Psalm 103:16 kjv
For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Psalm 103:16 nkjv
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.
Psalm 103:16 niv
the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
Psalm 103:16 esv
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
Psalm 103:16 nlt
The wind blows, and we are gone ?
as though we had never been here.
Psalm 103 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 7:7 | "Oh remember that my life is but wind..." | Life is transient, like wind. |
| Job 7:10 | "He shall return no more to his house, nor shall his place know him anymore." | Parallels the "place knows him no more" idea. |
| Ps 39:5 | "Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You..." | Emphasizes the brevity of human life. |
| Ps 90:5-6 | "You carry them away like a flood... In the morning they flourish and grow up; in the evening they are cut down and wither." | Humans fade like grass/flowers. |
| Ps 90:10 | "The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years... soon it is cut off, and we fly away." | Life's short span and swift end. |
| Ps 102:11 | "My days are like a departing shadow..." | Life's quick departure. |
| Ps 144:4 | "Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." | Life as a fleeting breath or shadow. |
| Isa 40:6-7 | "All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field... Surely the people are grass." | Humans are fragile, like grass/flowers. |
| Jas 1:10-11 | "But the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass..." | Riches and life are temporary, like flowers. |
| Jas 4:14 | "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." | Life's extreme brevity and disappearance. |
| 1 Pet 1:24-25 | "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away... But the word of the Lord endures forever." | Human transience contrasted with God's word. |
| Gen 3:19 | "...For dust you are, and to dust you shall return." | The mortal origin and end of humanity. |
| Job 14:10 | "But man dies and is laid away; indeed he breathes his last And where is he?" | Question of disappearance after death. |
| Ps 78:39 | "For He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not return." | God remembers human fragility. |
| 2 Sam 14:14 | "For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered again..." | Death is irreversible, an absolute end to earthly life. |
| Ecc 12:7 | "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." | Physical body returns to dust; spirit to God. |
| Heb 9:27 | "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." | Universal appointment with death. |
| 1 Chr 29:15 | "For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, as were all our fathers; our days on earth are as a shadow, and there is no abiding." | Earthly life as a temporary sojourn. |
| Prov 27:24 | "For riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations." | Material things and positions are temporary. |
| Luke 12:20 | "But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you...'" | Life can end suddenly and unexpectedly. |
| 1 Cor 15:42 | "So also is the resurrection of the dead: The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption." | Mortality followed by spiritual transformation. |
| Ps 103:17-18 | "But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him... And His righteousness to children’s children..." | Immediate contrast: God's enduring covenant love. |
| Isa 57:15 | "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit...'" | God's eternality contrasting human humility. |
Psalm 103 verses
Psalm 103 16 Meaning
Psalm 103:16 profoundly conveys the ephemeral nature of human life, contrasting it sharply with the enduring character of God's love. It emphasizes the brevity and fragility of human existence, likening it to a delicate flower or plant that quickly perishes when a strong wind passes over it. Once gone, there is no trace or recognition from its former dwelling place, signifying the complete cessation of earthly presence and the swift passage into oblivion from the world's perspective. This verse serves as a powerful reminder of human mortality and dependence on the eternal God.
Psalm 103 16 Context
Psalm 103 is a song of thanksgiving and praise to the LORD for His abundant mercies, compassion, and sovereignty. David, the psalmist, calls his soul to bless God for His benefits, which include forgiveness of sins, healing of diseases, redemption from destruction, and satisfying with good things. Immediately preceding verse 16, verse 15 describes human life using the metaphor of a fading flower: "As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes." Verse 16 builds upon this image, depicting the finality of this brief existence when struck by a swift wind. This vivid portrayal of human transience (vv. 14-16) serves to highlight and magnify the unparalleled greatness and eternal nature of God's love and mercy in the subsequent verses (vv. 17-19). The psalmist presents human fragility as a profound reason to marvel at God's condescending, unfailing love for His creation. The historical context reflects a general understanding of human mortality prevalent in ancient Near Eastern cultures, yet the Psalmist grounds it in God's creative wisdom and His covenant faithfulness, standing in contrast to pagan views that might attribute transience to arbitrary fate or lesser deities.
Psalm 103 16 Word analysis
- For (כִּי - ki): This conjunction signifies a cause or explanation, connecting this verse to the preceding one. It explains why man's life is so brief and temporary, following the metaphor of the fading flower.
