Psalms 90:11 — Word Study
WLCמִֽי־ י֭וֹדֵעַ עֹ֣ז אַפֶּ֑ךָ וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗ עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ׃
BSAWhomîy [is aware of] knowsyâdaʻ the powerʻôz [strength, might] of Your angerʼaph [emotions] Your wrathʻebrâh [fury, outburst of passion] matches the fear You are dueyirʼâh [is equal to, corresponds with, reverence, respect, deserve, owe]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִֽי־ | who? | Pronoun |
| י֭וֹדֵעַ | [is] knowing | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| עֹ֣ז | [the] strength of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| אַפֶּ֑ךָ | anger your | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗ | and [is] like fear your | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ׃ | fury your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Who knows the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear You are due. |
| KJV | Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. |
| ASV | Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee? |
| YLT | Who knoweth the power of Thine anger? And according to Thy fear — Thy wrath? |
| WEB | Who knows the power of your anger, your wrath according to the fear that is due to you? |
| BBE | Who has knowledge of the power of your wrath, or who takes note of the weight of your passion? |
Where they part company is עֹ֣ז — see How Translations Differ.
One main clause with two additional phrases that elaborate on the subject of God's anger and the corresponding fear.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמִי
verbיָדַע
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 90:11
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 — Meditation on God's Eternity and Human Frailtygenerated
Psalms 90:11 reflects on the brevity of human life and the weight of divine anger. The psalmist asks who comprehends the strength of God's anger, suggesting that it is as significant as the reverence owed to Him. This verse is situated within a broader contemplation of mortality, where the psalmist acknowledges the fleeting nature of life and the need for wisdom in counting our days, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 26:18–21 | And if after all this you will not obey Me, I will proceed to punish you sevenfold for your sins. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 28:59 | He will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary disasters, severe and lasting plagues, and terrible and chronic sicknesses. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 29:20–29 | The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven |
| 4 | Isaiah 33:14 | The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?” |
| 5 | Nahum 1:6 |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — י֭וֹדֵעַ, Yo.de.a'generated
The verb יָדַע (yada`) means 'to know' and encompasses various senses of perception, recognition, and experience. In this context, it emphasizes the need for awareness of God's anger and its implications.
As a participle, it indicates an ongoing state of knowing, suggesting that the understanding of God's anger is not a one-time realization but a continuous awareness that shapes one's reverence for Him.
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 main verb י֭וֹדֵעַ (knows) governs the verse, with two clauses following it: a noun phrase that serves as the object and another clause that elaborates on the subject of God's anger. The structure emphasizes the inquiry into the understanding of divine anger and its connection to reverence.
The Hebrew word order places the interrogative pronoun מִֽי־ (who) at the beginning, highlighting the question of knowledge regarding God's power, which is central to the verse's meaning.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates י֭וֹדֵעַ as γινώσκει, which also means 'to know.' This choice reflects a consistent understanding of knowledge in both Hebrew and Greek contexts.
The Greek translation maintains the focus on the understanding of God's anger, emphasizing the continuity in the interpretation of divine attributes across the texts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 90:11 asks who understands the strength of God's anger and how it relates to the respect He deserves. This verse is part of a larger reflection on the fleeting nature of human life and the importance of recognizing divine authority.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist refers to the intensity and significance of God's anger, which is a response to human actions and sin.
Understanding God's anger is crucial for recognizing the respect and reverence that is due to Him, as it shapes our relationship with the divine.
This verse connects the understanding of God's anger with the fleeting nature of human life, emphasizing the need for wisdom in how we live our days.
The word 'fear' here conveys both a sense of awe and reverence towards God, highlighting the respect that His power commands.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I deepen my understanding of God's attributes, such as His anger and mercy?
- How does recognizing the brevity of life influence the way I approach my daily decisions?
- What does it mean for me to show reverence towards God in my life?
- How can I cultivate a greater awareness of the divine presence in my everyday experiences?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers have commented on this verse, using it to discuss the nature of God's wrath and the reverence owed to Him.
