Psalm 90 14

Psalm 90:14 kjv

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14 nkjv

Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!

Psalm 90:14 niv

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14 esv

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14 nlt

Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.

Psalm 90 verses

Psalm 90 14 Meaning

Psalm 90:14 is a heartfelt prayer to God, asking for His abundant and unwavering covenantal love (chesed) to be experienced fresh each day, especially in the "morning," symbolizing a new beginning and immediate help. The profound experience of this divine love is requested so that God's people might be filled with lasting joy and gladness throughout the brevity of their lives, providing spiritual solace and hope amidst trials and mortality. It pivots from acknowledging human frailty and divine wrath to earnestly seeking God's gracious intervention for restoration and rejoicing.

Psalm 90 14 Context

Psalm 90 is attributed to Moses, placing it as one of the oldest psalms, possibly composed during Israel's 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. The Psalm begins by declaring God as the eternal dwelling place of humanity, contrasting His timeless nature with the fleeting and fragile existence of mankind. It then pivots to reflect on humanity's mortality, emphasizing the brevity of life (often likened to a mere watch in the night or a quickly fading dream) and linking this impermanence to the consequences of divine wrath against human sin (Ps 90:3-11). Moses laments the swift passing of generations under judgment and prays for God to relent from His anger. Verse 14 marks a significant turn in the Psalm from lament and sober reflection to an fervent plea for divine grace and blessing. After acknowledging life's hardship and God's righteous judgment, Moses now intercedes for restoration, a deep and enduring joy, and for God to establish the work of their hands in the few days they have left, thereby transforming sorrow into lasting gladness.

Psalm 90 14 Word analysis

• Satisfy (שָׂבְעֵנוּ, savʿenu from sabaʿ): This verb means to be full, to have plenty, to be satiated. It suggests not merely "enough," but an abundance or super-abundance. While it can apply to physical nourishment, here it implies a deep, profound spiritual and emotional fulfillment that only God's love can provide, an overflowing measure.
• us: Refers to the collective people of God, likely the generation in the wilderness, but applicable to God's people across all ages who endure transient lives and seek His favor.
• in the morning (בַבֹּקֶר, babboqer): "Morning" here is rich in theological significance. It represents a fresh start, a new day, contrasting the "night" of sorrow or God's perceived wrath (Ps 30:5). It suggests immediate and prompt intervention, akin to the daily provision of manna in the wilderness (Exo 16:21) or new mercies (Lam 3:23). It signifies the dawn of hope, relief, or revelation after darkness.
• your steadfast love (חַסְדֶּךָ, chasdeka from chesed): This is a crucial theological term in the Hebrew Bible. Chesed denotes more than simple affection; it encapsulates loyal love, covenant faithfulness, enduring mercy, and unyielding kindness. It's the dependable, active commitment of God towards His people based on His covenant promises. This term emphasizes that the requested satisfaction comes from God's consistent and unwavering nature, His faithful devotion.
• that we may rejoice (וּנְרַנְּנָה, unerannenah from ranan): To shout for joy, sing aloud, or jubilate with a high-pitched sound. It indicates a vigorous, effusive expression of delight, a celebratory outburst stemming from deep happiness and thankfulness.
• and be glad (וְנִשְׂמְחָה, venismecha from samach): To be joyful, cheerful, or merry. This word describes a more general, yet profound, sense of contentment and well-being. Coupled with "rejoice," it paints a picture of complete and overflowing happiness.
• all our days (כָּל־יָמֵינוּ, kol-yameinu): This phrase directly links back to the Psalm's dominant theme of life's brevity (Ps 90:3-12). The desire is not for a fleeting moment of joy but for continuous, abiding gladness that persists throughout their finite lives, acting as a profound counterpoint to the brevity and sorrow previously highlighted. It speaks to sustained spiritual resilience.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:
• "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love": This phrase encapsulates the core prayer. It's a plea for immediate, daily, and abundant spiritual nourishment rooted in God's covenant loyalty. The juxtaposition of human need for satisfaction with God's inexhaustible chesed highlights the divine source of true contentment.
• "that we may rejoice and be glad": This indicates the desired outcome and purpose of receiving God's chesed. The resulting joy is not accidental but a direct, effusive response to experiencing God's profound love. The dual terms emphasize the completeness of this joy—both its outwardly expressed delight and its inward cheerful state.
• "in the morning...all our days": This phrase connects the daily, fresh experience of God's grace with the desire for its effect to permeate and sustain life continuously. The daily refreshing allows for continuous gladness, transforming a transient existence into one marked by enduring spiritual joy, even in the face of life's hardships.

Psalm 90 14 Bonus section

• Theological Parallel to Manna: The plea "in the morning" resonates strongly with the provision of manna in the wilderness. Just as the Israelites relied on fresh manna daily to survive, so too the prayer in Psalm 90:14 emphasizes a daily, fresh reception of God's spiritual sustenance – His chesed – to sustain their souls amidst life's arduous journey.
• A Call for Restoration, not Escapism: This verse is not a wish to escape from the realities of suffering or the consequences of sin described earlier in the psalm. Instead, it is a profound plea for divine restoration and renewal that transforms the experience of living, even within human limitations, so that one can find authentic, God-given joy.
• The Contrast with the Ungodly: In other parts of the Bible, those apart from God pursue fleeting pleasures and momentary happiness. This Psalm, however, highlights that genuine satisfaction and enduring joy come exclusively from a covenant relationship with God and His loyal love, contrasting with any temporary satisfaction derived from worldly pursuits.
• Basis for Christian Experience: The desire for fresh mercies "every morning" and joy in the Lord "all our days" finds deep resonance in the Christian experience, where believers are exhorted to live daily in reliance upon Christ's work and the Spirit's comfort, finding lasting joy regardless of external circumstances.

Psalm 90 14 Commentary

Psalm 90:14 stands as a pivot of hope and earnest desire within a psalm otherwise marked by solemn reflections on human mortality and divine judgment. Moses, deeply aware of life's transient nature and God's holiness, moves beyond lament to supplicate for divine grace. The prayer to be "satisfied in the morning with your steadfast love" is profoundly theological. "Morning" signifies a fresh opportunity for God's mercy after the "night" of trial or perceived divine anger; it suggests prompt and consistent divine provision. The key element is "steadfast love" (chesed), referring to God's covenant loyalty and faithful kindness. This is not just a plea for comfort, but for the fundamental re-establishment of a joyful relationship with God, one where His faithful nature thoroughly satisfies the deepest longings of His people. The desired outcome—to "rejoice and be glad all our days"—is an ultimate triumph over life's brevity and struggles. It implies that true, lasting joy and contentment are found not in temporal circumstances or possessions, but solely in the experience and presence of God's abiding, faithful love, which renews day by day, sustaining believers throughout their entire lifespan, regardless of its duration or difficulty.