Psalms 90:6

Translation
King James Version
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
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KJV (with Strong's)
In the morning H1242 it flourisheth H6692 H8686, and groweth up H2498 H8804; in the evening H6153 it is cut down H4135 H8787, and withereth H3001 H8804.
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Complete Jewish Bible
growing and flowering in the morning, but by evening cut down and dried up.
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Berean Standard Bible
in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers.
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American Standard Version
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; In the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
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World English Bible Messianic
In the morning it sprouts and springs up. By evening, it is withered and dry.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
In the morning it florisheth and groweth, but in the euening it is cut downe and withereth.
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Young's Literal Translation
In the morning it flourisheth, and hath changed, At evening it is cut down, and hath withered.
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See also
Job 14:2Psalms 92:7Matthew 6:30James 1:11
In the KJVVerse 15,385 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Psalms 90:6 offers a profound and poignant reflection on the transient nature of human life, contrasting its fleeting beauty and rapid decline with the eternal, unchanging sovereignty of God. Employing the vivid botanical metaphor of grass or a flower, the verse illustrates how life emerges with vibrant vitality in the morning, only to be swiftly cut down and wither by the evening, serving as a sobering reminder of humanity's brief existence in the vast expanse of divine timelessness.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Psalms 90 stands as a singular and ancient prayer, uniquely attributed to Moses, "the man of God," placing it among the oldest compositions in the biblical Psalter. It serves as a foundational theological reflection on human mortality in stark contrast to God's eternal nature. The psalm commences by declaring God as the everlasting dwelling place and refuge for humanity, from "everlasting to everlasting" Psalms 90:1-2. Following this majestic opening, the psalmist transitions to the brevity of human life, likening it to a fleeting watch in the night or a swiftly passing flood in verses 3-5. Verse 6 specifically employs the vivid botanical metaphor, which then sets the stage for the subsequent lament concerning God's righteous wrath against sin Psalms 90:7-11, culminating in Moses' earnest prayer for wisdom to "number our days" and apply our hearts to understanding and eternal perspective Psalms 90:12.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Composed by Moses, likely during the Israelites' arduous forty-year wilderness wanderings, Psalms 90 profoundly reflects the harsh realities faced by a generation marked by widespread mortality due to disobedience and divine judgment. The imagery of flourishing grass and wilting flowers would have resonated deeply within an agrarian society where the rapid emergence of vegetation after morning dew or rain, followed by its swift desiccation under the intense Middle Eastern sun, was a daily, observable phenomenon. This natural cycle provided a potent and universally understood metaphor for the short, often difficult human lifespan, particularly in a context where life expectancy was significantly limited, as explicitly noted in Psalms 90:10. The desert environment itself, with its sudden bursts of life followed by rapid desiccation, would have amplified the power of this metaphor.
  • Key Themes: The paramount theme of Psalms 90:6 is the brevity and fragility of human life. This verse starkly contrasts human finitude and mortality with God's boundless eternity and unchanging nature, a foundational truth majestically established in the opening verses of the psalm. This profound juxtaposition is designed to cultivate humility within humanity, serving as a powerful reminder of our utter dependence on the Creator. Furthermore, the recognition of our transient existence serves as a potent catalyst for seeking divine wisdom and prioritizing what truly matters in the limited time we are granted. It encourages a perspective that transcends the temporal in favor of the eternal, prompting a re-evaluation of life's pursuits. This verse, therefore, contributes significantly to the psalm's overarching message of seeking God's favor and finding true purpose within our divinely appointed, yet limited, time on earth, echoing the sentiment found in Psalms 39:4-5.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • flourisheth (Hebrew, tsûwts', H6692): This word signifies "to twinkle, i.e. glance; by analogy, to blossom (figuratively, flourish); bloom, blossom, flourish, shew self." It conveys a sense of rapid, vibrant emergence, beauty, and initial vitality. The choice of this word emphasizes the swift, almost instantaneous burst of life, highlighting its initial splendor and promise.
  • groweth up (Hebrew, châlaph', H2498): This term means "to slide by, i.e. (by implication) to hasten away, pass on, spring up, pierce or change." In this context, it describes the process of growth and development, indicating that the flourishing is not static but involves a progression. However, it inherently carries a subtle connotation of transition or passing, subtly foreshadowing the inevitable end.
  • withereth (Hebrew, yâbêsh', H3001): This word means "to dry up (as water) or wither (as herbage)." It stands in stark contrast to "flourisheth," depicting the complete loss of life, vitality, and moisture. It signifies the irreversible process of decay and death, emphasizing the finality and desolation that marks the end of life.

Verse Breakdown

  • "In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up;": This initial clause paints a vivid picture of life's vibrant inception and rapid progression. "In the morning" symbolizes freshness, newness, and the dawn of a day full of potential, much like a plant that has absorbed the night's dew and bursts forth with energy and beauty. The verbs "flourisheth" and "groweth up" convey vigorous, swift development, highlighting the initial strength, beauty, and promise of life, whether of a plant or a human being. It speaks to the remarkable speed with which life can emerge and seemingly reach its peak.
  • "in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.": This starkly contrasting clause immediately underscores the abrupt and inevitable cessation of that vibrant life. "In the evening" signifies the close of the day, serving as a powerful symbol for the swift and unyielding end of a life cycle. The phrase "it is cut down" implies an external force, such as a reaper's scythe or the harsh realities of existence, that prematurely terminates life, though it can also refer to the natural process of harvesting or decay. Coupled with "withereth," which denotes drying up, shriveling, and decay, this paints a stark and sobering picture of life's extreme fragility and its swift, irreversible decline into death, emphasizing the transient nature of all earthly existence.

