalm in the biblical collection. The preceding verses (Psalms 90:1-12) establish a stark contrast between God's eternal, unchangeable nature as a secure dwelling place for His people and the fleeting, fragile existence of humanity, which is likened to grass that withers or a dream that vanishes. The psalm laments the destructive power of divine wrath against sin, which shortens human life and brings sorrow, as seen in the acknowledgment that "we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled" (Psalms 90:7). It acknowledges that human suffering and the brevity of life are often consequences of God's righteous judgment. Verse 15, therefore, emerges as a desperate yet hopeful petition for God to turn His face back to His people in favor, asking for a measure of joy that would balance the long period of affliction and perceived evil. The subsequent verses (Psalms 90:16-17) continue this plea, asking God to display His work and glory to the next generation and to establish the work of their hands.
Historical & Cultural Context
Attributed to Moses, Psalm 90 is widely understood to reflect the experiences of the Israelites during their forty years of wilderness wandering, a period marked by divine discipline, hardship, death, and a prolonged sense of God's displeasure due to their rebellion and unbelief (e.g., Numbers 14:33-35). The "days wherein thou hast afflicted us" and "the years wherein we have seen evil" would resonate deeply with a generation that experienced the death of an entire cohort in the desert, constant challenges, and a deferred promise of the Promised Land. Culturally, the concept of divine retribution for sin and divine blessing for obedience was central to the Mosaic covenant. The prayer acknowledges God's absolute sovereignty over life and death, prosperity and adversity, and appeals to His covenant faithfulness, hoping that the period of judgment might give way to a season of renewed favor and joy, echoing the cyclical pattern of sin, judgment, repentance, and restoration often seen in Israel's history (e.g., Judges 2:11-19).
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes within Psalm 90 and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights Divine Sovereignty over Time and Suffering, acknowledging that both affliction and gladness are ultimately in God's hands. The plea for a proportional measure of joy underscores a belief that God's justice is not merely punitive but also redemptive, capable of restoring what was lost or endured. Secondly, it emphasizes Hope Amidst Despair, demonstrating that even in the face of prolonged suffering and divine judgment, a faithful posture involves persistent prayer for God's mercy and a confident expectation of His eventual restoration. This hope is rooted in God's character, not merely human endurance. Finally, the verse speaks to the theme of Divine Compensation and Restoration, suggesting a theological principle that God can and often does provide a measure of blessing that balances or even outweighs past hardship, transforming sorrow into joy, as seen in passages like Job 42:10 where God restores Job's fortunes twofold, or Isaiah 61:7.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
The verb שַׂמְּחֵנוּ (samchenu), an imperative form of sâmach (H8055), means "make us glad," "cause us to rejoice," or "cheer us." It signifies a profound, internal state of being brightened up, blithe, or gleesome. The imperative mood indicates a direct, earnest petition for God to actively bestow a deep joy and delight, implying a restoration of well-being and a lifting of the spirit that only divine intervention can provide.
The word עִנִּיתָנוּ (innitanu), from the root ʻânâh (H6031), means "you have depressed us," "afflicted us," "chastened us," or "brought us low." This term often carries the connotation of suffering imposed or permitted by God, leading to a state of humility or distress. It suggests a deliberate, divine action that has caused hardship and a sense of being weighed down, emphasizing that the suffering was not random but part of God's sovereign dealings with His people.
The term רָעָה (raʿah) from raʻ (H7451) refers to "bad," "adversity," "affliction," "calamity," "distress," or "misfortune." When the text says "we have seen evil," it implies a direct, experiential encounter with hardship, grief, harm, and adverse circumstances over an extended period. It encompasses not only moral wickedness but also the suffering and calamitous events that result from a broken world and, in this context, from divine judgment. The repetition of "days wherein thou hast afflicted us" and "years wherein we have seen evil" underscores the prolonged and pervasive nature of their hardship.
Verse Breakdown
"Make us glad"
This opening phrase is the central petition of the verse, an urgent and direct plea for God to intervene and actively bring joy, spiritual well-being, and a renewed sense of divine favor to His people. It acknowledges God as the sole source of true gladness and restoration, capable of transforming their internal state and external circumstances. The imperative "make us" highlights human dependence on divine initiative for relief from prolonged suffering.
"according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us"
This clause introduces the principle of divine compensation or proportionate restoration. The request is not for a fleeting joy, but for a period of gladness that is commensurate with the duration and intensity of the suffering God has permitted or inflicted upon them. It implies a belief in God's justice and His capacity to balance the scales, providing a measure of comfort and blessing that corresponds to the depth and length of past trials. It suggests a desire for divine favor to equal or even exceed the period of divine discipline.
"and the years wherein we have seen evil"
This phrase serves as a powerful parallel to the preceding clause, reinforcing and amplifying the extent and duration of the hardship. The shift from "days" to "years" emphasizes the prolonged, pervasive, and generational nature of their adversity, while "seen evil" underscores their direct, personal, and collective experience of calamity and misfortune. The parallelism intensifies the plea, asking for a comprehensive and enduring restoration that accounts for every season of hardship and every form of experienced adversity.
