1 [[A Prayer H8605 of Moses H4872 the man H376 of God.]] H430 Lord, H136 thou hast been our dwelling place H4583 in all H1755 generations. H1755
And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Send H7971 thou men, H582 that they may search H8446 the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 which I give H5414 unto the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 of every H376 tribe H4294 of their fathers H1 shall ye send H7971 a man, H259 every one a ruler H5387 among them. And Moses H4872 by the commandment H6310 of the LORD H3068 sent H7971 them from the wilderness H4057 of Paran: H6290 all those men H582 were H1992 heads H7218 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And these were their names: H8034 of the tribe H4294 of Reuben, H7205 Shammua H8051 the son H1121 of Zaccur. H2139 Of the tribe H4294 of Simeon, H8095 Shaphat H8202 the son H1121 of Hori. H2753 Of the tribe H4294 of Judah, H3063 Caleb H3612 the son H1121 of Jephunneh. H3312 Of the tribe H4294 of Issachar, H3485 Igal H3008 the son H1121 of Joseph. H3130 Of the tribe H4294 of Ephraim, H669 Oshea H1954 the son H1121 of Nun. H5126 Of the tribe H4294 of Benjamin, H1144 Palti H6406 the son H1121 of Raphu. H7505 Of the tribe H4294 of Zebulun, H2074 Gaddiel H1427 the son H1121 of Sodi. H5476 Of the tribe H4294 of Joseph, H3130 namely, of the tribe H4294 of Manasseh, H4519 Gaddi H1426 the son H1121 of Susi. H5485 Of the tribe H4294 of Dan, H1835 Ammiel H5988 the son H1121 of Gemalli. H1582 Of the tribe H4294 of Asher, H836 Sethur H5639 the son H1121 of Michael. H4317 Of the tribe H4294 of Naphtali, H5321 Nahbi H5147 the son H1121 of Vophsi. H2058
And he said, H559 My presence H6440 shall go H3212 with thee, and I will give thee rest. H5117 And he said H559 unto him, If thy presence H6440 go H1980 not with me, carry us not up H5927 hence. For wherein shall it be known H3045 here H645 that I and thy people H5971 have found H4672 grace H2580 in thy sight? H5869 is it not in that thou goest H3212 with us? so shall we be separated, H6395 I and thy people, H5971 from all the people H5971 that are upon the face H6440 of the earth. H127 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 I will do H6213 this thing H1697 also that thou hast spoken: H1696 for thou hast found H4672 grace H2580 in my sight, H5869 and I know H3045 thee by name. H8034 And he said, H559 I beseech thee, H4994 shew H7200 me thy glory. H3519 And he said, H559 I will make all my goodness H2898 pass H5674 before thee, and I will proclaim H7121 the name H8034 of the LORD H3068 before H6440 thee; and will be gracious H2603 to whom I will be gracious, H2603 and will shew mercy H7355 on whom I will shew mercy. H7355
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 90
Commentary on Psalms 90 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 90
The foregoing psalm is supposed to have been penned as late as the captivity in Babylon; this, it is plain, was penned as early as the deliverance out of Egypt, and yet they are put close together in this collection of divine songs. This psalm was penned by Moses (as appears by the title), the most ancient penman of sacred writ. We have upon record a praising song of his (Ex. 15, which is alluded to Rev. 15:3), and an instructing song of his, Deu. 32. But this is of a different nature from both, for it is called a prayer. It is supposed that this psalm was penned upon occasion of the sentence passed upon Israel in the wilderness for their unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion, that their carcases should fall in the wilderness, that they should be wasted away by a series of miseries for thirty-eight years together, and that none of them that were then of age should enter Canaan. This was calculated for their wanderings in the wilderness, as that other song of Moses (Deu. 31:19, 21) was for their settlement in Canaan. We have the story to which this psalm seems to refer, Num. 14. Probably Moses penned this prayer to be daily used, either by the people in their tents, or, at lest, by the priests in the tabernacle-service, during their tedious fatigue in the wilderness. In it,
Though it seems to have been penned upon this particular occasion, yet it is very applicable to the frailty of human life in general, and, in singing it, we may easily apply it to the years of our passage through the wilderness of this world, and it furnishes us with meditations and prayers very suitable to the solemnity of a funeral.
A Prayer of Moses the man of God.
Psa 90:1-6
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,
Psa 90:7-11
Moses had, in the foregoing verses, lamented the frailty of human life in general; the children of men are as a sleep and as the grass. But here he teaches the people of Israel to confess before God that righteous sentence of death which they were under in a special manner, and which by their sins they had brought upon themselves. Their share in the common lot of mortality was not enough, but they are, and must live and die, under peculiar tokens of God's displeasure. Here they speak of themselves: We Israelites are consumed and troubled, and our days have passed away.
Psa 90:12-17
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:-