Relent, Yahweh! How long? Have compassion on your servants!
Parallel Translations
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Relent, Yahweh! How long? Have compassion on your servants!
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Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
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Return, O LORD; how long? And let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants.
Cross-references (16)
Passages linked to Psalms 90:13 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Deuteronomy 32:36 For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone; that there is no one remaining, shut up or left at large.
- Psalms 106:45 He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
- Psalms 135:14 For Yahweh will judge his people and have compassion on his servants.
- Psalms 80:14 Turn again, we beg you, God of Armies. Look down from heaven, and see, and visit this vine,
- Psalms 89:46 How long, Yahweh? Will you hide yourself forever? Will your wrath burn like fire?
- Hosea 11:8 “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within me, my compassion is aroused.
- Joel 2:13-14 Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God.
- Amos 7:3 Yahweh relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” says Yahweh.
- Amos 7:6 Yahweh relented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” says the Lord Yahweh.
- Jonah 3:9 Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
- Exodus 32:12 Why should the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth?’ Turn from your fierce wrath, and turn away from this evil against your people.
- Exodus 32:14 So Yahweh turned away from the evil which he said he would do to his people.
- Psalms 6:3-4 My soul is also in great anguish. But you, Yahweh—how long? Return, Yahweh. Deliver my soul, and save me for your loving kindness’ sake.
- Psalms 74:10 How long, God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
- Jeremiah 12:15 It will happen that after I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them. I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
- Zechariah 1:16 Therefore Yahweh says: “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and a line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (17 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 13. Return, O Jehovah! how long? After having spoken…
13. Return, O Jehovah! how long? After having spoken in the language of complaint, Moses adds a prayer, That God, who had not ceased for a long time severely to punish his people, would at length be inclined to deal gently with them. Although God daily gave them in many ways some taste of his love, yet their banishment from the land of promise was a very grievous affliction; for it admonished them that they were unworthy of that blessed inheritance which he had appointed for his children. They could not fail often to remember that dreadful oath which he had thundered out against them,
“Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness,” (Numbers 14:23, 32.)
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Moses, no doubt, combines that sore bondage which they had suffered in Egypt with their wanderings in the wilderness; and therefore he justly bewails their protracted languishing in the words how long? As God is said to turn his back upon us, or to depart to a distance from us, when he withdraws the tokens of his favor, so by his return we are to understand the manifestation of his grace. The word נחם, nacham, which we have translated be pacified, signifies to repent, and may therefore not improperly be explained thus: Let it repent thee concerning thy servants. According to the not unfrequent and well known phraseology of Scripture, God is said to repent, when putting away men’s sorrow, and affording new ground of gladness, he appears as it were to be changed. Those, however, seem to come nearer the mind of the Psalmist who translate, Comfort thyself over thy servants; for God, in cherishing us tenderly, takes no less pleasure in us than does a father in his own children. Now that is nothing else than to be pacified or propitious, as we have translated it, to make the meaning the more obvious.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Meaning, wilt thou be angry?
Meaning, wilt thou be angry?
Or, take comfort in thy servants.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 90:13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let…
Psa 90:13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
Ver. 13. Let it repent thee] Or, comfort thou thy servants.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Return, O Lord, to us in mercy; for thou…
Return, O Lord, to us in mercy; for thou seemest to have forsaken us and cast us off.
How long; understand, wilt thou be angry; or, will it be ere thou return to us?
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Concerning thy servants; i.e. of thy severe proceedings against us, and change thy course and carriage to us.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Return, O Lord,.... Either from the fierceness of thine…
Return, O Lord,.... Either from the fierceness of thine anger, according to Aben Ezra and Jarchi; of which complaint is made, Psa 90:7, or unto us, from whom he had departed; for though God is everywhere, as to his being and immensity, yet, as to his gracious presence, he is not; and where that is, he sometimes withdraws it; and when he visits again with it, be may be said to return; and when he returns, he visits with it, and which is here prayed for; and designs a manifestation of himself, of his love and grace, and particularly his pardoning mercy; see Psa 80:14.
how long? this is a short abrupt way of speaking, in which something is understood, which the affection of the speaker would not admit him to deliver; and may be supplied, either thus,
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how long wilt thou be angry? God is sometimes angry with his people, which, when they are sensible of, gives them a pain and uneasiness they are not able to bear; and though it endures but for a moment, yet they think it a long time; see Psa 30:5. Arama interprets it,
"how long ere the time of the Messiah shall come?''
