Psalms 103:14–16
God knows our frame and remembers that we are dust
Study it word by word14For he knows our frame; he remembers that dust we are.
15A mortal, like grass are his days; like a flower of the field, so he flourishes;
16for a wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place no longer recognizes it.
In its context
12As far as the east is from the west, so far he has removed from us our transgressions.
13As a father has compassion on his sons, YHWH has compassion on those who fear him.
…
17But the loyal love of YHWH is from eternity to eternity upon those who fear him, and his righteousness to the sons of sons,
18to those who keep his covenant, and to those who remember his precepts to do them.
Its words in the original
- יָדַעyada· know
Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").
- יִצְרֵyitsre· inclination, intention
What a person forms inwardly: their inclination, intentions, purpose; also something formed.
- זָכוּרzachur· remember
Remember, call to mind; also mention. When God "remembers" someone, it is not that he had forgotten: it means he acts in his favor.
- עָפָרafar· dust
Dust, loose dry earth; also the plaster that covers walls. It recalls what the human being is made of: "you are dust, and to dust you will return" (Genesis 3:19).
- אֱנוֹשׁenosh· man, mortal
Man, mortal: the human being seen in his weakness; also people in general.
- חָצִירchatsir· grass; leek
Green grass, pasture. In Numbers 11:5, leeks.
- יָמָיyamay· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- צִיץtsits· plate, flower
Flower. Also the shining plate of gold that the high priest wore on his forehead.
- שָּׂדֶהsade· field
Field: open country, cultivated or not.
- יָצִיץyatsits· blossom; shine
Blossom, put out flowers; also shine.
- רוּחַruach· spirit, wind, breath
The basic idea is "air in motion". The same word can be "wind"; "breath", the air that is breathed and keeps life; or "spirit": the mood or inner strength of a person, or the Spirit of God, his presence and power at work.
- עָבְרָהavra· pass, cross over
Pass by, pass through, cross over; also go beyond, transgress (a command). In the causative form, make pass, bring across, take away.
- יַכִּירֶyakire· recognize
Recognize, know who someone is; take notice of, acknowledge. In other forms, act as a stranger, pretend not to know.
- מְקוֹמmekom· place
Place, spot; the space someone or something occupies; also a home or a holy place.