Psalms 90:17 Meaning and Explanation
“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Let God's beauty rest upon us and bless the work our hands do, making it stable and enduring.
The Context of Psalms 90:17
The psalmist concludes by asking for God's beauty to dwell with the people and for their works to be blessed and established.
What Does Psalms 90:17 Mean?
'The beauty of the LORD our God' is not aesthetic alone but the attractive power of His holiness and goodness. If this beauty rests 'upon us,' we are transformed and made attractive by association. We reflect what we contemplate; we become beautiful by drawing near to Beauty itself. This inward transformation matters more than outward works.
'Establish thou the work of our hands' is the final request: let our labor bear fruit. Though our lives are brief, though we are grass, the psalm dares to ask that what we do endure and prosper. Not all works stand—some are folly, some are ruins. But if God establishes our hands' work, then even mortals leave something lasting. The repetition ('establish thou the work ... the work of our hands establish thou it') underscores the intensity of the prayer for permanence.
Psalms 90:17 in the Original Language
'beauty' (נֹעַם, noam) — pleasantness, grace, the attractive quality of God's character.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psalms 90:17
What does Psalms 90:17 mean?
Let God's beauty rest upon us and bless the work our hands do, making it stable and enduring.
What is the context of Psalms 90:17?
The psalmist concludes by asking for God's beauty to dwell with the people and for their works to be blessed and established.