King James Version

Genesis 6:3

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…יְהוָ֗הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).לֹֽאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יָד֨וֹןyadonwith a straight courseדִּיןverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “with a straight course”, an unfinished actionH1777a straight course, i.e. sail direct(come) with a straight course.רוּחִ֤יruchiangerרוּחַnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “anger”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7307wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).בָֽאָדָם֙vaadamin personאָדָםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)[idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.לְעֹלָ֔םleolamto alwayעוֹלָםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to alway”, the ordinary formH5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) alwaysalway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare H5331 (נֶצַח), H5…בְּשַׁגַּ֖םbeshagamin who alsoגַּםpreposition, particle, relative, adverb — “in who also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.ה֣וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.בָשָׂ֑רvasarbodyבָּשָׂרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “body”, the ordinary formH1320flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of amanbody, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.וְהָי֣וּvehayvand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.יָמָ֔יוyamayvas long asיוֹםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as long as”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…מֵאָ֥הmeahhundred , -thמֵאָהadjective, cardinal, both genders, singular, absolute — “hundred , -th”, the ordinary formH3967a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fractionhundred((-fold), -th), [phrase] sixscore.וְעֶשְׂרִ֖יםveesrimand twentyעֶשְׂרִיםconjunction, adjective, cardinal, both genders, plural, absolute — “and twenty”, the ordinary formH6242twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth(six-) score, twenty(-ieth).שָׁנָֽהshanahyearשָׁנֶהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “year”, the ordinary formH8141a year (as a revolution of time)[phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the LORD said: 'My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for that he also is flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not strive with man for ever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Jehovah saith, 'My Spirit doth not strive in man — to the age; in their erring they [are] flesh:' and his days have been an hundred and twenty years.

World English Bible

Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.”

Darby Translation

And Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not always plead with Man; for he indeed is flesh; but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.

Douay-Rheims

And God said: My spirit shall not remain in man for ever, because he is flesh, and his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the LORD said: 'My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for that he also is flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the Lord God said, My Spirit shall certainly not remain among these men for ever, because they are flesh, but their days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, οὐ μὴ καταμείνῃ τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας· ἔσονται δὲ αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτῶν, ἑκατὸν εἴκοσιν ἔτη.