For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. The "For" introduces the reason which establishes the speedy mortality of man, alleged in Psalms 90:3. To us, men a life of 70 years in prospect seems of immense length. But let us view this the natural term of life with the eyes of God: let us regard time not as those who belong merely to time, but, as God, from the standpoint of eternity, then how short, how soon gone does such a brief span seem! "For (not to say seventy or eighty years, even) a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday!" God sees our life in its true brevity, such as one day, and that day just past, is to man. Nay, it is but as the night watch, which to those who are asleep appears as but a moment. The day, divided as is into times of varied occupation, seems comparatively long; but the night watch passes while we are unconscious. The night was anciently divided into three watches. The middle watch is mentioned in Judges 7:19; the morning watch in Exodus 14:24; which proves this division of the night to be as old as Moses. It is not the eternal years of God that are directly brought forward in contrast to show the shortness of man's life; but the latter is shown by contrasting long life as it appears man's eyes, and as it appears in the eyes of God: though no doubt it is because God is eternal that even a thousand years (which are so much, beyond man's span) appear so short to Him. 'As to a very rich man a thousand sovereigns are as one penny, so to the eternal God a thousand years are as one day' (Bengel). So 2 Peter 3:8.