or "how long wilt thou hide thyself?" when he does this, they are troubled; and though it is but for a small moment he forsakes them, yet they count it long, and as if it was for ever; see Psa 13:1, or "how long wilt thou afflict us?" as the Targum; afflictions come from the Lord, and sometimes continue long; at least they are thought so by the afflicted, who are ready to fear God has forgotten them and their afflictions, Psa 44:23, or "how long wilt thou defer help?" the Lord helps, and that right early, at the most seasonable time, and when difficulties, are the greatest; but it sometimes seems long first; see Psa 6:3,
and let it repent thee concerning thy servants; men are all so, of right, by creation, and through the benefits of Providence; and many, in fact, being made willing servants by the grace of God; and this carries in it an argument for the petition: repentance does not properly belong to God; it is denied of him, Num 23:19, yet it is sometimes ascribed to him, both with respect to the good he has done, or promised, and with respect to the evil he has brought on men, or threatened to bring; see Gen 6:6, and in the latter sense it is to be understood here; and intends not any change of mind or will in God, which cannot be; but a change of his dispensations, with respect to desertion, affliction, and the like; which the Targum expresses thus,
"and turn from the evil thou hast said thou wilt do to thy servants:''
if this respects the Israelites in the wilderness, and their exclusion from Canaan, God never repented of what he threatened; he swore they should not enter it, and they did not, only their children, excepting two persons: some render the words, "comfort thy servants" (f); with thy presence, the discoveries of thy love, especially pardoning grace, and by removing afflictions, or supporting under them.
(f) "consolare", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Return - To us in mercy. How long -…
Return - To us in mercy. How long - Will it be before thou return to us? Repent thee - Of thy severe proceedings against us.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 13. Return, O Lord, how long?] Wilt thou…
Verse 13. Return, O Lord, how long?] Wilt thou continue angry with us for ever?
Let it repent thee] הנחם hinnachem, be comforted, rejoice over them to do them good. Be glorified rather in our salvation than in our destruction.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Psa 90:13-17. Return, O Lord — To us in…
Psa 90:13-17. Return, O Lord — To us in mercy. How long? — Understand, wilt thou be angry? Or, will it be ere thou return to us? Let it repent thee, &c. — Of thy severe proceedings against us. O satisfy us early with thy mercy — That is, speedily, or seasonably, before we be utterly consumed. Make us glad, &c. — Our afflictions have been sharp and long, let not our prosperity be small and short. Let thy work appear to thy servants — Declare to all the world, that thou hast not quite forsaken us thy servants, but wilt still work wonders for us; and thy glory unto their children — Do more glorious and magnificent things for our children. Let that great and glorious work of giving thy people a complete deliverance, which thou didst long since design and promise, be at last accomplished and manifested in the sight of the world. And let the beauty of the Lord be upon us — His favourable countenance, gracious influence, and glorious presence. And establish the work of our hands upon us — Or, in us. Do not only work for us, but in us; enlighten our minds, and renew our hearts by thy Holy Spirit, that we may turn, and constantly cleave to thee, and not revolt and draw back from thee, as we have frequently done, to our own shame and undoing.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Return, O Lord - Come back to thy people;…
Return, O Lord - Come back to thy people; show mercy by sparing them. It would seem probable from this that the psalm was composed in a time of pestilence, or raging sickness, which threatened to sweep all the people away - a supposition by no means improbable, as such times occurred in the days of Moses, and in the rebellions of the people when he was leading them to the promised land.
How long? - How long shall this continue? How long shall thy wrath rage? How long shall the people still fall under thy hand? This question is often asked in the Psalms. Psa 4:2; Psa 6:3; Psa 13:1-2; Psa 35:17; Psa 79:5, et al.
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And let it repent thee - That is, Withdraw thy judgments, and be merciful, as if thou didst repent. God cannot literally “repent,” in the sense that he is sorry for what he has done, but he may act “as if” he repented; that is, he may withdraw his judgments; he may arrest what has been begun; he may show mercy where it seemed that he would only show wrath.
Concerning thy servants - In respect to thy people. Deal with them in mercy and not in wrath.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 13. Return, O Lord—These terrible judgments are viewed as…
13. Return, O Lord—These terrible judgments are viewed as the result of the divine withdrawal. God is supposed to withdraw when he punishes, and to return when he renews his mercy. The previous verse is a prayer that they might return to God; this that he would return to them.
How long— That is, how long wilt thou afflict us?
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Let it repent thee—Have compassion. The word denotes a change of treatment, which, with men, would imply a change of feeling, or repentance, but as applied to God it is anthropopathic.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 13. A combined reminiscence of Exo_32:12 and Deu_32:36. Cp.…
13. A combined reminiscence of Exo_32:12 and Deu_32:36. Cp. too Psa_6:3-4. Return is the most obvious rendering; but the passage in Ex. suggests that the meaning may be, Turn from thy wrath; how long wilt thou be angry? Cp. Psa_80:4. God’s change of attitude is spoken of in Scripture after the manner of men as repenting or relenting; not of course that He can regret His course of action, or be subject to mutability of purpose.
13–17. Prayer for such a restoration of God’s favour to His people as will gladden the members of it through the brief span of life. Perhaps the connexion with the preceding verses is the hope that Israel’s resipiscence may prepare the way for Jehovah’s return.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (13) Return.—Better, turn, either from anger (Exo_32:12), or merely…
(13) Return.—Better, turn, either from anger (Exo_32:12), or merely as in Psa_6:4, “turn to thy servant.”
