OET interlinear PSA 90:3

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / events

תָּשֵׁ֣ב אֱ֭נוֹשׁ עַד־דַּכָּ֑א וַ֝⁠תֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וּבוּ בְנֵי־אָדָֽם

(Some words not found in UHB: turn_~_back Enosh/humankind until dust and=she/it_said return sons_of humankind )

Moses is describing one event, man returning to dust, before describing another event that preceded it, God telling him to do that. If it would be helpful your language, you may wish to relate these events in the order in which they happened. Alternate translation: [You say, “Return, sons of man,” and you cause man to return to dust]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

אֱ֭נוֹשׁ

Enosh/humankind

The psalmist is not referring to a specific man. He means people in general. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use an expression that would be more natural in your language. Alternate translation: [people]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / euphemism

תָּשֵׁ֣ב אֱ֭נוֹשׁ עַד־דַּכָּ֑א & שׁ֣וּבוּ

(Some words not found in UHB: turn_~_back Enosh/humankind until dust and=she/it_said return sons_of humankind )

Moses is using the expression return to dust to mean “die.” It is an allusion to the way that God formed the first man from the dust of the ground, as described in [Genesis 2:7](../../gen/02/07.md). This is one of several mild or poetic ways in which Moses refers to death in this psalm. Your language may have a similar expression that you can use here in your translation. You could also use plain language. Alternate translation: [You cause people to pass away… Pass away] or [You cause people to die … It is time for you to die]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

בְנֵי־אָדָֽם

sons_of humankind

The psalmist is using sons of man as a common expression of his culture to mean “human beings.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [human beings]