Life’s Ultimate Quests –
A Detailed Study of Psalm 90
Introduction
Undoubtedly one of the best loved, Psalm 90 opens the fourth book of the Jewish and Christian psalter not with a euphony or a loud praise, but with a sombre tone of introspection. Its verses have been used to embellish poetries and set to melodies through the centuries. One of the more memorable may count Isaac Watts’s “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”, published in 1719. The contents of the psalm are also widely familiar. After all, few would not find resonance with the expressions: “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday …” , or, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty … and we fly away.” These words are imbued with sentiments that portray the human conditions with which one must inevitably face when left to his/her truthful self. However, familiarity may breed partial understanding, especially when certain portion of the psalm is given undue emphasis. In the following pages, we have an opportunity to study this psalm anew, with special focus on the literary structure so as to better appreciate its poetic beauty. Significant space is also given to word studies in the original language. While understanding meanings of words will immensely help, this part may be skipped for casual reading.
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