Plainly we have here the experience of some particular epoch, and a prayer for Israel. From his meditation on the shortness of human existence the poet does not pass to a prayer for a prolonged life for himself, like Hezekiah, but for some intervention in relief of the suffering community of which he forms. part.
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How long?—See Note, Psa_74:9.
Let it repent thee.—Better, have pity on. (See Deu_32:36.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Return, O Lord, how long? rather, turn, O Lord;…
Return, O Lord, how long? rather, turn, O Lord; i.e. "turn from thy anger how long will it be ere thou turnest?" And let it repent thee concerning thy servants. God "is not a man, that he should repent"; (Num_23:19) and yet from time to time "it repents him concerning his servants". (Deu_32:36 Psa_135:14) He relents, that is, from his fierce anger, allows himself to be appeased, and has compassion upon those who have provoked him.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 13. Return, O LORD, how long? Come in…
Ver. 13. Return, O LORD, how long? Come in mercy, to us again. Do not leave us to perish. Suffer not our lives to be both brief and bitter. Thou hast said to us, "Return, ye children of men", and now we humbly cry to thee, "Return, thou preserver of men." Thy presence alone can reconcile us to this transient existence; turn thou unto us. As sin drives God from us, so repentance cries to the Lord to return to us. When men are under chastisement they are allowed to expostulate, and ask "how long?" Our faith in these times is not too great boldness with God, but too much backwardness in pleading with him.
And let it repent thee concerning thy servants. Thus Moses acknowledges the Israelites to be God's servants still. They had rebelled, but they had not utterly forsaken the Lord; they owned their obligations to obey his will, and pleaded them as a reason for pity. Will not a man spare his own servants? Though God smote Israel, yet they were his people, and he had never disowned them, therefore is he entreated to deal favourably with them. If they might not see the promised land, yet he is begged to cheer them on the road with his mercy, and to turn his frown into a smile. The prayer is like others which came from the meek lawgiver when he boldly pleaded with God for the nation; it is Moses like. He here speaks with the Lord as a man speaketh with his friend.
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Ver. 13. Let it repent thee. According to the not infrequent and well known phraseology of Scripture, God is said to repent, when putting away men's sorrow, and affording new ground of gladness, he appears as it were to be changed. —John Calvin.
Ver. 13. In what manner the Lord may be said to repent.
Psalms 90:14*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Return, O Lord, how long?
Psa_90:13
Return, O Lord, how long?
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and let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants.
Gods return to the soul or nation
I. God doth sometimes desert and depart from His people for a time. Not in regard of their union, but in regard of communion and manifestation. Though nothing is hid from the heat of this sun, yet our souls may be hid from the light of this sun: God doth sometimes depart from His own people. There are some graces that do not open nor show themselves but in the sunshining day of Gods presence--thankfulness, joy, assurance. But there are other graces, that are best seen when God withdraws, and when God is absent--faith in God, and love to God especially.
II. The people of God are very sensible of His displeasure. They look upon it as a very tedious thing; and most afflictions. O Lord, how long? Without the presence of God they have no enjoyment, their enjoyments are as no enjoyments: the presence of God with them is the top of all their enjoyments. If the sun be down, it is not all the torches and candles lighted up that will give you a day; and if God be gone, it is not all your creature comforts will give you joy.
III. In the time of those departures their great desire is that God would return. What is the presence of God but the most desirable thing in the world? (Act_3:19). Gods presence is the saints pleasure. God never returns empty-handed to His people. When He hath stricken them, He will let out more love unto them than ever before.
IV. When the Lord doth return unto His people, He doth then repent Him concerning His servants.
1. God doth not repent by the changing of His affection, but by the changing of His dispensation.
2. God will more easily repent of His judgments than of His mercies.
3. How it may appear that when God returns unto His people, that then He will repent Him concerning His servants. Why that appears by the thing itself. If a man say he will go from such a town and never return again, and then do return, he doth repent him concerning the thing, by his return; and so concerning God (Jer_18:7-8).
4. But then, how shall we know in case God be absent, or God be departed, to know that God will return again? You may know it by your relations. If you be in covenant with God, God will return again to you though now He be absent; Though He afflict you with rods, His lovingkindness will He not take away, nor suffer his faithfulness to fail.
V. What shall we do that God may return again?
1. Be sure of this, that you keep your door open, the door of your hearts open for Christs return. When the master is abroad, the servant sits up to keep the door open for his coming in.
2. Be sure of this, that now in the time of Christs absence you neglect no duty, though very unsavoury to you. The more unsavoury the duty now is unto you through the absence of Christ, the more acceptable unto Christ.
3. Be sure that you go and stand there where Christ used to be. (W. Bridge, M.A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain (See Scofield "Zec 8:14").
repent
(See Scofield "Zec 8:14").
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 90:13-17 The psalmist prays for the Lord’s favor and…
90:13-17 The psalmist prays for the Lord’s favor and restoration.
90:13 The phrase your servants refers to the community of those loyal to the Lord.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.