Psalms 85:5 — Word Study
WLCהַלְעוֹלָ֥ם תֶּֽאֱנַף־ בָּ֑נוּ תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ אַ֝פְּךָ֗ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃
BSAto returnshûwb [against, upon] Godʼĕlôhîym salvationyeshaʻ to breakpârar vexationkaʻaç withʻim
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַלְעוֹלָ֥ם | ¿ to forever | Particle, preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| תֶּֽאֱנַף־ | will you be angry | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| בָּ֑נוּ | with us | Preposition, suffix |
| תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ | will you prolong? | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| אַ֝פְּךָ֗ | anger your | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| לְדֹ֣ר | to a generation | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וָדֹֽר׃ | and a generation | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Will You be angry with us forever? Will You draw out Your anger to all generations? |
| KJV | Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? |
| ASV | Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? |
| YLT | To the age art Thou angry against us? Dost Thou draw out Thine anger To generation and generation? |
| WEB | Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to all generations? |
| BBE | Will you go on being angry with us for ever? will you keep your wrath against us through all the long generations? |
Where they part company is in the nuances of the phrase תֶּֽאֱנַף־ — see How Translations Differ.
Two main questions are posed, reflecting the psalmist's urgent plea to God regarding His anger.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them ›
clause
verbיֵשַׁע
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 85:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Plea for Restorationgenerated
Psalms 85:5 is part of a larger plea for God's mercy and restoration. The psalmist acknowledges the anger of God and seeks relief from it, asking if this displeasure will last forever. The verses surrounding this one emphasize a desire for revival and joy among God's people, highlighting the relationship between divine anger and human suffering.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 74:1 | Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture? |
| 2 | Psalm 77:9 | Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah |
| 3 | Psalm 79:5 | How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? |
| 4 | Psalm 80:4 | O LORD God of Hosts, how long will Your anger smolder against the prayers of Your people? |
| 5 | Psalm 89:46 | How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath keep burning like fire? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תֶּֽאֱנַף־, te.'e.naf-generated
The verb אָנֵף (anaph) means 'to be angry' and is derived from the imagery of breathing hard, indicating strong emotions. In this context, it expresses God's displeasure toward His people, emphasizing the seriousness of the psalmist's plea.
The parsing as an imperfect second person masculine singular suggests a direct address to God, indicating a personal relationship and urgency in the question posed by the psalmist.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains two main clauses: תֶּֽאֱנַף־ (Will You be angry) and תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ (Will You prolong), both directed at God. These clauses are linked by the theme of God's anger, with the psalmist asking about its duration and extent.
The structure emphasizes a direct plea to God, with the psalmist expressing concern over the longevity of divine anger and its impact on future generations.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the key term for anger with ἀπόστρεψον (apostrephon), which means 'to turn away.' This choice suggests a desire for God to turn away His anger rather than prolong it, indicating a nuanced interpretation of the original Hebrew.
This translation reflects an understanding of God's anger as something that can be redirected or alleviated, highlighting the psalmist's hope for mercy.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 85:5 expresses a deep concern from the psalmist about God's anger. The psalmist asks if God will remain angry forever and if His anger will extend to future generations. This verse highlights the desire for restoration and relief from divine displeasure.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist is expressing a fear that God's anger will not cease and will affect future generations, highlighting the seriousness of sin and its consequences.
This connection emphasizes the idea that the consequences of God's anger can extend beyond the present, impacting the community and future generations.
The plea signifies a deep desire for reconciliation and restoration, showing the psalmist's understanding of God's character as merciful and willing to forgive.
This verse captures the essence of the psalm's theme, which is a call for restoration and revival among God's people, acknowledging their need for God's mercy.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see the consequences of anger, either in my life or in the lives of others?
- How can I seek restoration in my relationship with God when I feel distant from Him?
- What are some ways I can help others understand God's mercy and forgiveness?
- How does the idea of generational consequences challenge me to live faithfully?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo comments on this verse, reflecting on the implications of God's anger and its effects on humanity.
"Be not angry with us for ever" [Psalms 85:5]. For by the anger of God we are subject to death, and by the anger of God we eat bread on this earth in want,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 85 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 85:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWilt thou be angry with us for ever?.... God is angry with the wicked every day, their life being a continued series of sin, without repentance for it, or confession of it; and he will be so for
Read John Gill on Psalms 85 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? - whereas ordinarily "thine anger endureth but a moment" (Psalms 30:5; cf. Exodus 34:6-7).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 85 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 85:5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?Ver. 5. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever?] Dilato Christo tuo vel tuo adventu? Such expostulations mixed with faith are Vis Deo grata, as saith Tertullian, such as God is well pleased with.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 85 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 5. Wilt thou draw out thine anger] We have already suffered much and long; our fathers have suffered, and we have succeeded to their distresses. Draw not out thy anger against us from generation to generation.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 85 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5. For the pleading question cp. Psalms 77:7 ff. wilt thou draw out &c.] I.e. protract, prolong, continue thine anger to one generation after another (Psalms 77:8).
