שְׁ֭בֹר זְרֹ֣ועַ רָשָׁ֑ע וָ֝רָ֗ע תִּֽדְרֹושׁ־רִשְׁעֹ֥ו בַל־תִּמְצָֽא׃
Break the arm of the wicked and the evil one. You will seek out his wickedness. You will not find it.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | שְׁבֹר | shevor | “break” | Qal imperative 2ms |
| 2 | זְרֹועַ | zeroaʿ | “arm of” | N(fs) construct |
| 3 | רָשָׁע | rashaʿ | “wicked one” | N(ms) |
| 4 | וָרָע | va-raʿ | “and evil one” | Conj וְ + Adj(ms) |
| 5 | תִּדְרֹושׁ | tidrosh | “You seek out” | Qal imperfect 2ms |
| 6 | רִשְׁעֹו | rishʿo | “his wickedness” | N(fs) + suff 3ms |
| 7 | בַל | bal | “not” | Negative particle |
| 8 | תִּמְצָא | timtsaʾ | “You find” | Qal imperfect 2ms |
Morphology
- שְׁבֹר (shevor) – Root: שבר (shavar); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Break”; Notes: A direct petition to God to shatter the power of the wicked.
- זְרֹועַ (zeroaʿ) – Root: זרע (zeroaʿ); Root Type: III-Guttural (weak); Binyan: —; Form: Noun feminine singular construct (state: construct); Translation: “arm of”; Notes: The “arm” symbolizes strength power or capacity to act.
- רָשָׁע (rashaʿ) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Root Type: III-Guttural (weak); Binyan: —; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “wicked one”; Notes: Refers to the guilty and unjust person whose power is to be broken.
- וָרָע (va-raʿ) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Root Type: II-Guttural / Geminate; Binyan: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “and evil one”; Notes: Adds a moral characterization intensifying the description of the wicked person.
- תִּדְרֹושׁ (tidrosh) – Root: דרשׁ (darash); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You will seek out”; Notes: Here the verb carries the sense of investigating requiring and calling to account.
- רִשְׁעֹו (rishʿo) – Root: רשע (reshaʿ); Root Type: III-Guttural (weak); Binyan: —; Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his wickedness”; Notes: Refers to the evil guilt or wicked conduct belonging to the wicked man.
- בַל (bal) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle; Binyan: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: A poetic negative marking the complete disappearance of the wickedness sought out by divine judgment.
- תִּמְצָא (timtsaʾ) – Root: מצא (matsaʾ); Root Type: III-Aleph (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You will find”; Notes: The sense is that after divine judgment the wickedness will be so removed that it will no longer be found.