Psalm 90:3
New International Version
You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”

New Living Translation
You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals!”

English Standard Version
You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”

Berean Standard Bible
You return man to dust, saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.”

King James Bible
Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

New King James Version
You turn man to destruction, And say, “Return, O children of men.”

New American Standard Bible
You turn mortals back into dust And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”

NASB 1995
You turn man back into dust And say, “Return, O children of men.”

NASB 1977
Thou dost turn man back into dust, And dost say, “Return, O children of men.”

Legacy Standard Bible
You turn man back into dust And say, “Return, O sons of men.”

Amplified Bible
You turn man back to dust, And say, “Return [to the earth], O children of [mortal] men!”

Christian Standard Bible
You return mankind to the dust, saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You return mankind to the dust, saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.”

American Standard Version
Thou turnest man to destruction, And sayest, Return, ye children of men.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because you have turned man unto humility and you have said, "Return children of men.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Turn not man back to his low place, whereas thou saidst, Return, ye sons of men?

Contemporary English Version
At your command we die and turn back to dust,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Turn not man away to be brought low: and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.

English Revised Version
Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You turn mortals back into dust and say, "Return, descendants of Adam."

Good News Translation
You tell us to return to what we were; you change us back to dust.

International Standard Version
You return people to dust merely by saying, "Return, you mortals!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou turnest man to contrition; And sayest: 'Return, ye children of men.'

Literal Standard Version
You turn man to a bruised thing, | And say, Return, you sons of men.

Majority Standard Bible
You return man to dust, saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.”

New American Bible
You turn humanity back into dust, saying, “Return, you children of Adam!”

NET Bible
You make mankind return to the dust, and say, "Return, O people!"

New Revised Standard Version
You turn us back to dust, and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”

New Heart English Bible
You turn man to destruction, saying, "Return, you descendants of Adam."

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

World English Bible
You turn man to destruction, saying, “Return, you children of men.”

Young's Literal Translation
Thou turnest man unto a bruised thing, And sayest, Turn back, ye sons of men.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Sing of His Love Forever
2Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. 3You return man to dust, saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.” 4For in Your sight a thousand years are but a day that passes, or a watch of the night.…

Cross References
Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground--because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return."

Numbers 26:65
For the LORD had told them that they would surely die in the wilderness. Not one was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Job 34:14
If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,

Job 34:15
all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.

Psalm 104:29
When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.


Treasury of Scripture

You turn man to destruction; and say, Return, you children of men.

thou

Psalm 104:29
Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Psalm 146:4
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Genesis 3:19
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

return ye children of men.

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Psalm 90
1. Moses, setting forth God's providence
3. Complains of human fragility
7. Divine chastisement
10. and brevity of life
12. He prays for the knowledge and sensible experience of God's good providence.














(3) Thou turnest . . .--Probably we must render, Thou turnest man to dust; and sayest, Turn, sons of Adam--i.e., one generation dies and another succeeds (see Psalm 104:29-30), the continuance of the race being regarded as distinctly due to Divine power as the Creation, to which there is probably allusion.

The LXX. suggest as the true reading, "Turn not man to dust, but say rather," &c.

Verse 3. - Thou turnest man to destruction; or, "to dust" (comp. Genesis 3:19). And sayest, Return, ye children of men; i.e. "return once more, and replenish the earth." There may be an allusion to the destruction of mankind by the Deluge, and the repeopling of the earth by the descendants of Noah, as Dr. Kay supposes; or the meaning may be that God is continually bringing one generation of men to an end. and then setting up another, having the same control over human life that he has over inanimate nature (ver. 2).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You return
תָּשֵׁ֣ב (tā·šêḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

man
אֱ֭נוֹשׁ (’ĕ·nō·wōš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

to
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

dust
דַּכָּ֑א (dak·kā)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1793: Contrite

and say,
וַ֝תֹּ֗אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Return,
שׁ֣וּבוּ (šū·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

O sons
בְנֵי־ (ḇə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of mortals.”
אָדָֽם׃ (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being


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OT Poetry: Psalm 90:3 You turn man to destruction saying Return (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 90:2
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