SEV Biblia, Chapter 78:39
Y se acordó que eran carne; soplo que va y no vuelve.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Psalms 77:39
Verse 39. He remembered that they were but flesh ] Weak mortals. He took their feeble perishing state always into consideration, and knew how much they needed the whole of their state of probation; and therefore he bore with them to the uttermost. How merciful is God! A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. - I believe this to be a bad translation and may be productive of error; as if when a man dies his being were ended, and death were an eternal sleep. The original is, bwy alw ûlwh jwr ruach holech velo yashub: and the translation should be, "The spirit goeth away, and it doth not return." The present life is the state of probation; when therefore the flesh-the body, fails, the spirit goeth away into the eternal world, and returneth not hither again. Now God, being full of compassion, spared them, that their salvation might be accomplished before they went into that state where there is no change; where the pure are pure still, and the defiled are defiled still. All the Versions are right; but the polyglot translator of the Syriac, rocho, has falsely put ventus, wind, instead of spiritus, soul or spirit. The Arabic takes away all ambiguity: "He remembered that they were flesh; and a spirit which, when it departs, does not again return." The human being is composed of flesh and spirit, or body and soul; these are easily separated, and, when separated, the body turns to dust, and the spirit returns no more to animate it in a state of probation. Homer has a saying very like that of the psalmist: - androv de yuch palin elqein oute lhisth, ouqĈ eleth, epei ar ken ameiyetai erkov odontwn. IL. ix., ver., 408.
"But the soul of man returns no more; nor can it be acquired nor caught after it has passed over the barrier of the teeth." Pope has scarcely given the passage its genuine meaning: - "But from our lips the vital spirit fled Returns no more to wake the silent dead." And the Ossian-like version of Macpherson is but little better: "But the life of man returns no more; nor acquired nor regained is the soul which once takes its flight on the wind." What has the wind to do with the erkov odontwn of the Greek poet? Several similar sayings may be found among the Greek poets; but they all suppose the materiality of the soul.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 9-39 - Sin dispirits men, and takes away the heart. Forgetfulness of God' works is the cause of disobedience to his laws. This narrative relate a struggle between God's goodness and man's badness. The Lord hears all our murmurings and distrusts, and is much displeased. Those that wil not believe the power of God's mercy, shall feel the fire of his indignation. Those cannot be said to trust in God's salvation as their happiness at last, who can not trust his providence in the way to it To all that by faith and prayer, ask, seek, and knock, these doors of heaven shall at any time be opened; and our distrust of God is a grea aggravation of our sins. He expressed his resentment of their provocation; not in denying what they sinfully lusted after, but in granting it to them. Lust is contented with nothing. Those that indulg their lust, will never be estranged from it. Those hearts are har indeed, that will neither be melted by the mercies of the Lord, no broken by his judgments. Those that sin still, must expect to be in trouble still. And the reason why we live with so little comfort, an to so little purpose, is, because we do not live by faith. Under thes rebukes they professed repentance, but they were not sincere, for the were not constant. In Israel's history we have a picture of our ow hearts and lives. God's patience, and warnings, and mercies, imbolde them to harden their hearts against his word. And the history of kingdoms is much the same. Judgments and mercies have been littl attended to, until the measure of their sins has been full. And highe advantages have not kept churches from declining from the commandment of God. Even true believers recollect, that for many a year they abuse the kindness of Providence. When they come to heaven, how will the admire the Lord's patience and mercy in bringing them to his kingdom!
Original Hebrew
ויזכר 2142 כי 3588 בשׂר 1320 המה 1992 רוח 7307 הולך 1980 ולא 3808 ישׁוב׃ 7725