"For who knows the power of Your wrath: and for the fear of You to number Your anger?" [Psalms 90:11].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 90 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 90:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWho knoweth the power of thine anger?.... Expressed in his judgments on men: as the drowning of the old world, the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, the consumption of the Israelites in the wilderness;
Read John Gill on Psalms 90 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWho knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. -The Second part, First division.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 90 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWho knoweth? few or none sufficiently apprehend it, or stedfastly believe it, or duly consider it, or are rightly affected with it. For all these things are comprehended under this word knoweth. The power of thine anger; the greatness, and force, and dreadful effects of thine anger conceived against the sons of men, and in particular against thine own people, for their miscarriages. According to thy fear, i.e. according to the fear of thee; as my fear is put for the fear of me, , and his knowledge for the knowledge of him, . According to that fear or dread which sinful men have of a just and holy God. These fears of the Deity are not vain bugbears, and the effects of ignorance and folly or…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 90 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 90:11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, [so is] thy wrath.Ver. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger?] None doth, since it is such as no man can either avoid or abide; and such is men’ s stupidity, that few will believe till they feel it; no, though their lives be so short and uncertain. Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath] Ira tua non est minor timore nostro; let a man tear thee never so much, he is sure to feel thee much more, if once he fall into thy fingers.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 90 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11) Who knoweth . . .—Better, Who regardeth Thine anger And—in a measure due to reverence—Thy wrath? Who (no doubt with thought of Israel’s enemies) has that just terror of Thy wrath which a truly reverential regard would produce? It is only the persons who have that fearful and bowed apprehension of His Majesty, and that sacred dread of all offence to Him, which is called the “fear of God.” And this is not inconsistent with a child-like trust and love, and a peaceful security (“Of whom, then, shall I be afraid?”). On the other hand, those who scoff against religion often become the victims of wild and base terror.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 90 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger?] The afflictions of this life are not to be compared to the miseries which await them who live and die without being reconciled to God, and saved from their sins.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 90 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee? (R.V.) Who understands or lays to heart the intensity of God’s wrath against sin so as to fear Him duly with that reverence which is man’s safeguard against offending Him? Cp. Psalms 5:7; Proverbs 3:7; Proverbs 8:13; Proverbs 16:6; Exodus 20:20; Deuteronomy 5:29.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 90 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWho knoweth the power of thine anger? - Who can measure it, or take a correct estimate of it, as it is manifest in cutting down the race of people?
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 90 →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
Who knows the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear You are due.
Who knows the power of your anger, your wrath according to the fear that is due to you?
Who knows the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear You are due.
Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger? Your raging fury causes people to fear you.
Tyndale line
Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee?
Who knoweth the power of thine anger, and thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee?
Who knoweth the power of thy anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Who knoweth the power of thy wrath? for according to thy feare is thine anger.
Strictly literal
Who knoweth the power of thine anger? and thy wrath according to the fear of thee?
Who knoweth the power of Thine anger? And according to Thy fear — Thy wrath?
Who knows the power of Your anger? And according to Your fear—Your wrath?
Who knoweth the strength of thy anger, and thy wrath which is like the fear of thee?
Who knows the intensity of your anger, and your wrath that is equal to the fear of you?
From the Latin
For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.
Simplified
Who can know the power of your anger? Who understands your fury so you can be shown reverence?
Who has knowledge of the power of your wrath, or who takes note of the weight of your passion?
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 and the Septuagint show significant agreement in this verse, with five out of six words matching. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the core message about the knowledge of God's anger remains intact.
מִֽי־ י֭וֹדֵעַ עֹ֣ז אַפֶּ֑ךָ וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗ עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ׃
5 of the 6 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.
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 90:11
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.
מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.
מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons
מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
in the gen. whose
in an indirect qu.
מִי ב׳ who among … ?
strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
various rhetorical uses whose
מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
once, following a verb, any one
base
H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
. in the gen. whose
. in an indirect qu.
. מִי ב׳ who among … ?
. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
. various rhetorical uses whose
. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
. once, following a verb, any one
4310 miy me
an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also
(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction
with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!
what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.
see HEBREW for 04100
מִי (mi) — who?.
who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
Part — PronounHPi
יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.
