Psalms 90:5 Meaning and Explanation
“Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Human lives sweep away suddenly like a flood, yet also fade gently like sleep, fragile as grass.
The Context of Psalms 90:5
The psalmist uses paired images of flood and sleep, growth and decay, to evoke human transience.
What Does Psalms 90:5 Mean?
Death strikes with the force of a flood—sudden, overwhelming, irresistible—yet also with the gentleness of sleep. These two images together capture the experience of mortality: sometimes violent and traumatic, sometimes peaceful and natural, yet always final. The psalmist acknowledges both realities without contradiction.
People multiply and flourish overnight like grass in spring, bursting with life and color. Yet grass has no permanence; it exists for a season. We are not comparing ourselves to stone or steel but to the most ephemeral plant, thriving in a moment and gone by autumn.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psalms 90:5
What does Psalms 90:5 mean?
Human lives sweep away suddenly like a flood, yet also fade gently like sleep, fragile as grass.
What is the context of Psalms 90:5?
The psalmist uses paired images of flood and sleep, growth and decay, to evoke human transience.