Psalm 90:12-17 is a prayer asking God to teach people how short life is so they can live wisely, and to show mercy and bless the work of their hands. The verses are a plea from Moses, traditionally identified as the author of this psalm, who looks at human frailty and turns to the Lord for wisdom, compassion and lasting purpose. The passage closes the psalm’s second half, which moves from the shortness of life under God’s anger toward a request for his favor.
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. The psalmist asks God to teach his people to count their days, so that they will gain a heart of wisdom. The prayer then turns urgent: he asks God to relent and show compassion, and he asks how long the trouble will last. He wants the morning to bring God’s steadfast love, so that joy can fill the whole of life.
The final verses ask for two things: that God’s work and glory would be seen by the servants and by their children, and that his favor would rest on them and make their labor meaningful. The prayer ends by repeating the request for the work of their hands to be established, which gives the passage a steady, settled tone.
Context of Psalm 90:12-17
Psalm 90 is the only psalm attributed to Moses, and it belongs to the fourth book of the Psalter. It was likely written for a community that had experienced hardship and a sense that its years were slipping away under divine judgment. Verses 9 and 10 set the stage by describing how quickly the years pass, with seventy or eighty years as the typical span of a life.
Against that backdrop, verses 12-17 are the pivot of the psalm. The surrounding verses confess that human days are consumed by God’s wrath, and these verses respond by asking for wisdom, mercy and a renewed experience of God’s goodness. The shift from lament to petition is what gives the passage its hope.
Psalm 90:12-17 Verse by Verse
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”
(WEB)
This verse invites stillness in the middle of trouble. It pairs well with Psalm 90:12-17 because both call the reader to rest in God’s sovereign care rather than to be consumed by anxiety about what is beyond control.
Ephesians 5:15-16
15 Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
(WEB)
Paul urges believers to live carefully and to make the most of the time because the days are evil. The call to redeem time echoes the psalmist’s request to be taught how to count days wisely.
A Prayer Based on Psalm 90:12-17
Lord, teach me to count my days so that I may gain a heart of wisdom. I bring you my hurry, my worries and the years that seem to slip away. Have compassion on me, and satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love, so that I may rejoice in you all my days. Make my joy match the seasons of hardship I have walked through, and let your work be seen by those who come after me. Establish the work of my hands, and let your favor rest on the ordinary tasks you have given me. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Psalm 90:12-17?
Psalm 90 is traditionally attributed to Moses, the man of God, and the superscription names him as its author. Scholars often note that the psalm reflects a setting of human frailty and dependence on God, which fits the traditional attribution. The passage itself is a prayer spoken in the voice of the community.
What does it mean to count our days?
To count our days means to recognize honestly that life is limited and to live with that awareness. The psalmist is not asking for a fixed calculation but for a heart that sees time clearly. This awareness is meant to lead to wisdom and careful living.
Why does the psalm ask for the work of our hands to be established?
The request reflects a desire for daily labor to have lasting meaning in God’s eyes. The psalmist asks that God’s favor would rest on ordinary work so that it would be steady and fruitful. The prayer treats work as a place where faithfulness can be expressed.
