Psalm 90 17

Psalm 90:17 kjv

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Psalm 90:17 nkjv

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 90:17 niv

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us? yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 90:17 esv

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalm 90:17 nlt

And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful!

Psalm 90 verses

Psalm 90 17 Meaning

Psalm 90:17 is a profound prayer to the Eternal God, flowing from a recognition of human mortality and the fleeting nature of life and labor. It expresses a deep yearning for God’s gracious favor and active presence to validate, establish, and make truly enduring the transient efforts of humanity. It is a petition for divine ratification, seeking to transform mere human toil into fruitful and lasting work that reflects God's purpose and glory, particularly in light of life's brevity.

Psalm 90 17 Context

Psalm 90 stands unique in the Psalter as the only psalm attributed to Moses, identifying him as "a man of God." Its historical backdrop is likely the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, a period marked by divine judgment, the brevity of human life, and a generation's failure to enter the promised land. Moses' prayer moves from declaring God's eternal nature and sovereignty as Israel's dwelling place (v. 1-2) to lamenting humanity's transience and the swift passing of life due to sin and God's just wrath (v. 3-11). In this context, the average lifespan of "seventy or eighty" years (v. 10) emphasizes the ephemeral nature of human existence. The psalm shifts to a plea for divine wisdom to appreciate this brevity (v. 12) and for God's compassion, joy, and mercy to contrast with the affliction they have known (v. 13-15). Verse 16 sets the stage for the concluding petition by asking for God's work and glory to be made visible to His servants and their descendants. This entire preceding context imbues verse 17 with an urgent recognition: given human mortality and the divine judgments of time, only God's active favor and establishment can grant meaning and lasting value to human endeavors, especially the arduous work of establishing a new life and generation in His sight. It contrasts a world where pagan deities were often petitioned for success based on human propitiation; here, lasting prosperity and fruitfulness come only through the grace and establishing power of the one true God.

Psalm 90 17 Word analysis

• Let the favor: The Hebrew for "favor" is נֹעַם ( no’am ), meaning pleasantness, beauty, delight, grace, or graciousness. It’s not just a passive feeling but an active, delightful disposition of God towards His people, leading to His good pleasure being demonstrated through blessing and kindness. It encapsulates God's benevolent presence and acceptance. This isn't merely human perception but a divine reality, causing things to be good and fruitful.
• of the Lord our God: The combined divine titles, אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ (’Adonai ’Eloheinu), emphasize God's absolute sovereignty as "Lord" (Adonai – master, supreme ruler) and His power as "God" (Elohim – mighty creator, covenant keeper). "Our God" underscores a deeply personal, covenantal relationship and reliance, highlighting that the petition is from His own people.
• be upon us; The preposition עָלֵינוּ (‘alêinu) means "upon us" or "over us." This implies an active outpouring, a covering presence, or an impactful influence directly bestowed on the supplicants, ensuring that God's favor is tangibly applied to their lives and circumstances.
• and confirm for us: The key verb is כּוֹנְנָה (kônnəhâ), an intensive form (Pilpel imperative) of the root קוּן (qun), meaning to make firm, establish, prepare, or render stable. It carries the idea of enduring strength, security, and permanence. It is a divine action, causing something to be fixed and lasting, ensuring success and a solid foundation against instability. "For us" highlights the personal benefit and desired outcome for their efforts.
• the work of our hands; מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ (ma‘ăśēh yādêinu) refers to human endeavors, efforts, labor, achievements, plans, and productions. It encompasses all that humanity busies itself with—from farming and building to teaching, governing, and spiritual ministry. The "hands" symbolize the instrument of human activity, creativity, and purposeful toil. Without divine establishment, these works are ephemeral, but with it, they acquire lasting significance.
• yes, confirm the work of our hands. The repetition serves as a powerful emphasis, intensifying the prayer. It’s a fervent, urgent plea for divine intervention, highlighting the psalmist's deep awareness that human effort alone is insufficient to achieve lasting results or ultimate meaning. This doubling reinforces the absolute dependence on God to give stability, fruitfulness, and eternal value to all human enterprises, acknowledging that without Him, everything built by human hands can crumble.

Psalm 90 17 Bonus section

The longing expressed in Ps 90:17 directly relates to the concept of co-laboring with God. While humans perform the 'work of their hands,' the true, enduring fruitfulness and significance derive from God’s gracious establishment. This dispels any notion of self-sufficiency or relying solely on human strength for success. Instead, it places all achievements squarely within the sphere of God's sovereign plan and benevolent will. This also provides an important counter-cultural perspective, particularly in societies that glorify individual achievement or material gain for its own sake; true blessing and lasting impact are not defined by scale or accumulation but by divine ratification. The plea implies that for the work to matter, to endure beyond human lifespan, it must somehow align with God's broader redemptive purposes, thus inviting His favor and power to "establish" it. It suggests that even in mortality, God can make human contributions significant and permanent in the fabric of His eternal kingdom.

Psalm 90 17 Commentary

Psalm 90:17 serves as a vital petition at the conclusion of Moses’ profound prayer on human mortality and divine eternity. Recognizing the transient nature of life and the futility of human toil without divine blessing, Moses, on behalf of his people, fervently prays for God's active "favor" (no'am) to descend upon them. This favor is not a mere pleasant feeling, but God's gracious and powerful disposition that translates into concrete blessing and delightful outcomes. He then directly asks God to "confirm" or "establish" (konen) "the work of our hands"—a repeated plea emphasizing that human labor, efforts, and achievements are inherently unstable and fleeting unless they are divinely sanctioned, sustained, and made firm. The repetition underlines the urgency and absolute reliance on God to imbue their temporary efforts with eternal value and fruitfulness. In essence, it is a prayer for divine purpose and lasting legacy to be interwoven into daily human activity, transforming ordinary toil into sacred, enduring work under the watchful eye and sustaining power of the Almighty. This applies whether one is building a family, a ministry, a career, or simply fulfilling daily duties; without God's establishing hand, even the greatest human endeavors eventually crumble, but with His favor, the simplest tasks can bear eternal fruit.