Psalm 90 is the 90th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 89. In Latin, it is known as "Domine refugium tu factus es nobis in generatione et generatione". It is the opening psalm of Book 4 of the psalms. Uniquely among the Psalms, it is attributed to Moses. It is well known for its reference in verse 10 to human life expectancy being 70 or 80 ("threescore years and ten", or "if by reason of strength ... fourscore years", in the King James Version): it is believed that this verse was the influence for the opening words of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic liturgies. It has been set to music, for example by Baroque composers Heinrich Schütz in German. Charles Ives completed a choral setting in 1924.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

King James Version

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). The extant manuscript of AqTaylor, a translation into Koine Greek made in c. 130 CE, contains verse 17.

Authorship and date

By its header ("A Prayer of Moses, the man of God") this psalm is attributed to Moses. Theologian Albert Barnes notes "its marked unlikeness to the Psalms of David". Commentator C S Rodd suggests it was written later than Moses' era, but even from a biblical literalist perspective one writer warns against assuming with any certainty that this is the oldest psalm, because some psalms are anonymous and so "we don't know who wrote them or when". The title "the man of God" is given to Moses in in the introduction to the Blessing of Moses. The term also appears in Joshua 14:6 and Ezra 3:2 as a title especially appropriate to him, denoting that he was faithful to God and a man approved by God.

Uses

Judaism

New Testament

In the New Testament, verse 4 is quoted in.

Christianity

In the Divine Office of the Roman Catholic Church, Psalm 90 is appointed to be read at Lauds (Morning Prayer) on the Monday of the fourth week of the month. In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the 18th day of the month.

Musical settings

The hymn O God, our help in ages past" is a lyrical version of Psalm 90 written by Isaac Watts. Heinrich Schütz set the psalm in a metred version in German as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628, "Herr Gott Vater im höchsten Thron", SWV 188. Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote Lord, thou hast been our refuge, a motet for choir, semi-choir and orchestra (or organ) based on the psalm in 1921. Charles Ives composed a choral setting of the psalm in English, Psalm 90, in 1923/24. Frederic Lord wrote a setting for baritone, choir and orchestra. Herbert Blendinger set verses 1-4 in German, "Herr, du bist unsere Zuflucht für und für", as Psalmgebet, a solo cantata for soprano, trumpet and organ, Op. 82, in 2000.

Sources