יָדַע 943 vb. know
Qal
know, learn to know
perceive
perceive and see; find out and discern
discriminate, distinguish
know by experience
recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess
consider
not know = not expect
know a person, be acquainted with
know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse
know how, to do a thing, be able to do it
be skilful in
abs. have knowledge, be wise
Niph.
be made known, be or become known, of things
make oneself known of pers.
be perceived
be instructed
Pi. cause to know
Pu. known
Hiph. make known, declare
Hoph. made known
Hithp. make oneself known
base
H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know
. perceive
. perceive and see; find out and discern
. discriminate, distinguish
. know by experience
. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess
. consider
. not know = not expect
. know a person, be acquainted with
. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse
. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it
. be skilful in
. abs. have knowledge, be wise
. . be made known, be or become known, of things
. make oneself known of pers.
. be perceived
. be instructed
. cause to know
. known
. make known, declare
. made known
. make oneself known
3045 yada` yaw-dah'
a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);
used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,
euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,
care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,
punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted
with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,
(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X
could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)
discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,
can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause
to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have
(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be
learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X
prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man
of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,
יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.
1) to know
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to know
1a1a) to know, learn to know
1a1b) to perceive
1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern
1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish
1a1e) to know by experience
1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess
1a1g) to consider
1a2) to know, be acquainted with
1a3) to know (a person carnally)
1a4) to know how, be skilful in
1a5) to have knowledge, be wise
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed
1b2) to make oneself known
1b3) to be perceived
1b4) to be instructed
1c) (Piel) to cause to know
1d) (Poal) to cause to know
1e) (Pual)
1e1) to be known
1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)
1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare
1g) (Hophal) to be made known
1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself
Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
עֹז (oz) refers to strength or might, encompassing material, physical, personal, social, and political dimensions. It can denote boldness or impudence and is associated with the might of God. The word is built from the root related to strength and power, with various applications noted in the entries.
עֹז, and (rarely) עוֹז n.m. strength, might
material and physical
personal, social, and political
might of י׳
= boldness, impudence
= stronghold
base
H5797 עֹז, and (rarely) עוֹז strength, might . material and physical
. personal, social, and political
. might of י׳
. = boldness, impudence
. = stronghold
5797 `oz oze
or (fully) rowz {oze}; from 5810; strength in various
applications (force, security, majesty, praise):--boldness,
loud, might, power, strength, strong.
see HEBREW for 05810
עֹז (oz) — strength.
1) might, strength
1a) material or physical
1b) personal or social or political
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
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
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp2ms
יִרְאָה (yir'ah) is a feminine noun meaning 'fear' or 'terror,' encompassing both the emotion and the concept of reverence, particularly in relation to God. It can denote an object that causes fear or the respect and piety associated with divine authority. The entries highlight its moral and emotional dimensions without significant disagreement.
יִרְאָה n.f. fear
fear, terror
a terror = obj. of terror
fear of God, reverence, piety
the fear of י׳ the law as revered.
base
H3374 יִרְאָה fear
3374 yir'ah yir-aw'
feminine of 3373; fear (also used as infinitive); morally,
reverence:--X dreadful, X exceedingly, fear(-fulness).
see HEBREW for 03373
יִרְאָה (yir.ah) — fear.
1) fear, terror, fearing
1a) fear, terror
1b) awesome or terrifying thing (object causing fear)
1c) fear (of God), respect, reverence, piety
1d) revered
Conj | Prep | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms
עֶבְרָה (*'ebrah*) is a feminine noun derived from the root word for overflow. It encompasses meanings such as outburst, excess, and fury, often relating to intense emotions like anger and arrogance. The entries consistently highlight its association with passionate outpourings, particularly in contexts of rage.
עֶבְרָה n.f. overflow, arrogance, fury
base
H5678 עֶבְרָה overflow, arrogance, fury
5678 `ebrah eb-raw'
feminine of 5676; an outburst of passion:--anger, rage,
wrath.
see HEBREW for 05676
עֶבְרָה (ev.rah) — fury.
1) outpouring, overflow, excess, fury, wrath, arrogance
1a) overflow, excess, outburst
1b) arrogance
1c) overflowing rage or fury
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms