Psalms 90:17 (KJV)

What does Psalms 90:17 mean?

Psalms 90:17 is a request for God to look kindly on the people and give lasting value to what they do. The speaker asks for both God’s favor and his help in making their work stand firm.

The phrase “work of our hands” pictures the tasks and efforts of the people as a group. The repeated request to “establish” that work gives it special emphasis, as the prayer moves from God’s work among his servants in verse 16 to the work they themselves do.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 90:17

• “beauty” — נֹעַם (noʿam): This word can suggest pleasantness or favor. Here, it points toward God’s gracious favor resting on the people, rather than physical beauty alone.

• “establish” — כּוּן (kun): This word can mean to make firm or secure. The request is that the people’s work have stability, not merely that they be able to begin it.

Why Psalms 90:17 matters

• The request is shared, not just personal. The words “our God,” “upon us,” and “our hands” include the people together in the prayer.

• The ending gives extra weight to the request about human work. The speaker repeats “the work of our hands” and “establish,” making that appeal the final note of the psalm.

• The request comes after a description of the shortness and difficulty of human life. Earlier in the psalm, lives pass quickly and labor is marked by trouble (verses 9–10); the closing prayer asks God to give firmness to that labor.