Ps 89:10

“"The days of our age are threescore years and ten; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years, yet is more of them but labour and sorrow" [Psalm 90:10]. These words appear to express the shortness and misery of this life: since those who have reached their seventieth year are styled old men. Up to eighty, however, they appear to have some strength; but if they live beyond this, their existence is laborious through multiplied sorrows. Yet many even below the age of seventy experience an old age the most infirm and wretched: and old men have often been found to be wonderfully vigorous even beyond eighty years. It is therefore better to search for some spiritual meaning in these numbers. For the anger of God is not greater on the sins of Adam (through whom alone "sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men"), [Romans 5:12] because they live a much shorter time than the men of old; since even the length of their days is ridiculed in the comparison of a thousand years to yesterday that is past, and to three hours: especially since at the very time when they provoked the anger of God to send the deluge in which they perished, their life was at its longest span.”

“The days of our years because of them are seventy years The days of these years of ours, because of these iniquities of ours and because of these sins of our youth, are seventy years. and if with increase And if his days are much increased, they are eighty years. but their pride is toil and pain But all the greatness and the dominion that a person enjoys in these days are only toil and pain. Why? Because it passes quickly and we fly away. During its swift passing, we fly away and die. it passes Heb. גז, an expression of passing, as (Nahum 1:12): “they have crossed (נגוזו)”; (Num. 11: 31), “and drove (ויגז) quails up from the sea.””

“In them. Years, (Calmet) “in the world.” Chaldean, “altogether.” Symmachus, years. This was the usual term of man’s life in David’s time, (Haydock) and about the captivity, when this was written. Many lived above one hundred years when Moses wrote. (Calmet) — Yet this proves nothing, as there are still instances of equal longevity, though it is true, that people in general seldom live above seventy, or eighty, or if they do, their days are a burden to them. The same might be the case under Moses. He probably here alludes to those warriors, who were cut off in the wilderness, few of whom would survive 80. (Berthier) — The author of Ecclesiasticus, (xviii. 8.) gives one hundred, for the utmost limits of life. The pagan sages speak in the same style as the psalmist. (Calmet) — Strong. Septuagint, “in dominion.” But here it means in a vigorous constitution. (Bellarmine) — Princes lived no longer than others. Hebrew and Vulgate may be “the prime, or most of them,” as even a great part of the time before seventy, as well as after, (Haydock) is usually spent in misery, Genesis xlvii. 9. (Calmet) — Mildness. God’s mildness corrects us: in as much as he deals kindly with us, in shortening the days of this miserable life; and so weaning our affections from all its transitory enjoyments, and teaching us true wisdom. (Challoner) — Hebrew, “we pass quickly and fly away, (St. Jerome) like birds of passage, (Calmet) or “it is cut down soon,” (Montanus) “in silence,” (Drusius) tacitisque senescimus annis. (Haydock) — St. Jerome wonders, that the Septuagint should have translated as they have done: But they are followed by Theodotion, and the Sext. edition, who may have had different copies, equally good. (Berthier) — Corrected ( corripiemur ) or “hurried away,” Genebrard. — But this is not the sense of the Septuagint. (Amama) — “We grow tired.” (Houbigant) — It is a mercy of God to shorten men’s lives, (Menochius) as many would sin more, if they had a probability of continuing upon earth. (Worthington)”