Read Cambridge on Psalms 85 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWilt thou be angry with us for ever? - Thine anger is so long continued that it seems as if it would never cease. Wilt thou draw out thine anger - Wilt thou protract or prolong it?
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 85 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible5. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever—The obstacles to the return of the exiled Israelites appeared insurmountable. So the joy of the passage of the Red Sea was soon damped by the discouragements of Marah and Rephidim.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 85 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Will You be angry with us forever? Will You draw out Your anger to all generations?
Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to all generations?
Will You be angry with us forever? Will You draw out Your anger to all generations?
Will you stay mad at us forever? Will you remain angry throughout future generations?
Tyndale line
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thy anger to all generations?
Wilt thou be angry with vs for euer? and wilt thou prolong thy wrath from one generation to another?
Strictly literal
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger from generation to generation?
To the age art Thou angry against us? Dost Thou draw out Thine anger To generation and generation?
Are You angry against us for all time? Do You draw out Your anger || To generation and generation?
(85:6) Wilt thou be wroth with us for ever? wilt thou extend thy anger from generation to generation?
Will you be angry with us forever? Will you remain angry throughout future generations?
From the Latin
For thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee.
Simplified
Are you going to be furious with us forever? Will you stay angry with us for all future generations?
Will you go on being angry with us for ever? will you keep your wrath against us through all the long generations?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads הַלְעוֹלָ֥ם תֶּֽאֱנַף־ בָּ֑נוּ תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ אַ֝פְּךָ֗ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃, while the Septuagint matches 5 of the 7 words, indicating a close correspondence with minor variations in phrasing. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment contains 6 words, with some words supplied by an editor, showing a level of textual consistency across witnesses.
הַלְעוֹלָ֥ם תֶּֽאֱנַף־ בָּ֑נוּ תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ אַ֝פְּךָ֗ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃
5 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
שוב׳נו אלהי ישע׳נו [והפר] [כעס׳ך] [עמ׳נו]
6 words of the verse are on this fragment — 3 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 85:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עוֹלָם (owlam) refers to concepts of long duration, antiquity, and futurity, encompassing meanings like eternity and perpetual existence. It is derived from a root meaning 'concealed' or 'the vanishing point.' The term is used to describe both ancient times and an indefinite future, indicating continuity and everlastingness.
עוֹלָם 439 n.m. long duration, antiquity, futurity
base
H5769 עוֹלָם long duration, antiquity, futurity
5769 `owlam o-lawm'
or lolam {o-lawm'}; from 5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the
vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future),
i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial
(especially with prepositional prefix) always:--alway(-s),
ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for,
(n-))ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of)
old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world
(+ without end). Compare 5331, 5703.
see HEBREW for 05956
see HEBREW for 05331
see HEBREW for 05703
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: enduring.
: enduring/eternal
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — Everlasting.
This name means long duration, everlasting, perpetual
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: any time.
: any_time
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: antiquity.
: old/ancient
HTi/R/Ncmsa — Particle · preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTi/R/Ncmsa
אָנֵף (anaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be angry or displeased, derived from the idea of breathing hard or snorting. It primarily describes God's anger, with forms indicating both simple and reflexive actions. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to divine displeasure.
[אָנֵף, אָנַף] vb. (breathe, snort) be angry
base
H599 אָנֵף, אָנַף (breathe, snort) be angry
599 'anaph aw-naf'
a primitive root; to breathe hard, i.e. be enraged:--be
angry (displeased).
אָנַף (a.naph) — be angry.
1) to be angry, to be displeased, to breathe hard
1a) (Qal) to be angry (of God)
1b) (Hithpael) to be angry (always of God)
HVqi2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
נוּ (nu) — us.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person plural
HR/Sp1bp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bp
US, pronoun objective case of we.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.
Us, pron. oblique case of we
מָשַׁךְ (mashak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to draw or drag, with a wide range of applications. It can refer to actions like drawing a bow, prolonging time, or trailing seed during sowing. The entries also note uses in contexts of sound and cheer, as well as implications of height and postponement.
