Psalm 90 2

Psalm 90:2 kjv

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Psalm 90:2 nkjv

Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

Psalm 90:2 niv

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Psalm 90:2 esv

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Psalm 90:2 nlt

Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from beginning to end, you are God.

Psalm 90 verses

Psalm 90 2 Meaning

Psalm 90:2 declares God's absolute eternality and pre-existence as the Creator, asserting that He existed immeasurably prior to and actively brought forth all physical creation, from the oldest mountains to the entire habitable earth. His nature is inherently without beginning or end, contrasting sharply with the temporal and transient nature of humanity and all creation. This verse establishes God as the transcendent, uncreated Creator and the ultimate source of all being.

Psalm 90 2 Context

Psalm 90 is uniquely attributed to Moses, placing it within a significant period of Israel's history—likely the wilderness wandering. The psalm begins by establishing God's eternality as humanity's dwelling place (v. 1). Verse 2 then grounds this truth by emphatically declaring God's pre-existence and creative power before anything was made. This starkly contrasts with the human condition presented later in the psalm, where people are like grass that flourishes briefly and then withers (v. 5-6), live for a mere 70 or 80 years marked by toil and trouble (v. 10), and ultimately return to dust because of divine decree and judgment against sin (v. 3, 7-9). Thus, Psalm 90:2 sets the eternal, unchangeable, sovereign nature of God against the fleeting, fragile, and fallen existence of humanity, forming the foundational premise for Moses' lament and prayer for wisdom and favor.

Psalm 90 2 Word analysis

• בְּטֶרֶם (beṭerem): Transliterated as "beṭerem," meaning "before" or "not yet." This word emphatically conveys chronological priority, stating that God's existence precedes the very concept of time and physical creation. It establishes God as eternally prior to all generated existence.
• הָרִים (harim): Transliterated as "harim," meaning "mountains." Mountains, in ancient Near Eastern thought, often symbolized stability, age, and permanence. By stating that even these ancient, seemingly immutable features were born, the psalmist highlights their contingent existence, emphasizing that they too are products of God's creative act and are not eternal in themselves.
• יוּלָּדוּ (yulladu): Transliterated as "yulladu," derived from the verb יָלַד (yalad), meaning "to give birth" or "to be born." This is in the Pual passive, meaning "were born" or "brought forth." The use of "birth" language personifies the creation of mountains, suggesting God's intimate and profound involvement in their formation, as if they were literally brought into being from His essence or power, not merely fashioned.
• וַתְּחוֹלֵל (watt'ḥolel): Transliterated as "watt'ḥolel," derived from חול (chul), meaning "to travail" or "to writhe" (often in childbirth). This verb is in the Hiphil stem, meaning "You caused to travail" or "You brought forth through labor/birth." This intensifies the imagery of creation as a painful or intensive process for the Creator, signifying God's profound active engagement and powerful exertion in forming the entire earth.
• אֶרֶץ (erets): Transliterated as "erets," meaning "earth," "land," or "world." It encompasses the solid ground, the habitable world. By mentioning both "mountains" and "earth," the verse encompasses both the specific grand features and the comprehensive whole of the physical world.
• מֵעוֹלָם (me'olam): Transliterated as "me'olam," literally "from forever" or "from everlasting." 'Olam' (עוֹלָם) denotes a duration that extends indefinitely into the past, beyond human reckoning, indicating timelessness or an extremely ancient past. Here, it refers to a time before any conceivable beginning.
• וְעַד עוֹלָם (we'ad 'olam): Transliterated as "we'ad 'olam," literally "and to forever" or "to everlasting." This extends the indefinite duration into the future. Together, "me'olam we'ad 'olam" is a profound Hebrew idiom expressing absolute eternality—without beginning and without end.
• אַתָּה (attah) אֵל (El): Transliterated as "attah El," meaning "You are God" or "You are the Mighty One." "Attah" is the direct second-person singular pronoun "You," emphasizing a personal declaration to God. "El" is a fundamental and ancient Hebrew word for "God" or "deity," connoting power, strength, and supreme authority. The declaration "You are God" affirms His divine essence is inherently eternal and all-powerful, distinct from all created reality.

Psalm 90 2 Bonus section

The profound statement of Psalm 90:2 directly addresses the concept of God's Aseity—His inherent self-existence and complete independence. God does not depend on anything for His existence; rather, everything depends on Him. This verse emphatically dismisses any notion of co-eternal matter or forces, proclaiming God alone as the uncreated, eternal One from whom all else derives. It is also a subtle polemic against polytheistic ancient Near Eastern beliefs where gods were often born or had beginnings. The God of Israel is presented as fundamentally different: without origin, without end, the sole Author of all existence. His eternality ensures His trustworthiness and faithfulness across all generations and circumstances.

Psalm 90 2 Commentary

Psalm 90:2 serves as a pivotal theological declaration, profoundly anchoring the psalm in God's eternal nature. It presents an astonishing picture of God's pre-existence and sovereign creative act. The choice of language, "mountains were born" and "You brought forth the whole world," imbues the creation event with intimate, vivid imagery of divine birthing and immense labor, conveying God's personal, powerful, and deliberate act in bringing forth all reality. Before even the most ancient and seemingly unmoving parts of the physical universe existed, God was. His existence is not contingent upon creation but is the very source from which all creation flows. The phrase "from everlasting to everlasting You are God" is a supreme affirmation of His infinite duration and unchanging essence (immutability). This contrasts sharply with humanity’s brevity and frailty, which is the subsequent focus of Moses' prayer. The verse asserts that God's eternal being is not merely a philosophical concept but is intrinsic to His very nature as the supreme "El," the Mighty God. This eternal reality forms the basis for trust, understanding human limitations, and seeking God’s wisdom amidst the brevity of life.