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Psalms

About this book
Psalm 90

1 A prayer of Moses, the man of God. O Lord, you have been our protector through all generations. 2 Even before the mountains came into existence, or you brought the world into being, you were the eternal God. 3 You make mankind return to the dust, and say, “Return, O people.”⁠ 4 Yes, in your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday that quickly passes, or like one of the divisions of the nighttime.⁠ 5 You bring their lives to an end and they “fall asleep.” In the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up:⁠ 6 In the morning it glistens and sprouts up; at evening time it withers and dries up. 7 Yes, we are consumed by your anger; we are terrified by your wrath. 8 You are aware of our sins; you even know about our hidden sins. 9 Yes, throughout all our days we experience your raging fury; the years of our lives pass quickly, like a sigh. 10 The days of our lives add up to 70 years, or 80, if one is especially strong.⁠ But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression. Yes, they pass quickly and we fly away.⁠ 11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger? Your raging fury causes people to fear you. 12 So teach us to consider our mortality, so that we might live wisely. 13 Turn back toward us, O Lord. How long must this suffering last? Have pity on your servants. 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your loyal love. Then we will shout for joy and be happy all our days. 15 Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us, in proportion to the years we have experienced trouble. 16 May your servants see your work. May their sons see your majesty. 17 May our Sovereign God extend his favor to us. Make our endeavors successful. Yes, make them successful.

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.16 II:24 and Psalm 90:6

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

In the Legend of Kirta, the king’s decline and death are described as reaching the sunset, a poetic image for the approaching end. Psalm 90 uses similar language, describing human life as brief and fading like the evening sunset.

Passages

KTU 1.16 II:24

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
She approaches [her] brother [and asks:] "Why do you deceive me, [my brother?] How many moons has he been s[ick], how many has Kir[ta] been ill?" And the hero [Ilihu] replies: "Three moons has he been [sick], four has Kir[ta] been ill. It seems Kirta's reaching the sunset, the grave. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ ]
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Psalm 90:6

Hebrew Bible
3 You make mankind return to the dust, and say, “Return, O people.” 4 Yes, in your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday that quickly passes, or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. 5 You bring their lives to an end and they “fall asleep.” In the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up: 6 In the morning it glistens and sprouts up; at evening time it withers and dries up. 7 Yes, we are consumed by your anger; we are terrified by your wrath. 8 You are aware of our sins; you even know about our hidden sins.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... A figure for the end of life (compare, e.g., Psalm 90:6; Job 4:20) or, as in Egyptian thought, a portal to the netherworld ..."
Mark S. Smith and Simon B. Parker, Ugaritic Narrative Poetry, WAW 9 (Atlanta: Scholars, 1997), 46.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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KTU 1.16 II:24 and Psalm 90:6

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