Psalms

Psalm 144:3–6

³O LORD, what is man, that You regard him,

the son of man that You think of him?

⁴Man is like a breath;

his days are like a passing shadow.

⁵Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down;

touch the mountains, that they may smoke.

⁶Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them;

shoot Your arrows and rout them.

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
O LORD	יְֽהוָ֗ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
what	מָה־	māh-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
is man	אָ֭דָם	’ā·ḏām	Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
that You regard him	וַתֵּדָעֵ֑הוּ	wat·tê·ḏā·‘ê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H3045 know
the son of man	בֶּן־	ben-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1121 son
that	אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ	’ĕ·nō·wōš	Noun - masculine singular	H582 man, mankind
You think of him	וַֽתְּחַשְּׁבֵֽהוּ׃	wat·tə·ḥaš·šə·ḇê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H2803 think, account

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Man	אָ֭דָם	’ā·ḏām	Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
is like	דָּמָ֑ה	dā·māh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1819 be like, resemble
a breath	לַהֶ֣בֶל	la·he·ḇel	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1892 vapour, breath
his days	יָ֝מָ֗יו	yā·māw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H3117 day
are like a passing	עוֹבֵֽר׃	‘ō·w·ḇêr	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
shadow	כְּצֵ֣ל	kə·ṣêl	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H6738 shadow

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Part	הַט־	haṭ-	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
Your heavens	שָׁמֶ֣יךָ	šā·me·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H8064 sky, aloft
O LORD	יְ֭הוָה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
and come down	וְתֵרֵ֑ד	wə·ṯê·rêḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3381 come or go down, descend
touch	גַּ֖ע	ga‘	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H5060 touch, reach, strike
the mountains	בֶּהָרִ֣ים	be·hā·rîm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H2022 mountain, hill, hill-country
that they may smoke	וְֽיֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ׃	wə·ye·‘ĕ·šā·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6225 smoke, be wroth

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Flash forth	בְּר֣וֹק	bə·rō·wq	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H1299 flash
Your lightning	בָּ֭רָק	bā·rāq	Noun - masculine singular	H1300 lightning
and scatter them	וּתְפִיצֵ֑ם	ū·ṯə·p̄î·ṣêm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H6327 be dispersed, scattered
shoot	שְׁלַ֥ח	šə·laḥ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H7971 send
Your arrows	חִ֝צֶּ֗יךָ	ḥiṣ·ṣe·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H2671 arrow
and rout them	וּתְהֻמֵּֽם׃	ū·ṯə·hum·mêm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H2000 make a noise, move noisily, confuse, discomfit