Psalm Overview
Word-Level Semantics
v. 1
| 1 |
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אֶֽל־הַנְּחִיל֗וֹת מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ |
For the director, on the flutes, a psalm by David.
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v. 2
| 2a |
אֲמָרַ֖י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה ׀ יְהוָ֗ה |
Listen to my words, YHWH.
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| 2b |
בִּ֣ינָה הֲגִֽיגִי |
Understand my murmuring.
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v. 3
| 3a |
הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה ׀ לְק֬וֹל שַׁוְעִ֗י |
Pay attention to the sound of my cry for help,
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| 3b |
מַלְכִּ֥י וֵאלֹהָ֑י |
my king and my God,
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| 3c |
כִּֽי־אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ אֶתְפַּלָּֽל׃ |
for I am praying to you.
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v. 4
| 4a |
יְֽהוָ֗ה בֹּ֭קֶר תִּשְׁמַ֣ע קוֹלִ֑י |
YHWH, in the morning you hear my voice.
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| 4b |
בֹּ֥קֶר אֶֽעֱרָךְ־לְ֝ךָ֗ וַאֲצַפֶּֽה |
In the morning I arrange [my case] for you and wait.
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v. 5
| 5a |
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹ֤א אֵֽל־חָפֵ֘ץ רֶ֥שַׁע ׀ אָ֑תָּה |
For you are not a god pleased with wickedness.
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| 5b |
לֹ֖א יְגֻרְךָ֣ רָֽע׃ |
Evil will not sojourn with you.
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v. 6
| 6a |
לֹֽא־יִתְיַצְּב֣וּ הֽ֭וֹלְלִים לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינֶ֑יךָ |
Boasters will not stand before your eyes.
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| 6b |
שָׂ֝נֵ֗אתָ כָּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן |
You hate all workers of evil.
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v. 7
| 7a |
תְּאַבֵּד֮ דֹּבְרֵ֪י כָ֫זָ֥ב |
You will destroy speakers of falsehood.
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| 7b |
אִישׁ־דָּמִ֥ים וּמִרְמָ֗ה יְתָ֘עֵ֥ב ׀ יְהוָֽה׃ |
YHWH abhors a person of bloodshed and treachery.
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v. 8
| 8a |
וַאֲנִ֗י בְּרֹ֣ב חַ֭סְדְּךָ אָב֣וֹא בֵיתֶ֑ךָ |
But I, in the greatness of your loyalty, will go to your house.
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| 8b |
אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה אֶל־הֵֽיכַל־קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃ |
I will bow down toward your holy temple in fear of you.
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v. 9
| 9a |
יְהוָ֤ה ׀ נְחֵ֬נִי בְצִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ |
YHWH, lead me in your righteousness
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| 9b |
לְמַ֥עַן שׁוֹרְרָ֑י |
because of my enemies.
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| 9c |
הַושַׁ֖ר לְפָנַ֣י דַּרְכֶּֽךָ׃ |
Make your way straight before me.
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- "Enemies." This word occurs only in the Psalms (Pss. 5:9; 27:11; 54:7; 56:3; 59:11). The meaning is difficult to determine based on usage alone. What is clear is that the term belongs to the lexical domain of "enemies" (SDBH). These enemies are described in v. 10 as people who use smooth and deceitful talk to inflict violence. שׁוֹרר is translated consistently in the LXX by the general term ἐχθρός, in the Vulgate by insidiator ("someone who lies in wait"), and in the Targum by מעיק ("oppressor"). In Ps. 5:9, Aquila has ἐφοδεύω (ptc) + dative ("watch over", so BDB) and Theodotion has, similar to Targum, ἀποθλιβω ("oppress, afflict"). We have followed SDBH, which defines the word generally as "person with whom one is in conflict."
v. 10
| 10a |
כִּ֤י אֵ֪ין בְּפִ֡יהוּ נְכוֹנָה֮ |
For there is nothing true in his mouth.
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| 10b |
קִרְבָּ֪ם הַ֫וּ֥וֹת |
Their inner parts are disaster.
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| 10c |
קֶֽבֶר־פָּת֥וּחַ גְּרוֹנָ֑ם |
Their throat is an open tomb.
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| 10d |
לְ֝שׁוֹנָ֗ם יַחֲלִֽיקוּן׃ |
They make their tongues deceitful.
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v. 11
| 11a |
הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨ם ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים |
Make them bear their guilt, God.
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| 11b |
יִפְּלוּ֮ מִֽמֹּעֲצ֪וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם |
Let them fall on account of their designs.
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| 11c |
בְּרֹ֣ב פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ |
Drive them out because of the greatness of their crimes,
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| 11d |
כִּי־מָ֥רוּ בָֽךְ׃ |
for they have rebelled against you.
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v. 12
| 12a |
וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ כָל־ח֪וֹסֵי בָ֡ךְ |
And let all those who take refuge in you rejoice.
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| 12b |
לְעוֹלָ֣ם יְ֭רַנֵּנוּ וְתָסֵ֣ךְ עָלֵ֑ימוֹ |
Let them shout forever, and you will shelter them,
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| 12c |
וְֽיַעְלְצ֥וּ בְ֝ךָ֗ אֹהֲבֵ֥י שְׁמֶֽךָ |
and those who love you will exult in you.
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v. 13
| 13a |
כִּֽי־אַתָּה֮ תְּבָרֵ֪ךְ צַ֫דִּ֥יק |
For you bless the righteous one.
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| 13b |
יְהוָ֑ה כַּ֝צִּנָּ֗ה רָצ֥וֹן תַּעְטְרֶֽנּוּ |
YHWH, like a large shield, you surround him with favour.
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Phrase-Level Semantics
Sentence-Level Semantics
For semantics at the level of the sentence and above, see Psalm 5 Story behind the Psalm.
Verbal Semantics
References
