King James Version

What Does Psalms 90:6 Mean?

Psalms 90:6 in the King James Version says “In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.” — study this verse from Psalms chapter 90 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.”

Psalms 90:6 · KJV

Context

4

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. when: or, when he hath passed them

5

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. groweth: or, is changed

6

In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

7

For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

8

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. This verse completes the grass metaphor begun in verse 5, compressing an entire lifecycle into a single day. The parallelism between morning and evening, flourishing and withering, growth and cutting down emphasizes the shocking brevity of human life from God's eternal perspective. What seems like a lifetime to us is but a day to Him.

"In the morning it flourisheth" (בַּבֹּקֶר יָצִיץ/baboqer yatzitz) uses tzutz (to bloom, blossom, sparkle, flourish). Morning represents youth, vigor, potential, hope—life at its freshest and most promising. The grass blooms beautifully, full of vitality and color. Similarly, young people flourish with energy, health, dreams, and apparent limitless future. Morning symbolizes beginning, promise, and vibrant life.

"And groweth up" (וְחָלָף/vechalaf) means to sprout up, spring forth, grow. The grass doesn't merely exist but actively grows, reaching upward, expanding, developing. This captures life's dynamic quality—not static being but active becoming, growth, development, striving. Human life in its prime appears to be progressing, building, achieving, moving forward.

"In the evening it is cut down" (לָעֶרֶב יְמוֹלֵל/la'erev yemolel) introduces the shocking reversal. Erev (evening) represents old age, decline, life's end. Molel means to cut off, circumcise, wither away. The verb suggests both external cutting (like harvesting) and internal withering. Evening brings not gentle fading but decisive cutting—death comes as harvest, severing life from its source. What flourished at morning is cut down by evening.

"And withereth" (וְיָבֵשׁ/veyavesh) from yavesh (to dry up, wither, be ashamed) emphasizes complete loss of vitality. The grass that was green, moist, alive becomes brown, dry, dead. All moisture, color, and life drain away. This represents death's totality—not partial diminishment but complete cessation of vitality, leaving only dried husk of what was once alive.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The single-day lifecycle compresses human experience from God's perspective (v.4—a thousand years as yesterday). While humans experience decades, from divine vantage our entire life is but one day: morning birth/youth, midday prime, evening old age/death. This relativizes human achievement and pride—all our building, striving, and accomplishing happens in one brief day before evening comes.

The cutting metaphor reflects agricultural reality. Farmers harvested grain by cutting stalks, gathering them for threshing. The harvest represented both blessing (provision) and ending (plants died). In Scripture, harvest often symbolizes divine judgment (Joel 3:13, Matthew 13:30, Revelation 14:15-16). God harvests each generation, gathering them from earth to face judgment.

Jesus used similar imagery: "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6:30). The grass exists today, is burned tomorrow—emphasizing transience and God's greater care for people than grass. Yet the underlying reality remains: grass (and humans) are temporary.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does compressing life into a single day (morning to evening) change your perspective on how you spend your time and energy?
  2. What is the relationship between life's 'morning' flourishing and 'evening' withering, and how should awareness of evening affect morning priorities?
  3. How can believers maintain hope and purpose while acknowledging that we flourish briefly then wither—what gives human life lasting significance despite its brevity?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 6 words
בַּ֭בֹּקֶר1 of 6

“In the morning”

H1242

properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning

יָצִ֣יץ2 of 6

“it flourisheth”

H6692

to twinkle, i.e., glance

וְחָלָ֑ף3 of 6

“and groweth up”

H2498

properly, to slide by, i.e., (by implication) to hasten away, pass on, spring up, pierce or change

לָ֝עֶ֗רֶב4 of 6

“in the evening”

H6153

dusk

יְמוֹלֵ֥ל5 of 6

“it is cut down”

H4135

to cut short, i.e., curtail (specifically the prepuce, i.e., to circumcise); by implication, to blunt; figuratively, to destroy

וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃6 of 6

“and withereth”

H3001

to be ashamed, confused or disappointed; also (as failing) to dry up (as water) or wither (as herbage)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Psalms. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Psalms 90:6 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Psalms 90:6 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Job 14:2Psalms 92:7James 1:11Matthew 6:30

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