לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ לְדָ֫וִ֥ד בַּֽיהוָ֨ה חָסִ֗יתִי אֵ֭יךְ תֹּאמְר֣וּ לְנַפְשִׁ֑י נודו הַרְכֶ֥ם צִפֹּֽור׃
For the Chief. Of Dawid. In YHWH I have taken refuge. How do you say to my soul, “Flee to your mountain, bird.”
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לַמְנַצֵּחַ | lamnatsseaḥ | “for the chief” | Prep לְ + Def. art. הַ + Piel participle ms |
| 2 | לְדָוִד | le-Dawid | “of Dawid” | Prep לְ + proper noun |
| 3 | בַּיהוָה | ba-YHWH | “in YHWH” | Prep בְּ + Def. proper name |
| 4 | חָסִיתִי | ḥasiti | “I have taken refuge” | Qal perfect 1cs |
| 5 | אֵיךְ | ʾeikh | “how” | Interrogative particle |
| 6 | תֹּאמְרוּ | toʾmeru | “you say” | Qal imperfect 2mp |
| 7 | לְנַפְשִׁי | le-nafshi | “to my soul” | Prep לְ + N fs + suff 1cs |
| 8 | נודו | nudu | “flee” | Qal imperative mp |
| 9 | הַרְכֶם | harkhem | “your mountain” | N ms + suff 2mp |
| 10 | צִפֹּור | tsippor | “bird” | N fs |
Morphology
- לַמְנַצֵּחַ (lamnatsseaḥ) – Root: נצח (natsaḥ); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Piel; Form: Preposition לְ + definite article הַ + Piel participle masculine singular; Translation: “for the Chief”; Notes: A liturgical superscription referring to the musical director or overseer of temple music.
- לְדָוִד (le-Dawid) – Root: דוד (dawid); Root Type: Proper noun; Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “of Dawid”; Notes: Indicates authorship, dedication, or association with Dawid in the psalm heading.
- בַּיהוָה (ba-YHWH) – Root: הוה (hwh); Root Type: III-He (weak); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite proper name; Translation: “in YHWH”; Notes: Expresses the sphere or object of trust, emphasizing reliance upon YHWH.
- חָסִיתִי (ḥasiti) – Root: חסה (ḥasah); Root Type: III-He (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have taken refuge”; Notes: The perfect conveys a settled personal commitment of trust already established.
- אֵיךְ (ʾeikh) – Root: —; Root Type: Indeclinable particle; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “how”; Notes: Introduces an expression of astonishment or protest.
- תֹּאמְרוּ (toʾmeru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you say”; Notes: Addresses multiple speakers offering counsel or urging escape.
- לְנַפְשִׁי (le-nafshi) – Root: נפשׁ (nefesh); Root Type: Strong; Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “to my soul”; Notes: The noun נֶפֶשׁ expresses the inner self or life of the speaker.
- נודו (nudu) – Root: נוד (nud); Root Type: I-Nun (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperative masculine plural; Translation: “flee”; Notes: A command urging flight or wandering away from danger.
- הַרְכֶם (harkhem) – Root: הרר (har); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “your mountain”; Notes: The mountain imagery evokes a place of refuge or escape.
- צִפֹּור (tsippor) – Root: צפר (tspr); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “bird”; Notes: Used metaphorically for a vulnerable creature urged to flee swiftly.