Discovery BoxPsalms 90:13-17 
Context90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!
How long must this suffering last? 1
Have pity on your servants! 2
90:14 Satisfy us in the morning 3 with your loyal love!
Then we will shout for joy and be happy 4 all our days!
90:15 Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us,
in proportion to the years we have experienced 5 trouble!
90:16 May your servants see your work! 6
May their sons see your majesty! 7
90:17 May our sovereign God extend his favor to us! 8
Make our endeavors successful!
Yes, make them successful! 9
1 tn Heb “Return, O
2 tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (’al) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.
3 sn Morning is used metaphorically for a time of renewed joy after affliction (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 49:14; 59:16; 143:8).
4 tn After the imperative (see the preceding line) the cohortatives with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose/result.
5 tn Heb “have seen.”
6 tn Heb “may your work be revealed to your servants.” In this context (note v. 17) the verb form יֵרָאֶה (yera’eh) is best understood as an unshortened jussive (see Gen 1:9; Isa 47:3).
7 tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
8 tn Heb “and may the delight of the Master, our God, be on us.” The Hebrew term נֹעַם (no’am, “delight”) is used in Ps 27:4 of the
9 tn Heb “and the work of our hands establish over us, and the work of our hands, establish it.”
