Psalm 90:10

 Psalm 90:10

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

a. NLT: Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away.

 [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: Days of our years, in them are seventy years, And if, by reason of might, eighty years, Yet is their enlargement labour and vanity, For it hath been cut off hastily, and we fly away. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: The days of our years are threescore years and ten (seventy years)—or even, if by reason of strength, fourscore years (eighty years); yet is their pride [in additional years] only labor and sorrow, for it is soon gone, and we fly away. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: The days of your years among them are seventy years, and if with might, eighty years; their proudest success is but toil and pain, for it is cut off swiftly and we fly away.[The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

f. Peshitta Eastern Text:  The years of our lives are three score and ten; and if by reason of strength they be four score years, yet most of them are labor and sorrow; for life is soon cut off and we fly away. [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT.Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1961 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright  Ⓒ 1939 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1967  by A.J. Holmon Co.;  Copyright  Ⓒ 1940 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright  Ⓒ 1957 by A.J. Holmon Co. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

g. NIV: Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

1. “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years…”

a. [The] days [Strong: 3117 yowm yome from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.]

b. [of our] years [Strong: 8141 shaneh shaw-neh' (in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year (as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old, year(X -ly).]

c. [are] threescore...and ten [Strong: 7657 shib`iym. shib-eem' multiple of 7651; seventy:--seventy, threescore and ten (+ -teen).]

d. years [Strong: [Strong: 8141 shaneh shaw-neh' (in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year (as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old, year(X -ly).]

e. and if [Strong: 518 'im eem a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, + more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, + save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more, none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when, whereas, whether, while, + yet.]

f. [by reason of] strength [Strong: 1369 gbuwrah gheb-oo-raw' feminine passive participle from the same as 1368; force (literally or figuratively); by implication, valor, victory:-- force, mastery, might, mighty (act, power), power, strength.]

g. [they be] fourscore [Strong: 8084 shmoniym shem-o-neem' or shmowniym {shem-o-neem'}; mult. from 8083; eighty, also eightieth:--eighty(-ieth), fourscore.]

h. years [Strong: [Strong: 8141 shaneh shaw-neh' (in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year (as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old, year(X -ly).]

1). Amplified Bible note under Psalm 90:9, 10: This Psalm is credited to Moses, who is interceding with God to remove the curse which made it necessary for every israelite over twenty years of age (when they rebelled against God at Kadesh-Barnea) to die before reaching the Promised Land (Numbers 14:26-35). Moses says most of them are dying at seventy years. This number has often been mistaken as a set span of life for all mankind. It was not intended to refer to any one except those Israelites under the curse during that particular forty years. Seventy years never has been the average span of life for humanity. When Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes had reached 130 years (Genesis 47:9), he complained that he had not attained to the years of his immediate ancestors. In fact, Moses himself lived to be 120, Aaron 123, Miriam several years older, and Joshua 110; while in the Millennium a person dying at 100 will still be a child (Isaiah 65:20).

2). I believe the scholars who contributed to the Amplified Translation have nailed it here. The context is clearly those who lived during the 40 years of wilderness. Because of their rebellion and disobedience everyone over the age of twenty died in the wilderness, no one over twenty years old from that moment entered the Promised land. From that point forward, every Israelite over the age of 20, some in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s 90’s, and some mabey over 100. They all died. Only two people over 60 entered the Promised land. Joshua and Caleb, and they were both in their 80’s. The sum of these truths is that the ages of 70 or 80 are not a cap we should believe to live unto. 

a). Numbers 14:28-38 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

14:29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.

14:30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

14:31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.

14:32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

14:33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

14:35 I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

14:36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

14:Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord.

14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.

3). Scripture declares that our obedience to God can and will lengthen our days.

a). Proverbs 3:1, 2 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

b). Proverbs 9:10, 11 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

9:11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

c). Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

6:2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

2. “...yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

a. [yet is their] strength [Strong: 7296 rohab ro'-hab from 7292; pride:--strength.]

b. labour [Strong: 5999 `amal aw-mawl' from 5998; toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mind:--grievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.]

c. [and] sorrow [Strong: 205 'aven aw-ven' from an unused root perhaps meaning properly, to pant (hence, to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught); strictly nothingness; also trouble. vanity, wickedness; specifically an idol:--affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourners(-ing), naught, sorrow, unjust, unrighteous, vain ,vanity, wicked(-ness).]

d. for [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

e. [it is] soon [Strong: 2440 chiysh kheesh from 2439; properly, a hurry; hence (adverb) quickly:--soon.]

f. cut off [Strong: 1468 guwz gooz a primitive root (Compare 1494); properly, to shear off; but used only in the (figuratively) sense of passing rapidly:--bring, cut off.]

g. [and we] fly away [Strong: 5774 `uwph oof a primitive root; to cover (with wings or obscurity); hence (as denominative from 5775) to fly; also (by implication of dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning):--brandish, be (wax) faint, flee away, fly (away), X set, shine forth, weary.]