מָשַׁךְ vb. draw, drag
Qal
draw and lift out of
draw the bow
proceed, march
draw out a sound, give a sound
draw out, prolong, continue
trail seed (draw along in sowing)
(late) cheer (draw, attract, gratigy)
Niph. they shall not be prolonged (days of Babylon); it shall not be postponed
Pu. long drawn out: of persons, = tall; hope postponed, deferred
base
H4900 מָשַׁךְ draw, drag .. draw and lift out of
. draw the bow
. proceed, march
. draw out a sound, give a sound
. draw out, prolong, continue
. trail seed (draw along in sowing)
. (late) cheer (draw, attract, gratigy)
. they shall not be prolonged (days of Babylon); it shall not be postponed
. long drawn out: of persons, = tall; hope postponed, deferred
4900 mashak maw-shak'
a primitive root; to draw, used in a great variety of
applications (including to sow, to sound, to prolong, to
develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be tall,
etc.):--draw (along, out), continue, defer, extend, forbear,
X give, handle, make (pro-, sound)long, X sow, scatter,
stretch out.
מָשַׁךְ (ma.shakh) — to draw.
1) to draw, drag, seize
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to draw (and lift out), drag along, lead along, drag or lead off, draw down
1a2) to draw (the bow)
1a3) to proceed, march
1a4) to draw out or give (a sound)
1a5) to draw out, prolong, continue
1a6) to trail (seed in sowing)
1a7) to cheer, draw, attract, gratify
1b) (Niphal) to be drawn out
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be drawn out, be postponed, be deferred
1c2) to be tall
HVqi2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
pro-long' ('arakh, mashakh): "Prolong," "prolonged" are the translations of 'arakh, "to stretch," "to make long" (De 4:26, and frequently, "prolong days"; De 4:40, etc.; Job 6:11 the King James Version; Pr 28:16; Ec 7:15; 8:13; Isa 53:10); of mashakh, "to draw out" (Isa 13:22; Eze 12:25,28 the King James Version); of yacaph, "to add," "to increase" (Ps 61:6;
The Hebrew word אַף (aph) primarily means nostril or nose, but it also refers to the face and is often associated with anger. It can denote a person's countenance or expressions of ire. The entries highlight its connection to rapid breathing in passionate states, indicating its use in contexts of anger or wrath.
אַף 277 n.m. nostril, nose, face, anger
nostril, as organ of breathing
Dn. face
mostly anger
base
H639 אַף nostril, nose, face, anger
639 'aph af
from 599; properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and
occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in
passion) ire:--anger(-gry), + before, countenance, face, +
forebearing, forehead, + (long-)suffering, nose, nostril,
snout, X worthy, wrath.
see HEBREW for 0599
אַף (aph) — face: anger.
: anger
1) nostril, nose, face
2) anger
אַף (aph) — face: nose.
: nose
1) nostril, nose, face
2) anger
אַף (aph) — face.
: face
1) nostril, nose, face
2) anger
HNcmsc/Sp2ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word דּוֹר (dor) encompasses meanings related to a period or generation, often emphasizing the transitory nature of life. It can refer to a specific age, a class of people living at a certain time, or a dwelling place. The entries suggest a focus on both the temporal and spatial aspects of existence.
דּוֹר, דֹּר n.m. period, generation, dwelling
period, age, generation, mostly poet.
of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory
generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men
dwelling-place, habitation
base
H1755 דּוֹר, דֹּר period, generation, dwelling . period, age, generation, mostly poet.
. of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory
. generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men
. dwelling-place, habitation
1755 dowr dore
or (shortened) dor {dore}; from 1752; properly, a revolution
of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling:--age, X
evermore, generation, (n-)ever, posterity.
see HEBREW for 01752
דּוֹר (dor) — generation.
1) period, generation, habitation, dwelling
1a) period, age, generation (period of time)
1b) generation (those living during a period)
1c) generation (characterised by quality, condition, class of men)
1d) dwelling-place, habitation
Aramaic equivalent: dar (דָּר "generation" H1859)
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
jen-er-a'-shun (Latin generatio, from genero, "beget"):
(1) The translation
(a) of dor, "circle," "generation," hence, "age," "period," "cycle": "many generations" (De 32:7);
(b) the people of any particular period or those born about the same time: "Righteous before me in this generation" (Ge 7:1); "four generations" (Job 42:16);
Generation
Gen. 2:4, “These are the generations,” means the “history.” 5:1, “The book of the generations,” means a family register, or history of Adam. 37:2, “The generations of Jacob” = the history of Jacob and his descendants. 7:1, “In this generation” = in this age. Ps. 49:19, “The generation of his fathers” = the dwelling of his fathers, i.e., the grave. Ps. 73:15, “The generation of thy children” = the contemporary race. Isa. 53:8, “Who shall declare his generation?” = His manner of life who shall declare? or rather = His race, posterity, shall be so numerous that no one shall be able to declare it.
