Psalm 90:7 kjv
For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
Psalm 90:7 nkjv
For we have been consumed by Your anger, And by Your wrath we are terrified.
Psalm 90:7 niv
We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.
Psalm 90:7 esv
For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.
Psalm 90:7 nlt
We wither beneath your anger;
we are overwhelmed by your fury.
Psalm 90 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Wrath/Anger | ||
| Num 14:33-34 | "Your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms... for your unfaithfulness..." | God's wrath consumed the rebellious generation. |
| Deut 29:20 | "...the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse... will settle on him..." | Divine anger as a burning, consuming force. |
| Isa 13:9 | "Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with wrath and fierce anger..." | Prophetic warning of the severity of God's anger. |
| Nah 1:6 | "Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?" | Emphasizes the overwhelming nature of God's wrath. |
| Lam 2:4 | "He has bent His bow like an enemy... He has poured out His fury like fire." | God's anger expressed as destructive power. |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness..." | God's wrath actively revealed against sin. |
| Rom 2:5 | "...in accordance with your hardness and impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath..." | Judgment accumulated due to persistent sin. |
| Eph 5:6 | "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." | Disobedience directly incurs God's wrath. |
| Rev 6:16-17 | "...hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come..." | Future ultimate display of divine wrath. |
| Heb 10:27-31 | "...a certain fearful expectation of judgment... For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine...' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." | Solemn warning about God's consuming nature. |
| Human Frailty/Mortality under Judgment | ||
| Job 4:9 | "By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of His anger they are consumed." | Directly parallels "consumed" by God's anger. |
| Ps 104:29 | "You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust." | Human existence is dependent on God's favor. |
| Ps 106:26-27 | "Therefore He raised His hand in an oath against them, To overthrow them in the wilderness, To scatter their descendants..." | Recalls God's judgment in the wilderness. |
| Ps 90:9 | "For all our days have passed away in Your wrath..." | Echoes the temporal consequence of God's wrath. |
| Ps 90:11 | "Who knows the power of Your anger? For as awesome as You are, so is Your wrath." | Underscores the intensity of God's wrath. |
| Jer 25:38 | "He has forsaken His hiding place like the lion; For their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, And because of His fierce anger." | God's fierce anger causes desolation. |
| 1 Pet 4:17 | "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" | Judgment beginning even among God's people. |
| Need for Mercy/Grace | ||
| Ps 103:8 | "The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy." | God's character also includes slowness to anger. |
| Lam 3:22 | "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not." | God's compassion prevents total consumption. |
| Rom 5:9 | "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." | Salvation from wrath through Christ. |
| 1 Thess 1:10 | "...to wait for His Son from heaven... who delivers us from the wrath to come." | Jesus delivers believers from future wrath. |
Psalm 90 verses
Psalm 90 7 Meaning
Psalm 90:7 declares that human existence is cut short and diminished by God's fierce displeasure. We are brought to an end, not arbitrarily, but as a consequence of His righteous anger against sin, which instills deep terror and confusion in the hearts of those experiencing it. This verse highlights divine judgment as a consuming force, and human frailty as susceptible to its overwhelming power.
Psalm 90 7 Context
Psalm 90 is uniquely attributed to Moses, a man of God, making it the oldest psalm in the collection. It stands as a profound meditation on the contrast between God's eternal nature and human transience, mortality, and the devastating impact of divine wrath. The immediate historical context is largely understood to be the wilderness wanderings, specifically the forty years where the generation of Israelites who sinned at Kadesh Barnea (Num 14) was consumed by divine judgment, dying in the desert before reaching the Promised Land. Moses experienced this firsthand as their leader, witnessing God's powerful displeasure and the subsequent perishing of an entire generation. This verse, "For we are consumed by Your anger, and by Your wrath we are terrified," directly reflects the experience of watching people die daily due to their rebellion against the Holy One of Israel. It portrays a reality where human lifespan is not merely naturally limited, but actively shortened and tormented by God's just recompense for sin, emphasizing His holiness and unyielding opposition to evil.
Psalm 90 7 Word analysis
- For: This conjunction, kî (כִּי), introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding statements (Ps 90:5-6) about humanity being swept away like a dream and withering like grass. It signifies causality.
