This psalm was composed by Moshe, praising God’s relationship with mankind. The simple interpretation of this verse is that Hashem is so powerful that He decides when to give life and when to take it away. The Hebrew word daka (דכא), found in the first part of the verse, means ‘that which is crushed,’ and refers to the earth. The first part of the phrase therefore means “you return man to dust [of the earth].” The Rabbis, however, offer a homiletic interpretation. God, by bringing pain and suffering, causes man to return to His righteous ways. The Hebrew word shuv (שוב), ‘return,’ appears in both halves of the verse, and the connotation of daka refers to a crushing of one’s hubris to pave the way for a return to Hashem. According to this interpretation, the end of the verse means “Return you mortals – to Hashem.”