Psalms 90:17
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be on us: and establish you the work of our hands on us; yes, the work of our hands establish you it.
American King James Version (AKJV)
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be on us: and establish you the work of our hands on us; yes, the work of our hands establish you it.
American Standard Version (ASV)
And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And establish thou the work of our hands upon us; Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
Let the pleasure of the Lord our God be on us: O Lord, give strength to the work of our hands.
Webster's Revision
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yes, the work of our hands establish thou it.
World English Bible
Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.
English Revised Version (ERV)
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Definitions for Psalms 90:17
Clarke's Psalms 90:17 Bible Commentary
And let the beauty of the Lord - Let us have thy presence, blessing, and approbation, as our fathers had.
Establish thou the work of our hands - This is supposed, we have already seen, to relate to their rebuilding the temple, which the surrounding heathens and Samaritans wished to hinder. We have begun, do not let them demolish our work; let the top-stone be brought on with shouting, Grace, grace unto it.
Yea, the work of our hands - This repetition is wanting in three of Kennicott's MSS., in the Targum, in the Septuagint, and in the Ethiopic. If the repetition be genuine, it may be considered as marking great earnestness; and this earnestness was to get the temple of God rebuilt, and his pure worship restored. The pious Jews had this more at heart than their own restoration; it was their highest grief that the temple was destroyed and God's ordinances suspended; that his enemies insulted them, and blasphemed the worthy name by which they were called. Every truly pious man feels more for God's glory than his own temporal felicity, and rejoices more in the prosperity of God's work than in the increase of his own worldly goods.
Barnes's Psalms 90:17 Bible Commentary
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us - The word translated "beauty" - נעם nô‛am - means properly "pleasantness;" then, beauty, splendor; then grace or layout. The Septuagint renders it here, λαμπρότης lamprotēs, "splendor;" and so the Latin Vulgate. The wish is clearly that all that there is, in the divine character, which is "beautiful," which is suited to win the hearts of people to admiration, gratitude, and love - might be so manifested to them, or that they might so see the excellency of his character, and that his dealings with them might be such, as to keep the beauty, the loveliness, of that character constantly before them.
And establish thou the work of our hands upon us - What we are endeavoring to do. Enable us to carry out our plans, and to accomplish our purposes.
Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it - The repetition of the prayer here is emphatic. It indicates an intense desire that God would enable them to carry out their plans. If this was written by Moses, we may suppose that it is expressive of an earnest desire that they might reach the promised land; that they might not all be cut down and perish by the way; that the great object of their march through the wilderness might be accomplished; and that they might be permanently established in the land to which they were going. At the same time it is a prayer which it is proper to offer at any time, that God would enable us to carry out our purposes, and that we may be permanently established in his favor.
Wesley's Psalms 90:17 Bible Commentary
90:17 The beauty - His gracious influence, and glorious presence. In us - Do not only work for us, but in us,