KJV ORIGINAL
The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The writer is lamenting that God has allowed a young king's reign to end prematurely and brought disgrace upon him.
📚 Historical Context
This psalm was likely written during or after the Babylonian exile when the Davidic kingdom had fallen. The 'him' refers to the king from David's line, possibly referring to young King Jehoiachin who was taken into exile at age 18, or representing the collapsed Davidic dynasty in general. The psalmist is struggling to understand how God's eternal promises to David could be reconciled with the apparent failure of his royal line.
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