Psalm 90:15 kjv
Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
Psalm 90:15 nkjv
Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, The years in which we have seen evil.
Psalm 90:15 niv
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.
Psalm 90:15 esv
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Psalm 90:15 nlt
Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good.
Psalm 90 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Dt 8:2-5 | ...the LORD your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart... | God's leadership includes humbling and testing. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. | God's mercies are endless and new daily. |
| Lam 3:32 | Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. | God causes grief but shows abundant compassion. |
| Isa 61:3 | ...to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness... | God replaces sorrow with beauty and joy. |
| Jer 31:13 | Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy... | God promises to turn mourning into rejoicing. |
| Pss 30:5 | For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. | Joy follows temporary sorrow in God's presence. |
| Pss 126:5-6 | They that sow in tears shall reap in joy... He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing... | Tears sown will lead to joyful reaping. |
| Pss 51:12 | Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation... | A prayer for the restoration of spiritual joy. |
| Job 8:7 | Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase. | God can grant greater increase in the end. |
| Joel 2:25 | I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten... | God promises to restore years lost to devastation. |
| Rom 8:18 | For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. | Future glory far outweighs present suffering. |
| 2 Cor 4:17 | For our light and momentary affliction is working for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison... | Affliction produces incomparable eternal glory. |
| Ex 3:7 | And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt... | God observes and responds to His people's suffering. |
| Pss 106:44-46 | Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry... He remembered for them his covenant... | God hears cries of affliction and remembers His covenant. |
| Jer 29:10-14 | For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you... | God promises restoration after a period of exile. |
| Mt 5:4 | Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. | Comfort is promised to those who mourn. |
| Lk 6:21 | Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. | Present weeping will be turned into future laughter. |
| Gen 50:20 | But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good... | God orchestrates difficult situations for ultimate good. |
| Ps 90:13 | Return, O LORD, how long? And let it repent thee concerning thy servants. | Preceding plea for God's mercy and compassion. |
| Ps 90:14 | O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. | Preceding plea for immediate mercy and lasting joy. |
| Ps 90:16-17 | Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us... | Subsequent plea for God's work and glory to be evident. |
| Ps 145:18-19 | The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him... | God is near to those who call truthfully and fulfills their desires. |
Psalm 90 verses
Psalm 90 15 Meaning
Psalm 90:15 is a fervent prayer asking God to grant joy and gladness that is proportionate in duration and intensity to the period of suffering and hardship previously experienced. It seeks divine restoration and recompense for the affliction endured, embodying a hopeful appeal for mercy to outweigh past judgment and sorrow.
Psalm 90 15 Context
Psalm 90 is unique as "A Prayer of Moses, the man of God." It stands as a profound reflection on human transience in contrast to God's eternal nature and sovereignty. Written possibly during the forty years of wilderness wandering, it grapples with the brevity of human life, divine wrath resulting from sin, and the associated suffering experienced by the Israelites. This particular verse, 90:15, is an urgent plea within that context, coming after acknowledging God's fierce anger and their own fleeting existence. Moses is interceding, asking God to proportionately grant joy and favor to balance the prolonged period of judgment and affliction endured by his generation. It's a petition born from years of witnessing death and hardship, seeking a reversal of fortunes and a return to divine favor for the remaining and succeeding generations.
Psalm 90 15 Word analysis
- Make us glad (שַׂמְּחֵנוּ - śammeḥēnu): A strong imperative, meaning "cause us to rejoice," "gladden us." It indicates that true, lasting joy is a divine gift, not merely a human endeavor. This echoes the biblical understanding that inner delight comes from God's presence and favor.
- according to (כִּימֵי - kîmê): Literally "like the days of." This preposition is crucial, conveying the idea of proportionality. The request isn't for random joy, but for joy matching the measure of past suffering. It suggests a divine principle of balanced restoration.
- the days (יְמוֹת - yemot): Refers to a period of time, emphasizing the duration of their past hardship.
- wherein thou hast afflicted us (עִנִּיתָנוּ - ʿinnîtānû): The verb anah (עָנָה) implies humbling, afflicting, causing suffering. It directly attributes the affliction to God, not as an arbitrary act, but as divine discipline or allowance. This reflects a theological understanding where God is sovereign over all circumstances, even adversity, which can serve corrective or formative purposes.
- and the years (שְׁנוֹת - šənôt): A parallel term to "the days," reinforcing the extensive duration of their hardship and further emphasizing the proportionality aspect of the prayer. It means "years of" in a construct state.
- wherein we have seen evil (רָאִינוּ רָעָה - rāʾînû rāʿāh): "Seen evil" is an idiomatic expression for experiencing great adversity, calamity, or misery. It describes not just intellectual understanding, but profound, personal encounter with hardship. The term raʿah (רָעָה) encompasses wickedness, distress, misfortune, or calamity. Here it signifies the direct, painful experiences of their long wilderness journey.
- Words-group: "Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us": This phrase links divine joy to divine discipline, expressing a desire for God to turn the negative consequences of their sin (affliction) into positive experiences (gladness) of equal measure. It implies that God's restoration is complete and just, seeking to balance the ledger of suffering with abundant joy.
- Words-group: "and the years wherein we have seen evil": This is a poetic parallelism emphasizing the prolonged and impactful nature of the suffering. It highlights the depth of their experience with hardship and sets the scale for the desired gladness. The request isn't for fleeting happiness, but for a substantial period of divine favor and joy commensurate with their long trials.
Psalm 90 15 Bonus section
The appeal in Psalm 90:15 aligns with a consistent biblical theme of God's capacity to reverse adverse circumstances, turning sorrow into joy and humbling experiences into pathways for true exaltation. It's a prayer that understands suffering can have a redemptive purpose, and that God's grace is abundant enough to restore what has been lost or endured. The numerical request "according to the days" suggests not a mathematical precise equation, but a complete and satisfying measure of restoration, implying a reversal that leaves no lingering sense of injustice or unaddressed pain from the past. This psalm provides a theological framework where even divine judgment is a prelude to renewed covenantal favor and joy. It highlights the importance of intercessory prayer during times of great national or personal tribulation, seeking God's active intervention to transform grief into gladness.
Psalm 90 15 Commentary
Psalm 90:15, "Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil," encapsulates a deep human yearning for divine recompense after prolonged suffering. This plea, attributed to Moses during the Israelites' wilderness journey, recognizes God's hand in both the affliction and the potential for restoration. It is not a demand based on human merit, but a humble request rooted in faith in God's character as merciful and just. The key is proportionality: the desire for a season of joy that would effectively balance, and even transcend, the length and intensity of their past sorrow. It’s a prayer for God's steadfast love (ḥesed) to demonstrate its power by turning the tide of historical experience, transforming collective misery into an equivalent, if not greater, measure of divine gladness and favor. It signifies that even in discipline, God's ultimate purpose is redemptive, leading to joy and well-being. For example, a person enduring years of struggle in faith may later experience profound, sustained peace and spiritual flourishing. A church body undergoing periods of intense trial might emerge with a stronger, more vibrant community, bound together by shared grace.