Literary Devices

Psalms 90:6 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message about human mortality. The primary device is Metaphor, where human life is implicitly but powerfully compared to grass or a flower. This comparison is not explicitly stated as a simile ("like grass") but is deeply embedded through the description of the plant's ephemeral life cycle serving as a direct parallel to the human experience. This metaphor effectively highlights the intrinsic fragility, fleeting beauty, and extreme brevity of life. Furthermore, the verse skillfully utilizes Antithesis or Contrast by juxtaposing "morning" with "evening," and the vibrant "flourisheth, and groweth up" with the desolate "is cut down, and withereth." This stark opposition dramatically emphasizes the rapid and irreversible shift from vitality to decay, powerfully reinforcing the transient nature of life. The use of vivid Imagery is also highly effective, evoking sensory details of a plant's life cycle—the fresh, dewy morning bloom and the parched, shriveled evening decay—making the abstract concept of mortality tangible and deeply relatable to the audience's daily observations and experiences.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Psalms 90:6 serves as a foundational theological statement on human mortality, a truth echoed consistently throughout the biblical narrative. Theologically, it underscores the vast and unbridgeable chasm between the finite, temporal nature of humanity, marked by sin and subject to death, and the infinite, eternal, and unchanging nature of God. This stark contrast is not intended to diminish human value but rather to humble us, reminding us of our absolute dependence on the Creator and the preciousness of the limited time He graciously grants. It serves as a profound call to live with an acute awareness of our limited days, prompting a pursuit of divine wisdom and a steadfast focus on eternal realities rather than fleeting earthly pursuits. The brevity of life, as vividly depicted here, becomes a powerful impetus for seeking God's favor, understanding His sovereign will, and investing our lives in that which truly lasts beyond the temporal realm.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Psalms 90:6 confronts us with the profound and inescapable reality of our mortality, urging us to re-evaluate our priorities and live with profound intentionality. If life is indeed as fleeting as a morning flower, then our ultimate focus must shift from the accumulation of temporal treasures and fleeting earthly ambitions to the investment in eternal ones. This verse is not an invitation to despair or fatalism, but rather a powerful call to urgency, purpose, and spiritual wisdom. It compels us to "number our days" (as Moses prays in Psalms 90:12), recognizing each moment as a precious and unrepeatable gift from God. Such an awareness should cultivate a deep sense of humility, acknowledging our complete dependence on divine grace, and motivating us to seek God's will and glory above all else. This perspective ensures that our brief earthly sojourn is lived for His praise and the good of others, rather than for self-serving ambitions that will inevitably wither away with time.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the vivid imagery of a flourishing morning and a withered evening impact your perspective on the value and stewardship of each day God grants you?
  • In light of life's undeniable brevity, what specific adjustments might you need to make in your daily priorities, long-term goals, or spiritual disciplines?
  • How does acknowledging your own mortality, and the mortality of those you love, deepen your reliance on God and your earnest pursuit of spiritual wisdom and eternal purpose?

FAQ

Does Psalms 90:6 suggest that God is indifferent to human suffering or the brevity of life?

Answer: No, Psalms 90:6 does not suggest divine indifference. Rather, it highlights the vast and fundamental difference between God's eternal, unchanging nature and humanity's finite, temporal existence. The psalm, particularly in subsequent verses like Psalms 90:7-11, explicitly links human mortality to the consequences of sin and God's righteous judgment. The brevity of life is presented as a sobering reality that should lead humanity to profound humility and a proper reverence for God, prompting a fervent prayer for wisdom and mercy, as powerfully articulated in Psalms 90:12-17. It is fundamentally a call to acknowledge God's absolute sovereignty over life and death, not a declaration of His apathy towards human experience.

Is the message of Psalms 90:6 inherently pessimistic?

Answer: While the verse presents a stark and sobering truth about human mortality, it is not inherently pessimistic in its broader biblical context. Instead, it offers a realistic and unvarnished assessment of life's transient nature, which serves as a crucial foundation for cultivating true spiritual wisdom. By acknowledging the brevity of our days and the certainty of death, the psalmist (Moses) implicitly encourages a vital shift in focus from the temporal to the eternal. This profound realization is intended to motivate us to "number our days" Psalms 90:12 and to earnestly seek God's enduring favor, purpose, and presence for our lives. Far from despair, it is a powerful call to live intentionally, wisely, and with an eternal perspective, maximizing the precious time God has given us.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

The profound truth of human mortality, so vividly portrayed in Psalms 90:6, finds its ultimate answer, redemptive transformation, and eternal hope in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While humanity, like the grass, flourishes for a fleeting moment and then inevitably withers under the pervasive shadow of sin and death, Christ is the eternal Word who graciously "became flesh and dwelt among us" John 1:14 and, through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, conquered death itself. He is not merely a transient bloom destined to fade, but rather "the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright and morning Star" Revelation 22:16, the source of all enduring life. Through His crucifixion, burial, and triumphant resurrection, Jesus decisively broke the power of sin and death, offering the gift of eternal life to all who believe in Him John 3:16. Our ultimate hope is no longer rooted in our fleeting earthly existence, which inevitably withers, but in the imperishable, resurrected life of Christ, who promises His followers, "Because I live, you also will live" John 14:19. He is the true vine John 15:1 from whom we, as branches, draw everlasting spiritual life, transforming our fleeting mortal lives into an enduring, vibrant, and eternal reality found only in Him.

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Commentary on Psalms 90 verses 1–6

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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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 90
but "in the evening," it means after they come, "let it fall, and be dried up, and withered" [Psalm 90:6]. It is "to fall" in death, be "dried up" in the corpse, "withered" in the dust. What is this but flesh, wherein is the accursed lust of fleshly things? "For all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness of man as the flower of the field; the grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of the Lord abides for ever." [Isaiah 40:6, 8]
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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