What is the meaning of Psalm 90:13? Return “Return, O LORD!” (Psalm 90:13) • Moses voices a longing for the Lord’s favorable, manifest presence. Earlier in the psalm he has confessed humanity’s frailty and God’s righteous anger (vv. 7–11). Now he pleads for God to turn back from judgment to blessing, echoing Psalm 80:14, “Return, O God Almighty; look down from heaven and see.” • The plea assumes that when God “returns,” renewal follows. In Exodus 33:14 the Lord assured Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” That same assurance is sought here. • It is a literal call for covenant faithfulness: if the Lord turns toward His people, forgiveness, guidance, and protection flow (2 Chronicles 30:9). O LORD! “O LORD!” (Psalm 90:13) • The divine name highlights covenant relationship. Moses once heard the Lord proclaim, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God” (Exodus 34:6). By invoking that name, he anchors the request in God’s revealed character. • Throughout Scripture, calling on “the LORD” is a declaration of trust—see Psalm 18:6, “In my distress I called upon the LORD.” The psalmist is not addressing a distant deity but the faithful Redeemer of Israel. How long will it be? “How long will it be?” (Psalm 90:13) • This question expresses impatience with prolonged suffering. Psalm 13:1 echoes it: “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?” So does Habakkuk 1:2 and Revelation 6:10. • Such questions are never unbelief; they are faith wrestling with delay. They recognize that God alone controls time (Psalm 31:15) and invite Him to act quickly. • The phrase also underscores human limitation: we cannot endure endless discipline. Moses has already observed that “the years of our life are seventy” (v. 10). Time is short; God’s rescue must come soon. Have compassion on Your servants “Have compassion on Your servants.” (Psalm 90:13) • The request stands on God’s covenant love: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:13). • Compassion here implies tangible relief—pardon for sin, lifting of wrath, restoration of joy (Psalm 51:12). Nehemiah 1:11 models the same appeal: “O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant.” • By calling themselves “Your servants,” the people submit to God’s authority, aligning with Exodus 19:5, “you will be My treasured possession.” Mercy is sought not because they deserve it but because they belong to Him. summary Psalm 90:13 is a fourfold cry: God, turn back to us; covenant LORD, hear us; do not delay; show mercy. It rests on the certainty that when the Lord returns to His people, His compassion outweighs His wrath, and life is renewed. |
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