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Template for 29 verses

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Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 118!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

v. 1

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
1	הוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה כִּי־ט֑וֹב כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃	Give thanks to YHWH because he is good, because his loyalty is forever.

v. 2

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
2	יֹֽאמַר־נָ֥א יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃	Let Israel say, “Because his loyalty is forever”.

v. 3

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
3	יֹֽאמְרוּ־נָ֥א בֵֽית־אַהֲרֹ֑ן כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃	Let the house of Aaron say, “Because his loyalty is forever”.

v. 4

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
4	יֹֽאמְרוּ־נָ֭א יִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃	Let those who fear YHWH say, “Because his loyalty is forever”.

v. 5

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
5a	מִֽן־הַ֭מֵּצַ֥ר קָרָ֣אתִי יָּ֑הּ	From the tight place I cried out to Yah.
5b	עָנָ֖נִי בַמֶּרְחָ֣ב יָֽהּ׃	Yah answered me with spaciousness.

v. 6

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
6a	יְהוָ֣ה לִ֭י לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א	YHWH is for me. I shall not fear.
6b	מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִ֣י אָדָֽם׃	What can man do to me?

v. 7

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
7a	יְהוָ֣ה לִ֭י בְּעֹזְרָ֑י	TYHWH is for me as my helper,
7b	וַ֝אֲנִ֗י אֶרְאֶ֥ה בְשֹׂנְאָֽי׃	and I shall look in triumph upon those who hate me.

v. 8

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
8	ט֗וֹב לַחֲס֥וֹת בַּיהוָ֑ה מִ֝בְּטֹ֗חַ בָּאָדָֽם׃	It is better to take refuge in YHWH than to trust in man.

v. 9

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
9	ט֗וֹב לַחֲס֥וֹת בַּיהוָ֑ה מִ֝בְּטֹ֗חַ בִּנְדִיבִֽים׃	It is better to take refuge in YHWH than to trust in noblemen.

v. 10

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
10a	כָּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם סְבָב֑וּנִי	All nations surrounded me.
10b	בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְ֝הוָ֗ה כִּ֣י אֲמִילַֽם׃	“With the name of YHWH, yes I shall drive them away!”

v. 11

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
11a	סַבּ֥וּנִי גַם־סְבָב֑וּנִי	They surrounded me, indeed they surrounded me.
11b	בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְ֝הוָ֗ה כִּ֣י אֲמִילַֽם׃	“With the name of YHWH, yes I shall drive them away!”

v. 12

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
12a	סַבּ֤וּנִי כִדְבוֹרִ֗ים	They surrounded me like bees.
12b	דֹּ֭עֲכוּ כְּאֵ֣שׁ קוֹצִ֑ים	They burned up like a fire of thorns.
12c	בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְ֝הוָ֗ה כִּ֣י אֲמִילַֽם׃	“With the name of YHWH, yes I shall drive them away!”

v. 13

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
13a	דַּחֹ֣ה דְחִיתַ֣נִי לִנְפֹּ֑ל	You pushed me down hard so that I was falling,
13b	וַ֖יהוָ֣ה עֲזָרָֽנִי׃	but YHWH helped me.

v. 14

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
14a	עָזִּ֣י וְזִמְרָ֣ת יָ֑הּ	Yah is my strength and song
14b	וַֽיְהִי־לִ֝֗י לִֽישׁוּעָֽה׃	and he has become my salvation.

v. 15

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
15a	ק֤וֹל ׀ רִנָּ֬ה וִֽישׁוּעָ֗ה בְּאָהֳלֵ֥י צַדִּיקִ֑ים	A voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous:
15b	יְמִ֥ין יְ֝הוָה עֹ֣שָׂה חָֽיִל׃	“The right hand of YHWH does valiantly!

v. 16

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
16a	יְמִ֣ין יְ֭הוָה רוֹמֵמָ֑ה	The right hand of YHWH exalts!
16b	יְמִ֥ין יְ֝הוָה עֹ֣שָׂה חָֽיִל׃	The right hand of YHWH does valiantly!”

v. 17

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
17a	לֹֽא אָמ֥וּת כִּי־אֶֽחְיֶ֑ה	I shall not die, but I shall live,
17b	וַ֝אֲסַפֵּ֗ר מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥י יָֽהּ׃	and declare the deeds of Yah.

v. 18

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
18a	יַסֹּ֣ר יִסְּרַ֣נִּי יָּ֑הּ	Yah disciplined me hard,
18b	וְ֝לַמָּ֗וֶת לֹ֣א נְתָנָֽנִי׃	but he has not given me over to death.

v. 19

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
19a	פִּתְחוּ־לִ֥י שַׁעֲרֵי־צֶ֑דֶק	Open for me the gates of righteousness.
19b	אָֽבֹא־בָ֝ם אוֹדֶ֥ה יָֽהּ׃	I will enter through them. I will give thanks to Yah.

v. 20

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
20a	זֶֽה־הַשַּׁ֥עַר לַיהוָ֑ה	This is the gate of YHWH.
20b	צַ֝דִּיקִ֗ים יָבֹ֥אוּ בֽוֹ׃	The righteous enter through it.

