Psalm 90 5

Psalm 90:5 kjv

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

Psalm 90:5 nkjv

You carry them away like a flood; They are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up:

Psalm 90:5 niv

Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death? they are like the new grass of the morning:

Psalm 90:5 esv

You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:

Psalm 90:5 nlt

You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.
They are like grass that springs up in the morning.

Psalm 90 verses

Psalm 90 5 Meaning

Psalm 90:5 poetically illustrates the fleeting and ephemeral nature of human life when contrasted with the eternal and sovereign God. It uses powerful imagery to convey that human existence is as brief and transient as a sudden, overwhelming flood, an insubstantial dream that vanishes upon waking, or the temporary vibrancy of grass that flourishes briefly in the morning before quickly fading. The verse underscores God's absolute control over life and death, presenting human life as easily swept away or dismissed in His divine perspective.

Psalm 90 5 Context

Psalm 90 is attributed to Moses, placing its origin likely during the forty years of Israel's wilderness wandering. This period was marked by God's judgment on the disobedient generation who perished in the desert, often having their lives cut short, leaving only Joshua and Caleb to enter the Promised Land from that adult generation (Numbers 14). The Psalm, a prayer, opens by acknowledging God's eternal nature and sovereignty, contrasting it sharply with humanity's temporal, fragile existence. Verse 5 fits within this broader theme, highlighting how easily God "sweeps away" human life due to sin and His wrath (mentioned explicitly in other verses of the Psalm, e.g., Ps 90:7, 11). The lament over the brevity of life leads to a plea for wisdom and spiritual understanding in the face of human mortality.

Psalm 90 5 Word analysis

• "You sweep them away":
  • Original Hebrew: תִּזְרְמֵם (tizreMēm) from the root זָרַם (zaram), meaning to flow, pour forth, rush down as a flood or torrent.
  • Significance: This emphasizes God's active, sovereign involvement in ending human life. It is not by chance or random natural decay alone, but by a powerful, irresistible divine decree or action. The verb conveys a sense of swiftness, force, and completeness, as one might sweep away dust or debris. It indicates the sudden and decisive conclusion to life.
• "as with a flood":
  • Hebrew: כַּשֶּׁטֶף (kaṣṣeṭep̄) – "like an overflowing, a deluge, a flood."
  • Significance: Reinforces the idea of overwhelming power, an uncontrollable force, and perhaps an image of judgment. It evokes the narrative of the Genesis Flood (Noah), where life was literally swept away by divine decree due to human sin, underscoring the finality and scale of God's action. This imagery speaks to the inevitability and power of death when God's decree is upon it.
• "they are like a dream":
  • Hebrew: יִהְיוּ כְּשֵׁנָה (yihyu kəshēna) – "they are like sleep." Some translations interpret "sleep" as "dream," which implies the ephemeral and unsubstantial nature of life.
  • Significance: A dream or sleep, especially deep sleep, can be vivid but feels momentary upon waking, and often quickly fades from memory. Life, viewed from eternity or retrospectively, feels similarly brief and quickly passes from existence, leaving little trace. It suggests unreality, impermanence, and the sudden awakening into the reality of eternity.
• "like grass":
  • Hebrew: כֶּחָצִיר (keḥātsir) – "like grass, hay, or green herb."
  • Significance: A classic biblical metaphor for the fragility and transience of human life. Grass grows quickly but just as quickly withers, especially in arid climates. This natural image conveys the swift life cycle from initial vibrancy to inevitable decay and death. It highlights the vulnerability and perishable nature of humanity.
• "that is renewed in the morning" / "groweth up":
  • Hebrew: יַחֲלֹף בַּבֹּקֶר (yaḥalof baBōqer) – "it passes away/changes in the morning" or "it flourishes in the morning." The verb ḥālap̄ (חָלַף) can mean 'to pass away, perish,' or 'to spring up anew, be renewed.' KJV "groweth up" suggests a short burst of life. NIV "renewed" emphasizes the brief fresh appearance before decay sets in (v6). Given the immediate follow-up in verse 6 where the grass "fades and withers in the evening," the most natural interpretation here is not lasting renewal but rather the temporary and deceptive fresh appearance that quickly passes.
  • Significance: This phrase underlines the deceptive brevity. The grass may look fresh and green in the cool morning, promising life, but it swiftly withers under the midday sun. It implies a swift cycle from apparent vibrancy to rapid decay, further emphasizing life's brevity.

Words-group analysis:

• "You sweep them away as with a flood": This phrase highlights God's ultimate authority and power over human destiny. Life is not merely brief, but actively ended by God's irresistible power, likened to a devastating flood, sudden and absolute. It conveys both divine sovereignty and potentially divine judgment, given other verses in Psalm 90.
• "they are like a dream, like grass": This dual comparison creates a potent image of impermanence. The "dream" aspect speaks to life's unreality, quick departure, and fading memory, while "grass" speaks to its organic fragility, seasonal death, and natural, observable decay. Together, they form a comprehensive metaphor for the brevity and unsubstantiality of human existence.

Psalm 90 5 Bonus section

The brevity of life expressed in Psalm 90:5, especially when considered as a consequence of God's just judgment (a theme pervasive in Ps 90, e.g., v. 7-11), serves as a theological foundation for humanity's need for redemption. If human existence is inherently finite and susceptible to divine decree due to sin, then lasting hope cannot be found within mortal bounds. This points to the necessity of divine intervention, of God providing an enduring solution to the problem of death and transience. The New Testament's proclamation of eternal life through faith in Christ offers this solution, transforming the lament over fleeting life into an anticipation of everlasting dwelling with God. Thus, this verse implicitly highlights the ultimate brokenness of the world that only God's enduring covenant love and eternal kingdom can mend.

Psalm 90 5 Commentary

Psalm 90:5 delivers a stark reality about the human condition: our lives are utterly brief and contingent upon the will of an eternal God. The imagery employed – the swift, powerful "flood" carrying away, the vanishing "dream," and the fleeting "grass" – converges to underscore the profound transience of all flesh. This verse is not merely an observation of natural processes; it attributes the brevity and demise of life to God's sovereign hand, sometimes as a manifestation of His just wrath against human sin (as explored elsewhere in the Psalm). It demands a reorientation of perspective, calling humanity away from self-sufficiency and toward a humble acknowledgment of their finite nature before an infinite God. This understanding should foster a desire for wisdom, guiding us to number our days and apply our hearts to God’s enduring purposes (Ps 90:12). For those walking by faith, it inspires urgency in pursuing God's will and reliance on His steadfast love rather than fleeting earthly concerns.