Literary Devices
Psalms 90:15 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its poignant message and amplify the earnestness of its petition. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism. The phrases "the days wherein thou hast afflicted us" and "the years wherein we have seen evil" are a prime example, where the second line reiterates and intensifies the meaning of the first, emphasizing the prolonged and pervasive nature of their suffering. This repetition underscores the depth of their plea for relief and highlights the comprehensive nature of the desired restoration. The verse also functions as a direct Petition or Supplication, an earnest and direct appeal to God for intervention. The imperative "Make us glad" highlights the psalmist's utter dependence on divine action for any true and lasting relief. Furthermore, there is an element of Anthropomorphism in the depiction of God "afflicting" and being the source of "evil" in the sense of calamity or hardship, reflecting the ancient understanding of God's direct involvement in all aspects of human experience, including discipline. The overall tone is one of Lament transitioning into Hopeful Supplication, a common structure in the Psalms, where the acknowledgment of profound suffering leads to a confident appeal for divine intervention and restoration, rooted in God's character.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 90:15 beautifully encapsulates the biblical tension between divine judgment and divine mercy. It affirms God's absolute sovereignty over human experience, acknowledging that both affliction and gladness originate from His hand. The request for joy "according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us" reflects a profound theological insight: God's discipline is not arbitrary or endless, but purposeful, aiming to humble, refine, and ultimately draw His people back to Himself. It anticipates a divine compensation, a period of restoration that will ultimately outweigh the seasons of suffering. This verse speaks to the enduring hope that God's character is ultimately good and redemptive, and that His faithfulness will prevail, turning mourning into dancing. It teaches us to bring our full experience of suffering before God, trusting that His ultimate plan is for our good and His glory, even when His ways are mysterious. It is a prayer that seeks not merely relief, but a divine rebalancing, a restoration of joy proportionate to the depth of past sorrow.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 90:15 offers a powerful and enduring model for prayer in times of prolonged adversity. It encourages believers to honestly acknowledge the depth and duration of their suffering before God, without minimizing or denying the pain. Rather than questioning God's presence or goodness during trials, this verse invites us to lean into His sovereignty, recognizing that He is intimately involved in both our hardships and our joys. It teaches us to pray not just for the cessation of suffering, but for a proportionate measure of divine gladness and restoration that actively redeems the time of affliction. This is a prayer of profound faith, trusting that God's ultimate purpose for His people is one of blessing and flourishing, and that His redemptive work will transform even the darkest seasons into opportunities for profound joy and gratitude. It challenges us to maintain hope, even when the "days" and "years" of evil seem endless, clinging to the promise that God's compassion never fails and His mercies are new every morning. It calls us to a posture of patient endurance coupled with fervent expectation of God's restorative hand.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "thou hast afflicted us" mean God causes all suffering?
In the biblical worldview, especially in the Old Testament, God is often depicted as sovereign over all events, including hardship and calamity. The phrase "thou hast afflicted us" (עִנִּיתָנוּ, innitanu) indicates that the suffering was understood as being permitted or even directly orchestrated by God, often for disciplinary or refining purposes. This doesn't necessarily mean God delights in suffering, but that He uses it as a tool in His divine governance and covenant relationship with His people. For the Israelites in the wilderness, their afflictions were directly linked to their rebellion and God's righteous judgment, as detailed in passages like Numbers 14 and Deuteronomy 8:2-5. However, the New Testament provides a fuller revelation, showing that while God allows suffering, He also uses it for His glory and our good, producing perseverance, character, and hope, as described in Romans 5:3-5. It's a complex theological point that emphasizes God's ultimate control and purposeful design, even in the midst of pain, rather than attributing all suffering directly to His active causation in every instance.
What kind of "evil" is being referred to in this verse?
The Hebrew word for "evil" (רָעָה, raʿah) in this context refers primarily to calamity, misfortune, adversity, or distress, rather than moral wickedness. When the psalmist says "we have seen evil," it means they have experienced significant hardship, trouble, and adverse circumstances. For the generation in the wilderness, this would include the deaths of loved ones, lack of resources, constant wandering, and the general difficulties of a disciplined life under God's hand. It encompasses the experiential reality of suffering and hardship over an extended period, which they attribute to God's dealings with them. It's the "badness" or "calamity" that comes upon them, not necessarily their own sin, though that sin may have been the underlying cause of the calamity. This is distinct from the moral evil of human sin, though the two are often intertwined in biblical thought.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 90:15, with its poignant plea for gladness proportionate to affliction, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While the psalmist laments the suffering of God's people under divine discipline, Christ Himself, the perfect Son, entered into the deepest human suffering, experiencing affliction and "evil" in a way no other could. He bore the full weight of God's wrath against sin on the cross, becoming the ultimate afflicted one, "pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5). Yet, through His suffering, death, and glorious resurrection, He secured for His people an eternal gladness that far outweighs any temporal affliction. The "days wherein thou hast afflicted us" are now seen through the lens of Christ's redemptive work, where our momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Corinthians 4:17). In Christ, the promise of joy after sorrow is not merely a hope but a guaranteed reality, for He has overcome the world and promises His disciples a joy that no one can take away (John 16:33 and John 16:22). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), thereby removing the ultimate cause of our affliction and ushering in an era where God will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). Our gladness in Him is not just a balancing act, but an overflowing, eternal delight rooted in His finished work and the new creation He inaugurates.