- the wind (רוּחַ - ruach): This pivotal Hebrew term can mean "wind," "breath," or "spirit." In this context, it primarily signifies a strong, swift gust of wind, indicating an external force that easily destroys something delicate. However, the multifaceted meaning also subtly links to the "breath of life" that God gives (Gen 2:7, Job 33:4) and which, when withdrawn, signifies death. The fragility of human life is thus underlined—even a mere wind, like a passing breath, can bring it to an end. It suggests life's utter dependency and vulnerability to the natural order.
- passeth over (עָבְרָה - avrah): Derived from
abar, meaning "to pass over," "to pass through," or "to vanish." It conveys swiftness and decisiveness. The wind doesn't merely brush by; it passes over with a definitive movement that leads to destruction and disappearance. - it (בּוֹ - bo): Refers back to the "man" or the "flower" from verse 15, indicating that human life, despite its bloom, is utterly vulnerable.
- and it is gone (וְאֵינֶנּוּ - ve'einennu): Literally "and not it." This expresses complete cessation of being, utter non-existence in its previous form. It’s a strong negation, signifying the finality of physical life. There's nothing left.
- and the place thereof (וְלֹא מְקוֹמוֹ - ve'lo mekomo): This is a powerful personification.
Maqom(place) is given agency, capable of "knowing" or "not knowing." It implies that the physical space once occupied by the living individual loses all awareness or memory of them. - shall know it no more (יַכִּירֶנּוּ עוֹד - yakkirennu od):
Yakkirennuis fromnakar, "to know," "to recognize."Odmeans "still" or "anymore." The idea is that the physical location no longer acknowledges the person's former presence. It emphasizes not merely death, but utter oblivion in an earthly sense. This is not about a soul's destiny but its earthly footprint vanishing.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "For the wind passeth over it": This phrase directly carries over the metaphor of the fleetingness of a flower from the previous verse, grounding it in the image of a sudden, strong, and destructive force. The wind here symbolizes divine sovereignty in determining the end of life or simply the inherent fragility of human existence that is susceptible to any force that sweeps by. The commonality between 'ruach' (wind/spirit) and its association with human life's duration in ancient thought (e.g., Job 7:7, Ps 78:39) reinforces this notion.
- "and it is gone": This short, stark declaration highlights the absolute and immediate disappearance. There is no lingering, no residual presence; the effect of the wind is total. It's an affirmation of mortality's finality in its earthly dimension.
- "and the place thereof shall know it no more": This vivid, poetic personification underscores the profound absence that follows. The "place"—home, city, environment—becomes unaware of the person's past existence. This suggests the transience of human memory within the world, and how swiftly an individual's impact or presence can fade from the collective consciousness of their physical surroundings. It highlights earthly impermanence.
Psalm 103 16 Bonus section
The Hebrew word for "wind" (ruach) also carries the meaning of "spirit" or "breath," adding a layer of depth. While in context it is clearly a physical wind, the linguistic tie subtly evokes the idea that just as the very breath that sustains life can be swept away, so too can the life it sustains vanish like a puff of air. This verse stands in stark contrast to pagan myths that might suggest semi-divine immortality or the cyclical return of heroes; here, the common person’s earthly existence is entirely finite and completely absent from its former "place." The profound message of the psalm is that while humans are temporary, the Creator who remembers our frame and knows that we are dust (Ps 103:14) is eternally faithful, providing everlasting kindness and compassion to those who fear Him. This transition from human frailty to divine immutability is the central theological argument of this section of the psalm.
Psalm 103 16 Commentary
Psalm 103:16 serves as a stark, yet poignant, meditation on human mortality and humility, acting as a dramatic contrast that exalts the unchanging nature of God. Expanding on the vivid imagery of man as a short-lived flower (v. 15), this verse drives home the point of our fleeting existence with striking force. The "wind" (ruach) is a powerful agent of destruction, a force both external and irresistible, swiftly obliterating any trace of the ephemeral human life. The profound statement "and it is gone" underscores the utter and immediate vanishing, leaving no remnant. What is most striking is the personification of the "place," which "shall know it no more." This is not merely the person dying, but the world itself losing all memory and recognition of that individual. It speaks to the ultimate impermanence of earthly presence and legacy when compared to the divine.
This profound statement isn't meant to inspire despair but to foster humility and reorient focus. It compels the worshiper to look beyond transient human glory and fixed on the enduring, compassionate love of the LORD, which "is from everlasting to everlasting" (Ps 103:17). Understanding our brief earthly sojourn should motivate us to seek what is eternal—God's mercy, His righteousness, and His covenant relationship. The verse's practical usage encourages contentment with divine providence, warns against placing ultimate hope in fleeting earthly accomplishments, and reminds believers that their true hope and eternal dwelling are found in Christ, who conquered death and offers enduring life.