OET interlinear PSA 90:5

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

זְ֭רַמְתָּ⁠ם

(Some words not found in UHB: you,flood_them sleep are in,morning like,grass sprouts_anew )

The pronoun them refers to people, that is, to the “sons of man” whom Moses mentions in verse 3, not to the “thousand years” that he mentions in verse 4. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [You flood people away]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

זְ֭רַמְתָּ⁠ם

(Some words not found in UHB: you,flood_them sleep are in,morning like,grass sprouts_anew )

Moses is speaking as if God actually used a flood of water to sweep people away from the earth. He is using the image to convey the idea that God may cause people to die suddenly, unexpectedly, and with no recourse. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [You bring people’s lives to a swift end]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

שֵׁנָ֣ה יִהְי֑וּ

(Some words not found in UHB: you,flood_them sleep are in,morning like,grass sprouts_anew )

Moses is speaking as if people were actually sleep. This could mean: (1) that Moses is using the term sleep as a mild way of referring to death. Alternate translation: [then they are dead] or (2) that Moses is illustrating the brevity of human life by comparing it to sleep that lasts only a few hours and then is over. Alternate translation: [their lives are short, like a few hours of sleep that soon end]

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

כֶּ⁠חָצִ֥יר יַחֲלֹֽף

(Some words not found in UHB: you,flood_them sleep are in,morning like,grass sprouts_anew )

The pronoun it refers to the life of a human being as compared to grass. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [like grass, a person’s life passes along]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כֶּ⁠חָצִ֥יר יַחֲלֹֽף

(Some words not found in UHB: you,flood_them sleep are in,morning like,grass sprouts_anew )

The point of this comparison is that just as grass passes along through its brief cycle of life, so human life lasts for only a short time. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [A person’s life is short, like grass that quickly passes along]