- we are consumed: The Hebrew word is kālînū (כָּלִינוּ), from the root kālâ (כָּלָה). It means "to finish, to be completed, to come to an end, to be consumed, to perish, to be spent." In this context, it speaks of utter termination and destruction. It is a passive form, emphasizing that this consumption is done to them, by an external force – God. It denotes utter destruction, not just fading away but being brought to an end by an active force.
- by Your anger: The Hebrew word for "anger" is 'ap (אַף). Literally meaning "nose" or "nostril," it is often used idiomatically for anger, furious anger, or indignation. The imagery derives from rapid breathing or flaring nostrils during intense emotion. It signifies God's hot, active displeasure, implying direct engagement and punitive action.
- And by Your wrath: The Hebrew term is waḥarônĕḵā (וַחֲרוֹנֶךָ), from ḥaron (חָרוֹן). This word denotes "burning anger," "fierce anger," or "indignation." It intensifies 'ap, emphasizing the fiery, intense, and destructive nature of God's displeasure. When paired, 'ap and ḥaron convey the full force of divine indignation.
- we are terrified: The Hebrew word is nibhalnū (נִבְהַלְנוּ), from the root bāhal (בָּהַל), in the niphal (passive) conjugation. It means "to be dismayed," "to be terrified," "to be suddenly disturbed," "to be confused," or "to hasten in panic." The passive form highlights that they are not choosing to be afraid but are overwhelmed and struck with terror by an external power. It points to a profound sense of consternation and loss of composure under the weight of divine judgment.
- Words-group Analysis:
- "For we are consumed by Your anger, And by Your wrath we are terrified": This is a clear example of synthetic or staircase parallelism, common in Hebrew poetry. The second line amplifies, intensifies, and complements the first. "Consumed by Your anger" speaks of the external destructive power of God's judgment, leading to "terrified" (an internal emotional state) by the intensified "Your wrath." It demonstrates both the devastating effect and the inner human response to God's holy displeasure.
- "Your anger / Your wrath": The use of two distinct but complementary terms for God's anger ('ap and ḥaron) emphasizes the depth, intensity, and active nature of divine displeasure against sin. This is not a human, volatile temper, but the righteous and consuming fury of a holy God.
- "consumed / terrified": This pair shows a cause-and-effect relationship from the human perspective: the consequence of God's active judgment (consumption) is the overwhelming internal experience of terror. The verses paint a picture of physical destruction (perishing) linked directly to psychological dread caused by divine holy displeasure.
Psalm 90 7 Bonus section
The concept of God's "consuming fire" (Deut 4:24; Heb 12:29) deeply resonates with Psalm 90:7. This verse teaches that the Holy God’s nature fundamentally stands opposed to sin. His holiness, rather than a cruel temper, necessitates a response to unrighteousness, and that response can be experienced as a consuming force by finite, sinful humanity. This divine consuming power ensures that righteousness ultimately prevails and that those who stand against God's will cannot endure in His presence without either being purified or perished. The terror experienced is not merely from an act of judgment, but from the realization of standing naked and exposed before the perfectly righteous God. It points to a necessary recognition of sin's gravity and the awesome holiness of the Lord, fostering a "fear of the Lord" that leads to wisdom and seeking reconciliation rather than perpetual terror.
Psalm 90 7 Commentary
Psalm 90:7 encapsulates Moses' lament over the direct consequences of divine displeasure. It portrays God's anger and wrath not as abstract concepts but as palpable, consuming forces that actively curtail human life and induce profound terror. This anger is not arbitrary but a righteous response to sin and disobedience, as evidenced by the perishing wilderness generation. The intense parallelism reinforces that God's judgment is both externally destructive (we are "consumed") and internally paralyzing (we are "terrified"). The words 'ap (anger, breath in nostrils) and ḥaron (burning anger) together convey an all-encompassing, fiery indignation. This verse serves as a stark reminder of human frailty before a holy God, underscoring the severity of sin and the fearsome reality of divine justice. It sets the stage for the desperate cry for mercy and renewal that follows in later verses of the psalm, revealing that while judgment is real, there is still hope in appealing to the God who is also gracious and compassionate.