יָ֘בֵ֤שׁ כַּחֶ֨רֶשׂ כֹּחִ֗י וּ֭לְשֹׁונִי מֻדְבָּ֣ק מַלְקֹוחָ֑י וְֽלַעֲפַר־מָ֥וֶת תִּשְׁפְּתֵֽנִי׃
Dry like a potsherd is my strength, and my tongue is stuck to my jaws, and to the dust of death You set me.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | יָבֵשׁ | yavesh | “dry” | Qal perfect 3ms |
| 2 | כַּחֶרֶשׂ | ka-ḥeres | “like a potsherd” | Prep כְּ + N(ms) |
| 3 | כֹּחִי | koḥi | “my strength” | N(ms) + suff 1cs |
| 4 | וּלְשֹׁונִי | u-leshoni | “and my tongue” | Conj וְ + Prep לְ + N(fs) + suff 1cs |
| 5 | מֻדְבָּק | mudbaq | “is stuck” | Pual participle ms |
| 6 | מַלְקֹוחָי | malqoḥai | “my jaws” | N(mp) + suff 1cs |
| 7 | וְלַעֲפַר | ve-la-ʿafar | “and to the dust of” | Conj וְ + Prep לְ + N(ms) construct |
| 8 | מָוֶת | mavet | “death” | N(ms) |
| 9 | תִּשְׁפְּתֵנִי | tishpeteni | “You set me” | Qal imperfect 2ms + suff 1cs |
Morphology
- יָבֵשׁ (yavesh) – Root: יבשׁ (y-b-sh); Root Type: III-Guttural (שׁ); Binyan: Qal; Form: Perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “dry”; Notes: Describes extreme dehydration and exhaustion.
- כַּחֶרֶשׂ (ka-ḥeres) – Root: חרשׂ (ḥ-r-s); Root Type: I-Guttural (ח); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like a potsherd”; Notes: A fragment of baked clay, symbolizing brittleness and dryness.
- כֹּחִי (koḥi) – Root: כח (k-ḥ); Root Type: II-Guttural (ח); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my strength”; Notes: Refers to physical vitality now exhausted.
- וּלְשֹׁונִי (u-leshoni) – Root: לשׁן (l-sh-n); Root Type: Strong; Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition לְ + noun feminine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “and my tongue”; Notes: Indicates severe thirst.
- מֻדְבָּק (mudbaq) – Root: דבק (d-b-q); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Pual; Form: Passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “is stuck”; Notes: Describes the tongue clinging to the mouth because of dryness.
- מַלְקֹוחָי (malqoḥai) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Root Type: III-Guttural (ח); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my jaws”; Notes: Refers to the inner mouth area where the tongue sticks.
- וְלַעֲפַר (ve-la-ʿafar) – Root: עפר (ʿ-p-r); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition לְ + noun masculine singular construct (state: construct); Translation: “and to the dust of”; Notes: Introduces the phrase describing the realm of death.
- מָוֶת (mavet) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Root Type: Hollow; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “death”; Notes: Represents the grave or the state of dying.
- תִּשְׁפְּתֵנִי (tishpeteni) – Root: שׁפת (sh-p-t); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 2nd person masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “You set me”; Notes: The psalmist attributes his near-death state to divine providence.