Addressing God, he wrote: “You make mortal man go back to crushed matter, and you say: ‘Go back, you sons of men.’

Psalm 90:3,

10. How does God make man “go back to crushed matter”?

¹⁰ Man is mortal, and God makes him “go back to crushed matter.” That is, man returns “to dust,” as crushed, or pulverized, earth. In effect, Jehovah says: ‘Go back to the dust of the ground from which you were made.’ (Genesis 2:7; 3:19) This applies to all​—strong or weak, rich or poor—​for no imperfect human ‘can by any means redeem even a brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, that he should live forever.’ (Psalm 49:6-9) But how thankful we are that ‘God gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might have everlasting life’!​—John 3:16; Romans 6:23.