Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
Parallel translations
- WEB Relent, Yahweh! How long? Have compassion on your servants!
- BSB Return, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants.
- NKJV Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants.
- NASB ¶Do return, Lord; how long will it be? And be sorry for Your servants.
- NLT O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses pleads for God to turn from His anger and show compassion to His servants.
Overview
The psalm shifts from sober reflection to earnest petition: "Relent, how long?" Moses appeals to God's mercy to replace wrath with compassion. This cry for God to relent is answered in the gospel, where mercy triumphs through Christ's atoning work (Titus 3:5).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Deut 32:36For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
- Ps 106:45And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
- Ps 135:14For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants.
- Ps 80:14Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;
- Amos 7:3The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.
- Hos 11:8How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
- Jonah 3:9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
- Joel 2:13–14And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
- Ps 89:46How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?
- Amos 7:6The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.
- Ps 74:10O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
- Ps 6:3–4My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
- Exod 32:12Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
- Exod 32:14And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
- Jer 12:15And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
- Zech 1:16Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 90:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.