Psalms 90:3 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou turnest man to destruction— The sacred writer first puts the people in mind of the eternity of God, the never-failing refuge of his faithful servants in all ages; and this in a very noble strain of poetry: after which it follows in this verse, Thou wilt turn man: [Heb. דכא עד אנושׁ תשׁב tasheb enosh ad dakkaa. Make him return to the small dust;] and thou wilt say, Return, ye sons of men: This is literally the translation, and the sense seems plain and clear: "Though mortal man must at thy command return to the earth, out of which he was formed, nay, even to dust; yet at thy command he shall again revive. Thou wilt say, Return, ye sons of Adam." This sense is further confirmed by what follows, Psalms 90:4. For a thousand years in thy sight, are but as yesterday; for it will pass; or, as a watch in the night, a still shorter space of time: plainly intimating, that, though the future resurrection might be at a thousand or ten thousand years distance, yet this was nothing, compared with the eternity of God. St. Peter, using the like phrase, and upon a like occasion, tells us, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, 2 Peter 3:8. See Peters.