Psalm 90 1

Psalm 90:1 kjv

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Psalm 90:1 nkjv

A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Psalm 90:1 niv

A prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

Psalm 90:1 esv

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Psalm 90:1 nlt

Lord, through all the generations
you have been our home!

Psalm 90 verses

Psalm 90 1 Meaning

Psalm 90:1 declares God as the eternal and unchanging "dwelling place" or refuge for His people across all generations. It speaks not of a physical location, but of God Himself being the secure and permanent home, a source of stability, protection, and intimate presence, despite the temporal nature of human existence.

Psalm 90 1 Context

Psalm 90 stands out as the only psalm explicitly attributed to Moses, placing its origin during a crucial period of Israelite history—the wilderness wanderings. Penned after the rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea and the subsequent divine judgment that condemned the rebellious generation to die in the wilderness (Num 14:26-35), this psalm serves as a profound meditation on human transience and mortality in stark contrast to God's eternal nature. Verse 1 lays the foundational truth of God's enduring refuge before lamenting the brevity of human life and God's righteous wrath against sin. The historical context informs the deep yearning for an enduring, secure "home" that only God can provide amidst the widespread death and hardship experienced by that generation.

Psalm 90 1 Word analysis

• Lord (אֲדֹנָי - Adonai): This title, frequently used in the Old Testament when referring to God, signifies "Master" or "Sovereign Lord." It denotes supreme authority, ownership, and reverence, emphasizing the profound relationship of submission and dependence that humanity has toward the divine.
• you have been (אַתָּה הָיִיתָ - attah hayita): "You" is a strong personal pronoun emphasizing God's direct and individual role. "Have been" is a perfect tense verb, conveying an action that began in the past and continues without cessation into the present. It indicates God's continuous, reliable, and unceasing presence and faithfulness, rather than a past, completed action.
• our (לָּנוּ - lanu): The preposition "to/for us" is attached, making it a collective and inclusive statement. It emphasizes the communal experience of God's people (Israel, and by extension, believers) having God as their enduring refuge, signifying a shared belonging and reliance on Him.
• dwelling place (מָעוֹן - ma'on): This significant Hebrew term means "habitation," "abode," "refuge," or "lair." While it can refer to an animal's lair or a human's dwelling, when applied to God, it metaphorically describes Him as the ultimate source of safety, security, stability, and intimate protection. It is not merely a place God provides but God Himself is the secure "home" where His people find refuge from life's storms and existential fragility. It signifies an intimate, relational sanctuary.
• in all generations (בְּדֹר וָדֹר - b'dor vador): Literally translated as "in generation and generation" or "from generation to generation." This phrase highlights God's timelessness, eternality, and enduring consistency. It directly contrasts the transient nature of human generations, emphasizing God's steadfastness and unwavering faithfulness across the ages, transcending the rise and fall of human existence.

Words-group analysis

• "Lord, you have been": This opening establishes the direct, personal address to God as the sovereign and ever-present reality in the lives of His people, initiating the core declaration of His timeless nature.
• "our dwelling place": This central metaphor identifies God as the ultimate source of security, stability, and intimate belonging for His people. It’s an assertion of profound relational dependence and spiritual sanctuary.
• "in all generations": This concluding phrase underscores God's eternal, unchanging nature and covenant faithfulness, profoundly contrasting it with the fleeting lifespan of humanity and reinforcing His boundless presence through time.

Psalm 90 1 Bonus section

• Psalm 90 stands alone in the Psalter as the sole psalm attributed directly to Moses, granting it unique historical and prophetic significance as the oldest biblical prayer.
• The concept of God as "dwelling place" goes beyond physical safety; it implies a deep, spiritual refuge, a sense of belonging, and rest for the soul that only divine presence can provide.
• This verse serves as a polemic against the temporal and spatially limited deities of surrounding pagan cultures, asserting that the God of Israel is not confined but is an eternal, omnipresent "home" for His people.
• It sets a crucial thematic tension within the psalm, with the enduring nature of God in verse 1 standing in sharp contrast to the brevity, sorrow, and ultimate judgment that characterizes human life from verse 3 onwards.

Psalm 90 1 Commentary

Psalm 90:1, Moses’ prayer, opens by anchoring human experience in the bedrock of divine eternality. It portrays God not as one who merely provides a shelter, but as the very "dwelling place" itself – the ultimate, unwavering sanctuary for His people throughout the ceaseless flow of human generations. This verse speaks to the foundational security found solely in God's immutable character, especially crucial for a generation facing extinction in the wilderness. Amidst the relentless march of time and the profound frailty of human life, this declaration asserts God's sovereign timelessness and His steadfast, covenantal faithfulness. He is the constant home, the unwavering point of refuge, offering stability and intimacy from one age to the next, regardless of life's passing seasons or the brevity of earthly existence.