Psalms

Psalm 90:3–7

³You return man to dust,

saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.”

⁴For in Your sight a thousand years

are but a day that passes,^a

or a watch of the night.

⁵You sweep them away in their sleep;

they are like the new grass of the morning—

⁶in the morning it springs up new,

but by evening it fades and withers.

⁷For we are consumed by Your anger

and terrified by Your wrath.

Footnotes

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
You return	תָּשֵׁ֣ב	tā·šêḇ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
man	אֱ֭נוֹשׁ	’ĕ·nō·wōš	Noun - masculine singular	H582 man, mankind
to	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
dust	דַּכָּ֑א	dak·kā	Noun - masculine singular	H1793 contrite
saying	וַ֝תֹּ֗אמֶר	wat·tō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Return	שׁ֣וּבוּ	šū·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H7725 turn back, return
O sons	בְנֵי־	ḇə·nê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
of mortals	אָדָֽם׃	’ā·ḏām	Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
in Your sight	בְּֽעֵינֶ֗יךָ	bə·‘ê·ne·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - cdc; second person masculine singular	H5869 eye
a thousand	אֶ֪לֶף	’e·lep̄	Number - masculine singular construct	H505 thousand
years	שָׁנִ֡ים	šā·nîm	Noun - feminine plural	H8141 year
are but	כְּי֣וֹם	kə·yō·wm	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3117 day
a day	אֶ֭תְמוֹל	’eṯ·mō·wl	Adverb	H865 heretofore, yesterday
that	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
passes	יַעֲבֹ֑ר	ya·‘ă·ḇōr	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
or a watch	וְאַשְׁמוּרָ֥ה	wə·’aš·mū·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H821 watch
of the night	בַלָּֽיְלָה׃	ḇal·lā·yə·lāh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3915 twist, night, adversity

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You sweep them away	זְ֭רַמְתָּם	zə·ram·tām	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H2229 pour forth in floods, flood away
in their sleep	שֵׁנָ֣ה	šê·nāh	Noun - feminine singular	H8142 sleep
they are	יִהְי֑וּ	yih·yū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
like the new grass	כֶּחָצִ֥יר	ke·ḥā·ṣîr	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H2682 green grass, herbage
of the morning	בַּ֝בֹּ֗קֶר	bab·bō·qer	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1242 morning

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
in the morning	בַּ֭בֹּקֶר	bab·bō·qer	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1242 morning
it springs up	יָצִ֣יץ	yā·ṣîṣ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6692 blossom
new	וְחָלָ֑ף	wə·ḥā·lāp̄	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H2498 pass on or away, pass through
by evening	לָ֝עֶ֗רֶב	lā·‘e·reḇ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6153 (sun)set, evening
it fades	יְמוֹלֵ֥ל	yə·mō·w·lêl	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4135 circumcise
and withers	וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃	wə·yā·ḇêš	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H3001 be dry, dried up, withered

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
we are consumed	כָלִ֥ינוּ	ḵā·lî·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H3615 be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent
by Your anger	בְאַפֶּ֑ךָ	ḇə·’ap·pe·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H639 nostril, nose, face, anger
and terrified	נִבְהָֽלְנוּ׃	niḇ·hā·lə·nū	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common plural	H926 alarm, dismay
by Your wrath	וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥	ū·ḇa·ḥă·mā·ṯə·ḵā	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2534 heat, rage