Psalms 90:4

“For a thousand years in your eyes are like the day of yesterday when it passes, and like a watch in the night.”
Psalms 90:4 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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Moses prays: before the mountains were born, God already was; a thousand years are like yesterdayWho God Is

With the Hebrew beneath

Forכִּיa thousandאֶלֶףyearsשָׁנִיםin your eyesבְּעֵינֶיךָare like the dayכְּיוֹםof yesterdayאֶתְמוֹלwhenכִּיit passes,יַעֲבֹרand like a watchוְאַשְׁמוּרָהin the night.בַלָּיְלָה

Allusion · 2 Peter 3:8

Go to 2 Peter 3:8

Both texts say that for God a thousand years are like a day.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

אֶלֶףelefH505χίλιαchiliaG5507“thousand”
שָׁנִיםshanimH8141ἔτηetēG2094“year”
יוֹםyomH3117ἡμέραhēmeraG2250“day”

Psalms 90:4, word by word

a thousandאֶלֶףelef

thousand

One thousand: a large, round number.

Where else “elef” appears

yearsשָׁנִיםshanim

year

Each full turn of the seasons, by which time is counted.

Where else “shanim” appears

in your eyesעֵינֶיene

sight

"In the eyes of" someone: in their view.

Where else “ene” appears

are like the dayיוֹםyom

day

The day, the hours of light, or a whole day.

Where else “yom” appears

of yesterdayאֶתְמוֹלetmol

yesterday, before

Yesterday; together with "the day before" it forms the expression "before", "in the past".

Where else “etmol” appears

it passesיַעֲבֹרyaavor

pass

To get over a river, or go through a land.

Where else “yaavor” appears

and like a watchאַשְׁמוּרָהashmura

night watch

Watch: each of the parts into which the night was divided; the morning watch was the last, before dawn.

Where else “ashmura” appears

in the nightלָּיְלָהlayla

night

Night.

Where else “layla” appears

Translation note

2 Peter 3:8 takes up this idea.

The context

3You turn back the mortal to dust, and say, “Return, human beings.”

4 · This verse (above)

5You sweep them away; they are a sleep; in the morning they are like grass that is renewed;

Read all of Psalms 90

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