Psalms 90:16 Meaning: Seeing God's Work and Glory in Our Short Lives
Let your work appear to your servants, your glory to their children.
Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
Let thy work appear unto thy servants, And thy glory upon their children.
Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, And Thine honour on their sons.
Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy majesty unto their sons.
Meaning in one sentence
What does Psalm 90:16 mean? Moses prays for God's saving work to be seen by His servants and His glory to be passed to their children.
Context
Psalm 90 is the only psalm credited to Moses, the man who led Israel through the wilderness. It is a prayer from a people who have known God's power and His discipline. The psalm opens with God's eternity and our frailty, we are dust, our days are seventy years, and we feel the weight of God's anger over sin. But in the second half, prayer shifts from confession to petition. Moses asks God to relent and show compassion. By verse 16, he is asking for something specific: that God would let His people see His work and that His glory would rest on their children. This is the prayer of a leader who knows his generation will not enter the promised land, but who still hopes for the generation after.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words carry the weight of this verse. The verb ye.ra.'Eh (from ra'ah, to see) appears in a form that means 'may it be seen' or 'may it appear.' It is a passive prayer, Moses is not asking to accomplish anything but to witness what God alone can do. The word for 'work' is po'al, which means a deed, an action, something made or done. It is the same word used in Deuteronomy 32:4: 'The Rock: his work is perfect.' Moses is asking for a visible display of God's own saving action, not human effort. And 'glory' here is hadar, a word that means splendor, majesty, something that draws you to look. It is not the thick cloud of God's presence but the radiant beauty of His character shown in mercy. Moses asks that this beauty would rest on the children, not just be seen from a distance.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have understood this verse in various ways. Adam Clarke, writing in the Methodist tradition, saw it as a plea for deliverance and for pure worship to be established among the children for all time. Albert Barnes, a Protestant commentator, read it as a cry for God to remove calamities so that children might celebrate His goodness. John Calvin, from the Reformed tradition, treated it as part of a prayer that God would continue His ordinary course of grace toward His people. And John Gill, a Baptist, found here a request for the work of redemption by the Messiah and for the glory of God displayed in that work. Each tradition hears the same longing: that God would act visibly and that the next generation would know Him.
A common misunderstanding
Some read verse 16 as a prayer for God to bless our work, our projects, our careers, our plans. In fact, Moses is asking to see God's work, not his own. The Hebrew word po'al points to God's deed, the saving action only He can do. The next verse does pray about 'the work of our hands,' but here the focus is on God's appearing, not our producing.
Living This Out
This week, look for one place where God is working that you did not start and cannot control. It might be a change in a relationship, a door that opens, a quiet provision you did not plan. Ask Him to let you see it. Then think of one child, your own, a neighbor, a young person at church. Ask God to let His glory be real to them, not just in words but in something they can remember. Moses prayed for a generation he would not enter the land with. You can pray for children who will carry faith after you are gone.
Main takeaway: Moses prays to see God's saving work today and for His glory to be known by the next generation.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Moses asked God to show His people the good things He was doing. He also asked God to let the children see how wonderful He is. You can ask God to help you see the good things He does every day.
For ages 9, 12
Moses was old and had led God's people through the desert for forty years. He knew he wouldn't get to enter the promised land, but he still prayed for the children who would. He asked God to show them His glory, not just His power, but His beauty and goodness. When you pray, think about what you want the kids after you to know about God. You can be part of passing the faith on.
Questions People Ask
What is the 'work' in Psalm 90:16?
The Hebrew word is 'po'al,' meaning a deed or action. Commentators see it as God's saving work, His providence, deliverance, or redemption. It is something only God can do, not human effort.
Why does Moses mention children in this verse?
Moses knew the generation he led would not enter Canaan because of their unbelief (Numbers 14). But he prayed that the children would see God's glory and possess the land. He cared about passing faith to the next generation.
How does this verse connect to the rest of Psalm 90?
The psalm begins with human frailty and God's anger at sin. But it turns to a plea for mercy. Verse 16 is the climax of that prayer, asking God to reveal His saving work and glory, not just for the present but for the children who will come.
Is 'glory' here a different word from other psalms?
Yes. The word is 'hadar,' which means splendor, majesty, or beauty. It is the visible radiance of God's character, not the heavy glory (kavod) of His presence. Moses asks for this beauty to rest on the children.
Does this verse promise that children will automatically see God's glory?
No, it is a prayer, not a promise. Moses asks God to act. But the verse shows that we can pray for the next generation to encounter God's beauty, even when we have not seen it fully ourselves.
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