אַ֤ךְ טֹ֤וב וָחֶ֣סֶד יִ֭רְדְּפוּנִי כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֑י וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְּבֵית־֝יְהוָ֗ה לְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃
Surely goodness and covenant-loyalty shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of YHWH for length of days.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אַךְ | ʾakh | “surely / only” | Adverb / particle |
| 2 | טֹוב | ṭov | “goodness” | Adjective ms used substantively |
| 3 | וָחֶסֶד | va-ḥesed | “and covenant-loyalty” | Conj וְ + N(ms) |
| 4 | יִרְדְּפוּנִי | yirdefuni | “they shall pursue me” | Qal imperfect 3mp + suff 1cs |
| 5 | כָּל־יְמֵי | kol-yeme | “all the days of” | N(ms) construct + N(mp) construct |
| 6 | חַיָּי | ḥayyai | “my life” | Noun mp + suff 1cs |
| 7 | וְשַׁבְתִּי | ve-shavti | “and I shall dwell / return” | Qal perfect 1cs with conjunctive sense |
| 8 | בְּבֵית־יְהוָה | be-beit-YHWH | “in the house of YHWH” | Prep בְּ + N(ms) construct + PN |
| 9 | לְאֹרֶךְ | le-ʾorekh | “for length of” | Prep לְ + N(ms) |
| 10 | יָמִים | yamim | “days” | Noun masculine plural |
Morphology
- אַךְ (ʾakh) – Root: אך; Root Type: Particle (indeclinable); Form: Adverbial particle; Translation: “surely / only”; Notes: Expresses certainty or exclusivity, emphasizing the assurance of the statement.
- טֹוב (ṭov) – Root: טוב (ṭ-w-b); Root Type: Hollow (middle weak ו); Form: Adjective masculine singular used substantively; Translation: “goodness”; Notes: Used as a noun-like concept describing beneficial or favorable divine provision.
- וָחֶסֶד (va-ḥesed) – Root: חסד (ḥ-s-d); Root Type: Strong; Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and covenant-loyalty”; Notes: Refers to steadfast love, loyalty, or covenantal kindness often attributed to YHWH.
- יִרְדְּפוּנִי (yirdefuni) – Root: רדף (r-d-p); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 3rd person masculine plural + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “they shall pursue me”; Notes: Ironically reverses the usual image of enemies pursuing, portraying goodness and covenant-loyalty as pursuing the speaker.
- כָּל־יְמֵי (kol-yeme) – Root: כל (k-l-l) / יום (y-w-m); Root Type: Strong / Hollow; Form: Noun masculine singular construct (state: construct) + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “all the days of”; Notes: A common construct phrase expressing the entirety of a lifespan.
- חַיָּי (ḥayyai) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Root Type: III-He (weak); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my life”; Notes: Literally “my lives,” a Hebrew idiom referring to one’s lifetime.
- וְשַׁבְתִּי (ve-shavti) – Root: שׁוב (š-w-b); Root Type: Hollow (middle weak ו); Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וְ + perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I shall dwell / return”; Notes: The perfect form may function with future sense in poetic discourse, conveying confident expectation.
- בְּבֵית־יְהוָה (be-beit YHWH) – Root: בית (b-y-t); Root Type: Hollow (middle weak י); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct (state: construct) + proper name; Translation: “in the house of YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the sacred dwelling place of YHWH, symbolizing divine presence.
- לְאֹרֶךְ (le-ʾorekh) – Root: ארך (ʾ-r-kh); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for length of”; Notes: Indicates duration or extension of time.
- יָמִים (yamim) – Root: יום (y-w-m); Root Type: Hollow (middle weak ו); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “days”; Notes: In idiomatic expression here, signifies an extended or enduring period.