Psalm 90:12-17 is a prayer in which Moses asks God to teach people to live wisely, because human life is short and fragile. The passage moves from a request for wisdom to a plea for God’s compassion, a longing to be satisfied with his steadfast love, and finally a request that God would bless the work of our hands. It belongs to the fourth book of the Psalms and is traditionally attributed to Moses, the man of God.
12 So teach us to count our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 13 Relent, the LORD! How long? Have compassion on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work appear to your servants; your glory to their children. 17 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.
Psalm 90:12-17 (WEB)
Psalm 90:12-17 Summary
The passage begins with a request that God would teach the psalmist’s people to number their days, so that they might gain a heart of wisdom. The prayer then turns to God himself, asking him to relent from his anger and show compassion, since the people have lived under the weight of his displeasure. From there the psalm asks for morning mercy, for gladness that matches the seasons of hardship, and for God’s work and glory to be seen by both the current generation and the ones to come.
It closes with a bold petition: that the favor of the Lord our God would rest on his people, and that he would establish the work of their hands. The movement is from a sober awareness of mortality, to a cry for mercy, to a hope that God’s goodness will outlast the people who pray.
Context of Psalm 90:12-17
Psalm 90 is the first psalm in Book Four of the Psalms, a collection that reflects on the frailty of humanity and the enduring reign of God. Its heading associates it with Moses, and it is read in Jewish and Christian tradition as a prayer that looks back over the wilderness years and the sobering reality that a generation can pass away under divine displeasure. The community addressed is the people of Israel, speaking as God’s servants.
The verses just before our passage (Psalm 90:9-11) describe how quickly days and years pass, and how God’s anger is felt in that brevity. Our passage answers that lament. Having named the problem of mortality and divine wrath, the psalmist now asks God for wisdom, mercy, joy, and lasting blessing, so that the fleeting human life might be given meaning.
Psalm 90:12-17 Verse by Verse
Psalm 103:14
For he knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust.
(WEB)
This verse reminds us that God remembers how frail we are. It fits naturally with Psalm 90’s awareness of mortality, and it reassures the reader that God’s compassion is grounded in his knowledge of our human limits.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
(WEB)
These verses speak of God’s steadfast love being new every morning. They echo the psalm’s request for mercy at the start of each day and offer a picture of hope rising after a long night of grief.
A Prayer Based on Psalm 90:12-17
Lord, you know how quickly our days pass, and you know how much of our time we spend without thinking about what matters. Teach us to number our days, so that we might come to you with a wise and humble heart. When the nights feel long and we have asked how long this will last, have compassion on us, and let your steadfast love meet us in the morning.
Make us glad in proportion to the hard seasons we have walked through, and let your work be seen by us and by those who come after us. Establish the work of our hands, so that what we build in your name would not disappear with us. Let your favor rest upon us today. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to “count our days” in Psalm 90:12?
It means living with a conscious awareness that our time on earth is limited. The psalmist asks God to teach this awareness, so that our choices are shaped by wisdom rather than by distraction. It is a call to honest, prayerful reflection on how we spend the days we are given.
Who wrote Psalm 90, and why does it matter?
The heading of the psalm attributes it to Moses, the man of God, and this is the traditional view that many readers accept. Whether or not Moses wrote every word, the psalm’s connection to the wilderness experience of Israel helps us understand its themes of frailty, judgment, and mercy.
How can Psalm 90:14 be applied on a hard day?
Verse 14 asks God to satisfy us in the morning with his loving kindness, so that we might rejoice all our days. On a difficult day, you can begin with this prayer and ask God to meet you with fresh mercy before the day’s demands arrive. It is a way of placing the day in his hands from the start.
