King James Version

Psalms 78:39

For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

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Hebrew

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וַ֭יִּזְכֹּרvayizkorand be maleזָכַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be male”, the next action in the storyH2142properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; to be male[idiom] burn (incense), [idiom] earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, [idiom] still, think on, [idiom] well.כִּיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…בָשָׂ֣רvasarbodyבָּשָׂרnoun, 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.הֵ֑מָּהhemahtheyהֵםpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.ר֥וּחַruchaangerרוּחַnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “anger”, the ordinary formH7307wind; 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).ה֝וֹלֵ֗ךְholekhewalkהָלַךְverb, qal, participle, absolute — “walk”, a verb used as a describing wordH1980to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)(all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, [phrase] be eased, enter, exercise (self), [phrase] follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), [phrase] gre…וְלֹ֣אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and 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…יָשֽׁוּבyashuvagainשׁוּבverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “again”, an unfinished actionH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

So He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And he remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

Young’s Literal Translation

And He remembereth that they [are] flesh, A wind going on — and it returneth not.

World English Bible

He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.

Darby Translation

And he remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and cometh not again.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

So He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he remembered that they are flesh; a wind that passes away, and returns not.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐμνήσθη ὅτι σάρξ εἰσι, πνεῦμα πορευόμενον καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστρέφον.