You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:
English Standard Version (ESV)
Life is incredibly fleeting, like a dream that vanishes when we wake. God's power swiftly removes us, much like grass that springs up brightly in the morning only to wither away by evening.
You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm opens with a stark reminder of humanity's fleeting existence, contrasting human lifespans with God's eternal nature. The psalmist reflects on how generations of people are swept away, as quickly and uncontrollably as a flood, their lives like a brief dream or the grass that springs up only to wither. This imagery sets the stage for Moses' prayer for wisdom to understand and number their days, recognizing their fragility in the face of God's enduring power and judgment.
Ever feel like life just washes over you, carrying you along with no control? This verse paints a vivid, powerful picture of that very reality.
The imagery of a "flood" (or torrent) here isn't just about water; it speaks to the overwhelming, sudden, and irresistible force that sweeps human life away.
An Unstoppable Current
Think of a flash flood – unexpected, powerful, and taking everything in its path. The verse uses this to describe how generations of people are carried away by time and death. It’s a reminder that life is not a slow, gentle stream but can be a powerful current that sweeps us along.
Universal Sweep
This isn't selective. Floods don't ask permission; they simply overwhelm. Similarly, death comes for everyone, regardless of age, status, or strength. It’s a humbling reminder of our shared human condition.
Does life sometimes feel unreal, like you're just waking up from a dream? Or like something that sprouts up only to vanish?
The verse uses two powerful, relatable images to capture the ephemeral nature of human existence: a dream and morning grass.
The Dream of Life
Life can feel like a dream – short, often filled with fleeting images and sensations, and quickly forgotten upon waking. It suggests a lack of substance or permanence. We may experience moments of joy or sorrow, but in the grand scheme of eternity, they can seem insubstantial and are often gone before we fully grasp them.
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The Morning Grass
The image of grass is particularly striking. It springs up, fresh and green in the morning, full of life. But by evening, it's cut down and withered. This powerfully illustrates how vibrant life can be, only to fade and disappear with shocking speed. It’s a cycle of flourishing and decay, happening within the span of a single day.
Understand the original words
zerem · Hebrew Noun
A natural occurrence of overwhelming power; often used in the Bible as a symbol of divine judgment, destruction, or the sudden, irresistible sweeping away of humanity.
shenah · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for the transient, unsubstantial, and quickly passing nature of human life, which appears real but vanishes rapidly from the consciousness of time.
chatsir · Hebrew Noun
Vegetation that grows rapidly but withers quickly in the heat; a common biblical metaphor for the fragility, brevity, and mortality of human life.
c. 1400 BC
Moses Leads Israelites from Egypt
Moses, the traditional author of Psalm 90, led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and through their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. This period of hardship and divine judgment directly informs the psalm's reflections on human frailty.
c. 1400 BC
Wilderness Wandering
The generation that left Egypt, except for Joshua and Caleb, perished in the wilderness due to their disobedience and rebellion against God. This loss of an entire generation serves as a stark example of human transience.
c. 1360 BC
Entry into the Promised Land
After 40 years of wandering, the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership. This marked a new phase, but the memory of the preceding generation's fate lingered.
c. 1350 BC— this verse
Moses' Ministry Concludes
The psalm is attributed to Moses, likely reflecting on his leadership and the precariousness of human life as he neared the end of his life, looking back on the turbulent journey of Israel.
This passage directly echoes the sentiment of Psalm 90:5, emphasizing the brevity and fragility of human life with imagery of a flower that fades and a shadow that vanishes, highlighting our transient existence.
Isaiah 40:6-8Here, the prophet Isaiah uses the same grass imagery to declare the word of the Lord, contrasting the fleeting nature of human glory with the enduring power of God's message, mirroring the ephemeral quality of life described in Psalm 90:5.
1 Peter 1:24Peter quotes Isaiah 40:6-8, applying the concept of all flesh being like grass that withers to the Christian life. This highlights how, even with spiritual renewal, our earthly existence is temporary, much like the grass in Psalm 90:5.
James 4:14James directly addresses the uncertainty and brevity of life, comparing it to a mist that appears for a short time and then vanishes. This powerfully illustrates the fleeting nature described by the flood and grass metaphors in Psalm 90:5.
bensonPsalms 90:5: "Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up."
Psalm 90:5-6 . Thou carriest them away — Namely, mankind, of whom he spake Psalm 90:3 . As with a flood — Unexpectedly, violently, and irresistibly. They are as a sleep — Short and vain as sleep is, and not minded till it be past. Or, like a dream, when a man sleepeth, wherein there may be some real pleasure, but never any satisfaction; or some real trouble, but neve…
ellicottPsalms 90:5: "Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up."
(5, 6) The following is suggested as the most satisfactory rendering of these verses: Time (literally, a year; but the root-idea is the repetition or change of the seasons ) carries them away with its flood; they are in the morning like grass sprouting; in the morning it flourishes and sprouts, in the evening it is cut down and withered. This is obtained by taking th…
Life is incredibly fleeting, like a dream that vanishes when we wake. God's power swiftly removes us, much like grass that springs up brightly in the morning only to wither away by evening.
This psalm opens with a stark reminder of humanity's fleeting existence, contrasting human lifespans with God's eternal nature. The psalmist reflects on how generations of people are swept away, as quickly and uncontrollably as a flood, their lives like a brief dream or the grass that springs up only to wither. This imagery sets the stage for Moses' prayer for wisdom to understand and number their days, recognizing their fragility in the face of God's enduring power and judgment.
This psalm opens with a stark reminder of humanity's fleeting existence, contrasting human lifespans with God's eternal nature. The psalmist reflects on how generations of people are swept away, as quickly and uncontrollably as a flood, their lives like a brief dream or the grass that springs up only to wither. This imagery sets the stage for Moses' prayer for wisdom to understand and number their days, recognizing their fragility in the face of God's enduring power and judgment.
"You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:" — Life is incredibly fleeting, like a dream that vanishes when we wake. God's power swiftly removes us, much like grass that springs up brightly in the morning only to wither away by evening.
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Last reviewed October 2026