Psalm 102:24 kjv
I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
Psalm 102:24 nkjv
I said, "O my God, Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations.
Psalm 102:24 niv
So I said: "Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.
Psalm 102:24 esv
"O my God," I say, "take me not away in the midst of my days ? you whose years endure throughout all generations!"
Psalm 102:24 nlt
But I cried to him, "O my God, who lives forever,
don't take my life while I am so young!
Psalm 102 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 39:4-5 | "LORD, make me to know my end... surely every man at his best is but a breath." | Human mortality & brevity of life |
| Ps 90:2 | "Before the mountains were born... even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." | God's eternal nature |
| Ps 90:10 | "The days of our years are threescore years and ten..." | Limited human lifespan |
| Isa 40:6-8 | "All flesh is grass... but the word of our God will stand forever." | Contrast: Fleeting humanity, eternal God |
| Jas 4:14 | "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time..." | Human life as a transient mist |
| Job 14:1-2 | "Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble." | Human's brief and troubled existence |
| Ps 102:25-27 | "Of old You laid the foundation... they will perish, but You remain..." | God's immutability vs. creation's transience |
| Heb 1:10-12 | "You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation... You remain." | Directly quotes Ps 102:25-27, applying to Christ |
| Lam 5:19 | "You, O LORD, remain forever; Your throne from generation to generation." | God's eternal reign |
| Mal 3:6 | "For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." | God's immutability guarantees His people's preservation |
| Ps 6:4-5 | "Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake... in death there is no remembrance of You." | Plea for deliverance from death |
| Ps 30:2-3 | "O LORD my God, I cried to You, and You healed me. O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave..." | Thanksgiving for deliverance from near death |
| 2 Kgs 20:1-6 | Hezekiah's prayer for extended life. | A king's personal plea for more days |
| Phil 1:21-24 | "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain... to remain in the flesh is more needful for you." | Apostle weighing life and death's purpose |
| Ecc 3:1-8 | "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven..." | God's sovereign timing for all events |
| 2 Pet 3:8 | "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." | God's transcendence of time |
| Ps 27:13 | "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." | Hope in divine goodness amidst life's challenges |
| Ps 71:9 | "Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails." | Plea against being abandoned in advanced age |
| Job 19:25-27 | "For I know that my Redeemer lives... and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God." | Hope for life beyond death |
| Hos 13:14 | "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death." | Divine power over death, pointing to resurrection |
| Deut 33:27 | "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms..." | God as an eternal refuge |
| Ps 145:13 | "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations." | God's enduring sovereignty |
Psalm 102 verses
Psalm 102 24 Meaning
Psalm 102:24 is a poignant plea from a severely afflicted individual to God, expressing the speaker's profound desire for their life not to be cut short prematurely due to their suffering. It simultaneously contrasts the psalmist's fleeting, temporal existence with the unchanging, eternal nature of God, who endures through all generations. This contrast forms the theological foundation for the psalmist's hope that an eternal God can sustain or extend a finite life.
Psalm 102 24 Context
Psalm 102 is categorized as a communal lament, though expressed from the deeply personal anguish of an "afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the LORD." The entire psalm is a desperate cry in a time of severe distress, marked by deep physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering, possibly linked to the destruction of Jerusalem or exile (Ps 102:13-17). The psalmist feels abandoned, consumed by grief, and nearing death before their natural time. Verse 24 marks a transition point. Having articulated the depths of human frailty and personal suffering in verses 1-23, the psalmist now pivots to address God directly with an earnest petition. This petition is fundamentally built upon the profound contrast between the psalmist's imminent mortality and God's absolute eternality, which provides the only reliable hope in such a desperate situation. The subsequent verses (25-27) elaborate on God's eternal nature, which then serves as a basis for renewed hope for God's enduring favor on Zion and its descendants.
Psalm 102 24 Word analysis
- I said, 'O my God,: The phrase "I said" (
'amar) introduces a direct, personal appeal from the psalmist to the Divine. "O my God" ('Eli), particularly with the possessive suffix, conveys a profound personal relationship and intimacy with God, making the cry deeply heartfelt and reliant, implying a personal relationship rather than addressing a distant deity. It highlights the psalmist's sole source of hope. - do not take me away: The Hebrew verb here is
al-ta'aleni, from the rootalah, meaning "to go up," "to ascend," "to bring up." In this context, it functions idiomatically to mean "do not cause me to depart," "do not remove me," or "do not cause me to perish/die." It's a direct plea for the extension of life, not merely an end to suffering but a halt to premature demise. - in the midst of my days;: The Hebrew
bachatsi yamayliterally translates to "in half of my days." This emphasizes the premature nature of the impending death. It's an expression of feeling cut off before reaching a natural or expected lifespan, before one's full potential or purpose could be realized, implying unfulfilled life. This lamentation resonates with the general ancient understanding of a lifespan and the tragedy of not achieving it. - Your years: (
shenoteikha) Refers explicitly to God's duration of existence. Unlike human "days," which are finite and cut short, God's "years" signify His limitless and enduring presence. It highlights God's transcendence over time, a stark contrast to human temporality. - are throughout all generations.: The Hebrew
bedor vadortranslates literally to "in generation and generation," meaning "from generation to generation" or "throughout all generations." This phrase amplifies God's eternality, conveying that His existence, nature, and reign are not bound by time or limited by successive human epochs. It underscores God's permanence and unwavering stability across historical eras, standing in stark relief against the fragility and transience of human life.
Psalm 102 24 Bonus section
The direct appeal "O my God" establishes a Covenantal relationship as the basis for the plea, implying trust and reliance despite extreme suffering. This particular verse, leading into Psalm 102:25-27, finds a powerful fulfillment and Christological application in the New Testament. The writer of Hebrews, in chapter 1, applies these verses directly to Jesus Christ, establishing His eternal nature, creative power, and enduring dominion. While Psalm 102:24 is a lament of human mortality, the subsequent application in Hebrews reinforces that true and eternal life is found in Christ, the one whose "years are throughout all generations." This also suggests a deep yearning in the psalmist that ultimately finds its perfect answer in the life-giving power of the resurrected Christ.
Psalm 102 24 Commentary
Psalm 102:24 is a cry of anguish that serves as a pivotal point in the psalm, transitioning from lament to a glimmer of hope rooted in theological truth. The psalmist, afflicted to the point of feeling his life ebbing away prematurely, pours out a deeply personal plea to his God. "Do not take me away in the midst of my days" reveals a profound human fear of dying before one's time, of leaving an unfulfilled life or witnessing an end before completion. This isn't a rebellion against God's sovereignty over life and death, but a desperate yearning for continuance, possibly for the opportunity to see God's restorative work for Zion that the psalmist alludes to later.
The basis for this bold petition lies in the powerful juxtaposition: "Your years are throughout all generations." This declaration is not just a theological statement; it's the very ground of hope. Because God is eternal, unchanging, and transcends time itself, He is the only being capable of altering the finite span of human life. His perpetual existence provides the secure foundation for the psalmist's prayer; an immutable God can act on behalf of a fleeting human. This verse highlights the profound tension between human fragility and divine permanence, inviting the sufferer to cling to the God who is above all temporality. It subtly reminds us that our earthly duration, however short, can be upheld or extended by the One who is from everlasting to everlasting.