An Amazing Verse, Psalms 90:10

SN, it may be a mistake to think of these as average or mean life spans, rather the author of the Psalm in this instance may in fact be making an observation of the the maximum ages recorded, which was most likely in the 2nd or even perhaps 3rd standard deviation.

Just my initial analysis....but I could be wrong.

 

That may have been a typical age. After all, Moses was 120 when he died. Joshua was 110. David was only a couple of hundred years after these men. We should remember that the earth was still relatively new and pristine.

Of course the life span dropped dramatically after the flood. I have always thought the flood brought about a fundamental atmospheric change, or perhaps exposed certain unhealthy minerals, that had the effect of shortening man's life span.

 

First we do not know the average age of people in that region back then. There is debate even among scholars. Actually I believe what David wrote is true. I would also say put an "IF" in front of the "they" and it might come more alive. David was 70 when he died and Solomon was around 80. Ramesses the Great lived into his 90th year. The apostle John was in his 90.s when he died and although most the other disciples were murdered before 70 it is reasonable to believe they would have lived at least that old had they not been murdered.

Others in the bible after David lived to those years if they were not murdered. I would also point out that there are people living very long lives today, 80, 90, and 100 plus who live in areas of the world where they do not get the medical care we get here in the US. Many never being vaccinated for anything. We dare not look at our immediate surrounding circumstances and try and determine what the past was like or suggest that a passage is not accurate in what it says. Those who deny the literal six day creation do that and come up short on faith. Also it does not say on the average. So I would say just believe what is written instead of questioning what God writes. It is a matter of do we have enough faith to believe.

 

Man’s age in verse 10 is really unimportant – it is whatever the author thought it was at the time he wrote the psalm.
If Moses was the author, he was reported to have lived much longer.
Most of the other Israelites in his time didn't live the full length - they were condemed to die in the wilderness.

The psalms are poetry or song and not meant to be read as a text book.
Look for comparisons – read each psalm as a unit.

Psalm 90 – a Prayer of Moses, the man of God​

God is eternal …”from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (vs 2)

He is the dwelling place (1)
He is the Eternal One (2)​

Man is temporary

Man is but dust (3)
God is timeless (4)
Man will pass as grass fades and leave nothing of worth (5-6)
​

The source of man’s problem

God’s anger revealed because our secret sins stand out to him (7-8)
So our lives are under judgment and pass quickly (“like a sigh”) (9)
The years of man… “toil and trouble”; “soon gone” (10)
God’s powerful anger and wrath (11)
​

Application:

Prayer for wisdom to number our days (12)
Prayer for mercy and grace (13-14)
Prayer for an attitude of thankfulness even in trouble (15)
Prayer for knowledge of God’s works and power (16)
Prayer for God’s favor and that they may be part of his work (17)
​

So...

• the comparison is between God's eternality and man's temporary nature.
• Between God's power and man's fraility.
• Between God's purity and our sinfulness.

Rob