Psalms 89:45

45 Thou hast cut short the days of his youth; thou hast covered him with shame. [Selah]

Psalms 89:45 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 89:45

The days of his youth hast thou shortened
His days of joy and pleasure; such as days of youth are, in opposition to the days of old age, which are evil, ( Ecclesiastes 11:9 ) ( 12:1 ) , these were shortened when his sorrows and sufferings came on, and God hid his face from him; and indeed he was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief all his days: the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "the days of his time"; and the Arabic version "the days of his years"; for he did not live out half the time of man's age, which is threescore years and ten, ( Psalms 90:10 ) , he dying at the age of thirty three or four; but, notwithstanding this, he lives again, and lives for evermore; he has length of days for ever and ever, ( Psalms 21:4 ) ( Revelation 1:18 ) , though his days were in some sense shortened, yet in another sense they are and will be prolonged, even his own, and those of his spiritual seed, according to the promise of God, ( Isaiah 53:10 ) ,

thou hast covered him with shame;
see ( Psalms 69:7 ) , when his face was covered with shame and spitting, from which he hid it not, ( Isaiah 1:6 ) , but now he is crowned with glory and honour; wherefore all these complaints, though true, are no objections to what is before said and swore to.

Selah. (See Gill on Psalms 3:2).

Psalms 89:45 In-Context

43 Yea, thou hast turned back the edge of his sword, and thou hast not made him stand in battle.
44 Thou hast removed the scepter from his hand, and cast his throne to the ground.
45 Thou hast cut short the days of his youth; thou hast covered him with shame. [Selah]
46 How long, O LORD? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? How long will thy wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember, O Lord, what the measure of life is, for what vanity thou hast created all the sons of men!
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.