In the long-lived patriarchal age a generation seems to have been computed at 100 years, (Genesis 15:16) comp. Genesis15:13 and Eccl 12:40 But subsequently the reckoning was the same which has been adopted by modern civilized nations, viz. from thirty to forty years (Job 42:16) (Generation is also used to signify the men of an age or time, as contemporaries, (Genesis 6:9; Isaiah 53:8) posterity , especially in legal formulae, (Leviticus 3:17) etc.; fathers, or ancestors. (Psalms 49:19)
Besides the common acceptation of this word, as signifying race, descent, lineage, it is used for the history and genealogy of a person, as in Ge 5:1, "the book of the generations of Adam," that is, the history of Adam’s creation and of his posterity. So in Ge 2:4, "The generations of the heavens and of the earth," that is, their genealogy, so to speak, the history of the creation of heaven and earth; also in Mt 1:1, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ," that is, the genealogy of Jesus Christ," that is, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the history of his descent and life. "The present generation" comprises all those who are now alive; "This generation shall not pass till all be fulfilled," some now living shall witness the…
The Hebrew word דּוֹר (dor) encompasses meanings related to a period or generation, often emphasizing the transitory nature of life. It can refer to a specific age, a class of people living at a certain time, or a dwelling place. The entries suggest a focus on both the temporal and spatial aspects of existence.
דּוֹר, דֹּר n.m. period, generation, dwelling
period, age, generation, mostly poet.
of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory
generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men
dwelling-place, habitation
base
H1755 דּוֹר, דֹּר period, generation, dwelling . period, age, generation, mostly poet.
. of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory
. generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men
. dwelling-place, habitation
1755 dowr dore
or (shortened) dor {dore}; from 1752; properly, a revolution
of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling:--age, X
evermore, generation, (n-)ever, posterity.
see HEBREW for 01752
דּוֹר (dor) — generation.
1) period, generation, habitation, dwelling
1a) period, age, generation (period of time)
1b) generation (those living during a period)
1c) generation (characterised by quality, condition, class of men)
1d) dwelling-place, habitation
Aramaic equivalent: dar (דָּר "generation" H1859)
HC/Ncmsa — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
jen-er-a'-shun (Latin generatio, from genero, "beget"):
(1) The translation
(a) of dor, "circle," "generation," hence, "age," "period," "cycle": "many generations" (De 32:7);
(b) the people of any particular period or those born about the same time: "Righteous before me in this generation" (Ge 7:1); "four generations" (Job 42:16);
Generation
Gen. 2:4, “These are the generations,” means the “history.” 5:1, “The book of the generations,” means a family register, or history of Adam. 37:2, “The generations of Jacob” = the history of Jacob and his descendants. 7:1, “In this generation” = in this age. Ps. 49:19, “The generation of his fathers” = the dwelling of his fathers, i.e., the grave. Ps. 73:15, “The generation of thy children” = the contemporary race. Isa. 53:8, “Who shall declare his generation?” = His manner of life who shall declare? or rather = His race, posterity, shall be so numerous that no one shall be able to declare it.
In the long-lived patriarchal age a generation seems to have been computed at 100 years, (Genesis 15:16) comp. Genesis15:13 and Eccl 12:40 But subsequently the reckoning was the same which has been adopted by modern civilized nations, viz. from thirty to forty years (Job 42:16) (Generation is also used to signify the men of an age or time, as contemporaries, (Genesis 6:9; Isaiah 53:8) posterity , especially in legal formulae, (Leviticus 3:17) etc.; fathers, or ancestors. (Psalms 49:19)
Besides the common acceptation of this word, as signifying race, descent, lineage, it is used for the history and genealogy of a person, as in Ge 5:1, "the book of the generations of Adam," that is, the history of Adam’s creation and of his posterity. So in Ge 2:4, "The generations of the heavens and of the earth," that is, their genealogy, so to speak, the history of the creation of heaven and earth; also in Mt 1:1, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ," that is, the genealogy of Jesus Christ," that is, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the history of his descent and life. "The present generation" comprises all those who are now alive; "This generation shall not pass till all be fulfilled," some now living shall witness the…