baɪ ðə θˈɜːd sˈɛntʃɚɹi sˈiː.ˈiː., ɹˈæbaɪ dʒoʊhˈɑːnən hˈɑːnˈæpə ɪz kwˈoʊɾᵻd ɪnðə tˈælmʌd bᵻɹˈækhɑːt fˈoːɹ bˈiː æz ˈæskɪŋ wˌaɪ ɪz ðɛɹ nˈoʊ vˈɜːs ɪn sˈɑːm wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈaɪv bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ wɪð nˈʌn, ænd ðɪ ɛksplɐnˈeɪʃən ɪz ɡˈɪvən pɹɪzˈuːməbli baɪ ðə sˈeɪm ɹˈæbaɪ dʒoʊhˈɑːnən ðætðə wˈɜːd "fˈɔːlən" hˈiːbɹuːnˈun hˈiːbɹuːpˈe hˈiːbɹuːlˈæmed hˈiːbɹuːhˈe, nˈɔːflə bɪɡˈɪnz wɪð nˈʌn, æz ɪnðə vˈɜːs ʌv"fˈɔːlən ɪz ðə mˈeɪdən ʌv ˈɪzɹiːəl, ʃiː ʃˌæl ɚɹˈaɪz nˌɛvɚmˈoːɹ", ænd ðˈʌs ɪɾ ɪz ɪŋkəmpˈæɾᵻbəl wɪððɪ ʌplˈɪftɪŋ ænd jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsəl θˈiːm ʌvðə sˈɑːm.
By the 3rd century C.E., Rabbi Johanan Ha-Nappah is quoted in the Talmud (Berakhot 4b) as asking why is there no verse in Psalm 145 beginning with nun, and the explanation is given (presumably by the same Rabbi Johanan) that the word "fallen" (נפלה, nawfla) begins with nun, as in the verse of  ("Fallen is the Maiden of Israel, she shall arise nevermore"), and thus it is incompatible with the uplifting and universal theme of the Psalm.