Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse uses "brought forth" and "formed" for mountains and earth, suggesting creation was like a birth, implying God's active, parental involvement before time even began. This highlights that God's existence isn't just before creation, but that He is the source from which all things, even the most ancient and seemingly stable, came into being.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This Psalm, attributed to Moses, begins by contrasting the eternal nature of God with the fleeting existence of humanity. Before any mountains rose or the earth was shaped, God existed and will always exist, setting the stage for a meditation on human frailty and God's enduring power. The verses immediately following will delve into the brevity of human life compared to God's timelessness.
Ever feel like time is slipping away too fast? This verse reminds us of a radical truth: God isn't bound by time at all.
This verse throws us into the deep end of God's nature. Moses paints a picture that starts before anything we can imagine existed.
Before Creation's Dawn
'Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world...' Moses uses the most ancient, stable things we can think of – mountains, earth, the whole world – and says God existed before them. Not just before they were created, but before the very idea of them was formed in God's mind.
Everlasting to Everlasting
The key phrase here is 'from everlasting to everlasting.' This isn't just a long time; it speaks to God's eternal nature. It means God has always been, and God will always be. He has no beginning and no end. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, outside the linear progression of time that governs our lives.
Knowing God is eternal does more than just expand our minds; it shapes our hearts. How should this truth impact us daily?
Moses isn't just stating a fact about God; he's drawing out profound implications for us.
The Contrast: Our Frailty
Ask a follow-up
By highlighting God's infinite, unchanging existence, Moses underscores our own transient nature. We are like grass that withers (as we see later in Psalm 90). This stark contrast isn't meant to depress us, but to cultivate a humble spirit. Recognizing that we are temporary beings in the presence of the eternal God is the foundation of true godliness.
The Comfort: An Unshakeable Refuge
But this eternity isn't just a source of awe or a reminder of our smallness. It's also our greatest comfort! Our refuge is not a temporary shelter; it is the eternal God Himself. Whatever struggles we face, whatever the world throws at us, our portion and our hope are secured in Someone who has no beginning and no end, someone utterly reliable and unchanging.
Understand the original words
olam · Hebrew Noun/Adverb
Existing outside the constraints of time, having no beginning and no end; a description of God's eternal nature and existence before creation.
El · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew word for God, referring to the Almighty Creator, the object of worship, and the One who possesses supreme power and majesty.
This passage speaks about wisdom being present with God before creation, echoing the immense antiquity and eternal nature of God mentioned in Psalms 90:2.
Isaiah 44:6This verse explicitly states God as the 'first and the last,' directly supporting the concept of God's everlasting nature described in Psalms 90:2.
John 1:1John 1:1 declares 'In the beginning was the Word,' presenting Jesus (the Word) as existing eternally with God before anything else was created, mirroring the pre-existence of God in Psalms 90:2.
Micah 5:2This prophecy points to a ruler whose 'coming forth is from of old, from ancient days,' highlighting the eternal origin and nature of the divine figure, much like the eternal God in Psalms 90:2.
bensonPsalms 90:2: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."
Psalm 90:2. Before the mountains — The most fixed and stable parts of the earth; were brought forth — That is, arose out of the waters; or ever thou hadst formed the earth, &c. — That is, from eternity, which is frequently described in this manner; even from everlasting thou art God — Thou hadst thy power and thy perfections from all eter…
pulpitPsalms 90:2: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."
Verse 2. - Before the mountains were brought forth (comp. Proverbs 8:25). The "mountains" are mentioned as perhaps the grandest, and certainly among the oldest, of all the works of God. Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world; literally, or thou gavest birth to the earth and the world (comp. Deuteronomy 32:18). Even from everlas…
The verse uses "brought forth" and "formed" for mountains and earth, suggesting creation was like a birth, implying God's active, parental involvement before time even began. This highlights that God's existence isn't just before creation, but that He is the source from which all things, even the most ancient and seemingly stable, came into being.
This Psalm, attributed to Moses, begins by contrasting the eternal nature of God with the fleeting existence of humanity. Before any mountains rose or the earth was shaped, God existed and will always exist, setting the stage for a meditation on human frailty and God's enduring power. The verses immediately following will delve into the brevity of human life compared to God's timelessness.
This Psalm, attributed to Moses, begins by contrasting the eternal nature of God with the fleeting existence of humanity. Before any mountains rose or the earth was shaped, God existed and will always exist, setting the stage for a meditation on human frailty and God's enduring power. The verses immediately following will delve into the brevity of human life compared to God's timelessness.
"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." — The verse uses "brought forth" and "formed" for mountains and earth, suggesting creation was like a birth, implying God's active, parental involvement before time even began. This highlights that God…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026