Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 90:11

11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger ? even according to thy fear , so is thy wrath :

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 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.

i. e. According to the fear of thee, as my fear is put for the fear of me, Mal. 1. 6. and his knowledge for the knowledge of him, Isa. 53. 11. 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 Superstition, as Heathens and Atheists have sometimes said, but are just and built upon solid grounds and justified by the terrible effects of thy wrath upon mankind.

It bears full proportion to it, nay indeed doth far exceed it. It cannot be said of Gods wrath which is said of Death, that the fear of it is worse than the thing it self. But this Verse is by many both antient and later Interpreters rendred otherwise, and that very agreeably to the Hebrew Text, who knoweth the power of thine anger, and thy wrath according to thy fear? i. e. either 1. according to the fear of thee, or so as thou art to be feared, or answerably to thy terrible displeasure against sin and sinners. Or 2. so as to fear and dread thee in such manner and measure as sinful Creatures ought to fear the infinite and offended Majesty of God their Creator and Judge and Soveraign, and thereby to be moved to humble himself before thee and fervently to seek thy face and favour; which is the onely true wisdom, for which he prayeth in the next Verse.