The Meaning of Psalms 90:1 Explained

Psalms 90:1

KJV: {A Prayer of Moses the man of God.} Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

YLT: A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, a habitation Thou -- Thou hast been, To us -- in generation and generation,

Darby: {A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.} Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations.

ASV: Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place In all generations.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{A Prayer  of Moses  the man  of God.  }} Lord,  thou hast been our dwelling place  in all  generations. 

What does Psalms 90:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 90:1-17 - The Message Of The Passing Years
The majestic music of this great psalm separates it from all the rest. It is like the deep bass stop of a mighty organ. Moses' authorship is stamped upon it. It is worthy of the man who had seen God face to face.
Psalms 90:1-6. The transitoriness of human life is contrasted with the stability of God. He is the asylum and home of all the generations of mankind, Deuteronomy 33:27. The earth and its mountains the universe and its worlds, were born of Him; but He Himself had no origin, no beginning. Time is but a sigh, a breath, the swift rush of the mountain-torrent, a tale told by the camp-fire at night, the grass of a morning's growth.
Psalms 90:7-12. A wail is borne in these verses from the forty years of wanderings. The ceaseless succession of graves was the bitter harvest of Israel's rebellions. Oh, that we might apply our hearts to wisdom that we may not fail of God's rest!
Psalms 90:13-17. In the closing words Moses utters a sublime prayer which includes us all. Let us seek to do some good work before we go, and may our children be a nobler generation than ourselves! But all beauty of character and permanence of work must emanate from God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 90

1  Moses, setting forth God's providence
3  Complains of human fragility
7  Divine chastisement
10  and brevity of life
12  He prays for the knowledge and sensible experience of God's good providence

What do the individual words in Psalms 90:1 mean?

A Prayer of Moses the man of God Yahweh dwelling place You have been our in and all generations
תְּפִלָּה֮ לְמֹשֶׁ֪ה אִֽישׁ־ הָאֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים אֲ‍ֽדֹנָ֗י מָע֣וֹן אַ֭תָּה הָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֗נוּ בְּדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר

תְּפִלָּה֮  A  Prayer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
לְמֹשֶׁ֪ה  of  Moses 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אִֽישׁ־  the  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָאֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲ‍ֽדֹנָ֗י  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
מָע֣וֹן  dwelling  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָעֹון 
Sense: dwelling, habitation, refuge.
הָיִ֥יתָ  have  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָּ֗נוּ  our 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
וָדֹֽר  and  all  generations 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֹּור 
Sense: period, generation, habitation, dwelling.