What does Psalms Chapter 89 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Moses’ prayer contrasts divine eternity with short human years. The question concerns numbering wrath, without imported numbering-days language. Past mercy and rejoicing remain distinct from requests to direct children and work.

Chapter breakdown

Domine, refugium is the incipit. The heading describes mercy prayer recounting man's short and miserable days; the inscription calls it Moses the man of God's prayer. God has been refuge through generations and is God from eternity to eternity before mountains, earth and world. The speaker asks that man not be turned away to be brought low, recalling the call to conversion. The separate note explains not being allowed to perish completely since God calls conversion.

A thousand years are like yesterday and a night watch in God's sight; years shall be things counted nothing. Man shall grow like morning grass, flourish and pass, fall dry and wither by evening. The speakers fainted in wrath and were troubled; iniquities are before God's eyes and their life in His countenance's light. Days are spent and years shall be considered as a spider. The note separately compares weakness to a web and miserable labor to weaving for flies.

Years number seventy, eighty in the strong, with what exceeds them labor and sorrow; mildness has come and they shall be corrected. The note interprets shortened miserable life as kindness, weaning transitory affections and teaching wisdom. The question concerns knowing anger's power and numbering wrath, followed by the request to make God's right hand known and men learned in heart and wisdom. Numbering our days is not substituted from another translation.

He asks God to return and favor servants. The verse says they are filled in the morning with mercy and have rejoiced all days and for humbling days and evil years; these past declarations are not converted into a prayer for proportional future consolations. He asks a look upon servants and works, direction for children and brightness upon them, twice asking direction of hands' work. A universal guarantee of eternal significance for all work is not added.

The story inside

Opening: Moses’ prayer contrasts divine eternity with short human years. Development: The question concerns numbering wrath, without imported numbering-days language. Conclusion: Past mercy and rejoicing remain distinct from requests to direct children and work.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Moses’ prayer contrasts divine eternity with short human years.
2
The question concerns numbering wrath, without imported numbering-days language.
3
Past mercy and rejoicing remain distinct from requests to direct children and work.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 63453–63454
A prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation.
Lines 63456–63457
Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed; from eternity and to eternity thou art God.
Lines 63465–63466
For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, which is past. And as a watch in the night,
Lines 63470–63472
In the morning man shall grow up like grass; in the morning he shall flourish and pass away: in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.
Lines 63487–63490
The days of our years in them are threescore and ten years. But if in the strong they be fourscore years: and what is more of them is labour and sorrow. For mildness is come upon us: and we shall be corrected.
Lines 63505–63506
We are filled in the morning with thy mercy: and we have rejoiced, and are delighted all our days.
Lines 63514–63516
And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us: and direct thou the works of our hands over us; yea, the work of our hands do thou direct.