144:3 what is man. This verse is similar to Psalm 8:4. Interestingly, however, in Psalm 8:4, “man” is the Hebrew enosh, meaning “mortal man.” In Psalm 144:3, “man” is Adam, the name of the first man, meaning “ruddy man” or “mankind in general.” On the other hand, in Psalm 8:4, “son of man” is ben Adam; whereas in Psalm 144:3, “son of man” is ben enosh. Since both psalms were written by David, he must have had some reason for this shift in emphasis. The emphasis in Psalm 8 is on man’s dominion; in Psalm 144, it is on man’s frailty and need of salvation.