The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
The length of our lives is seventy years, and if we're strong enough, maybe eighty years. But even those extra years are filled with hard work and sadness, because life passes quickly and then we're gone.
The writer is acknowledging that human life is brief—typically 70-80 years—and even at its longest, it's filled with difficulty and passes by quickly.
📚 Historical Context
This psalm is attributed to Moses and reflects on the brevity and fragility of human life compared to God's eternal nature. In ancient times, reaching 70 years was considered a full lifespan, and 80 was exceptionally long. Moses wrote this during Israel's wilderness wanderings, when an entire generation died before reaching the Promised Land.
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