v. 21

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
21a	א֭וֹדְךָ כִּ֣י עֲנִיתָ֑נִי	I thank you for you have answered me
21b	וַתְּהִי־לִ֝֗י לִֽישׁוּעָֽה׃	and become my salvation.

v. 22

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
22a	אֶ֭בֶן מָאֲס֣וּ הַבּוֹנִ֑ים	The stone that the builders rejected
22b	הָ֝יְתָ֗ה לְרֹ֣אשׁ פִּנָּֽה׃	has become the corner capstone.

v. 23

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
23a	מֵאֵ֣ת יְ֭הוָה הָ֣יְתָה זֹּ֑את	This has been from YHWH;
23b	הִ֖יא נִפְלָ֣את בְּעֵינֵֽינוּ׃	it is extraordinary in our eyes!

v. 24

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
24a	זֶה־הַ֭יּוֹם עָשָׂ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה	This is the day that YHWH has made.
24b	נָגִ֖ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָ֣ה בֽוֹ׃	Let us be glad and rejoice in it.

v. 25

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
25a	אָנָּ֣א יְ֭הוָה הוֹשִׁ֘יעָ֥ה נָּ֑א	Please, YHWH, grant salvation, please!
25b	אָֽנָּ֥א יְ֝הוָ֗ה הַצְלִ֘יחָ֥ה נָּֽא׃	Please, YHWH, grant success, please!

v. 26

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
26a	בָּר֣וּךְ הַ֭בָּא בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה	Blessed is he who comes in the name of YHWH.
26b	בֵּ֝רַֽכְנוּכֶ֗ם מִבֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃	We bless you from the house of YHWH.

Notes

• Translation alternative: "We bless you all from the house of YHWH."

v. 27

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
27a	אֵ֤ל ׀ יְהוָה֮ וַיָּ֪אֶר לָ֥נוּ	YHWH is God and he has made his light shine on us.
27b	אִסְרוּ־חַ֥ג בַּעֲבֹתִ֑ים	Bind the festival sacrifice with cords,
27c	עַד־קַ֝רְנ֗וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃	up to the horns of the altar!

v. 28

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
28a	אֵלִ֣י אַתָּ֣ה וְאוֹדֶ֑ךָּ	You are my God and I shall give thanks to you.	28b	אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֲרוֹמְמֶֽךָּ׃	You are my God. I shall exalt you.

v. 29

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
29	הוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה כִּי־ט֑וֹב כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃	Give thanks to YHWH because he is good, because his loyalty is forever.

Legends

Grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

Grammatical Term	Definition	Diagram	Example
Clausal Additions
Subject	The subject performs the action of the active verb or receives the action of a passive verb. With intransitive verbs	Indicated at the beginning of the main clausal line, and followed by a vertical line that crosses over the main clause line (separating the subject from the predicate).
Direct Object	Object that receives the direct action of a (transitive) verb	Indicate with a vertical line up from main clausal line
Predicate adjective/ Subject complement	A word used with a linking verb (ex. "to be"), renaming or restating the subject. Can be a whole prepositional phrase.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line. It can be on a stand if it is an embedded clause.
Object Complement	Word following a direct object to state what it has become.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line.
Infinitives	Can be subject, adverbial, or an infinitive construct.	Indicate with double vertical lines that cross the main clausal line. If used adverbially (ie. an embedded clause), place on a stand.
Participles	A verbal noun/adjective that can be used in three positions: (1) substantival; (2) attributive; (3) predicative.	Indicate with a round vertical line. Substantival participles are placed on a stand (they are embedded). Attributive participles are placed with a rounded line underneath what is modified.
Modifiers
Adjectives	A word modifying a noun to indicate quality, quantity, extent, or differentiating something from something else.	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Adverbs	A word that modifies a verb, adverb, adjective, prepositional phrase, clause, or sentence to express a relation (ex. manner, quality, or time).	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Construct relationships	Construction can express many different relationships between two (or more) nouns. English grammarians call this construction a ‘Construct’ (our term) or ‘Genitive’ phrase; Hebrew grammarians call it smīḵūt (סְמִיכוּת).	Indicate with a stair-step down from the modified word/clause/phrase.
Prepositional phrases	A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value	Indicate with a slanted vertical line connecting to a new clause.
Connectives	(1) Coordinating conjunctions join together words or word groups of equal grammatical rank (2) Subordinating conjunctions join a main clause and a clause which does not form a complete sentence by itself.	Indicate with a dashed line down from a vertical line marker.
Embedded clause	A clause inside another clause which can include substantival participles, adverbial infinitives, and prepositional phrases.	Indicate using stilts.
Particles
Subordinating particle	Indicates a dependent clause.	Indicate with a dashed line down from the antecedent to the pronoun.
Apposition	A word that is functioning as an explanatory equivalent as another in the sentence	Place on a line apart from the diagram but next to the word it is the equivalent of with an equal sign in between.
Vocative	Indicating a person being addressed (usually with a 2nd person verb)	Place on a line apart from the diagram next to the '()' indicating the gapped subject an equal sign in between.

Master Diagram

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

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	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

Expanded paraphrase

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• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

References

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