הִנֵּ֤ה טְפָחֹ֨ות נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י וְחֶלְדִּ֣י כְאַ֣יִן נֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ אַ֥ךְ כָּֽל־הֶ֥בֶל כָּל־֝אָדָ֗ם נִצָּ֥ב סֶֽלָה׃
Behold, handbreadths You have given my days, and my lifetime is as nothing before You; surely every human, standing firm, is altogether vapor. Sela.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | הִנֵּה | hinneh | “behold” | Particle |
| 2 | טְפָחֹות | ṭefaḥot | “handbreadths” | N(fp) |
| 3 | נָתַתָּה | natattah | “You have given” | Qal perfect 2ms |
| 4 | יָמַי | yamai | “my days” | N(mp) + suff 1cs |
| 5 | וְחֶלְדִּי | ve-ḥeldi | “and my lifetime” | Conj וְ + N(ms) + suff 1cs |
| 6 | כְאַיִן | ke-ʾayin | “as nothing” | Prep כְ + N(ms) |
| 7 | נֶגְדֶּךָ | negdekha | “before You” | N(ms) + suff 2ms |
| 8 | אַךְ | ʾakh | “surely” | Particle |
| 9 | כָּל | kol | “all / every” | N(ms) construct |
| 10 | הֶבֶל | hevel | “vapor” | N(ms) |
| 11 | כָּל | kol | “every” | N(ms) construct |
| 12 | אָדָם | ʾadam | “human” | N(ms) |
| 13 | נִצָּב | nitstsav | “standing” | Nifal participle ms |
| 14 | סֶלָה | selah | “Selah” | Liturgical marker |
Morphology
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Introduces the statement with vivid emphasis.
- טְפָחֹות (ṭefaḥot) – Root: טפח (ṭafaḥ); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “handbreadths”; Notes: A very small unit of measure, stressing the brevity of life.
- נָתַתָּה (natattah) – Root: נתן (natan); Root Type: I-Nun; Binyan: Qal; Form: Perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You have given”; Notes: The speaker addresses God directly as the One who has fixed the span of life.
- יָמַי (yamai) – Root: יום (yom); Root Type: Hollow; Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my days”; Notes: Refers to the limited duration of the speaker’s earthly life.
- וְחֶלְדִּי (ve-ḥeldi) – Root: חלד (ḥeled); Root Type: Strong; Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “and my lifetime”; Notes: Refers to the span of life or worldly existence.
- כְאַיִן (ke-ʾayin) – Root: אין (ʾayin); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Preposition כְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “as nothing”; Notes: Expresses insignificance or near nonexistence in comparison with God.
- נֶגְדֶּךָ (negdekha) – Root: נגד (neged / nagad); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “before You”; Notes: Indicates God’s presence as the frame of evaluation.
- אַךְ (ʾakh) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Particle of limitation or emphasis; Translation: “surely”; Notes: Marks the statement as a firm and weighty conclusion.
- כָּל (kol) – Root: כלל (kalal); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular construct (state: construct); Translation: “all / every”; Notes: In construct with the following noun, it universalizes the statement.
- הֶבֶל (hevel) – Root: הבל (haval); Root Type: I-Guttural (ה); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “vapor”; Notes: A key image for transience, insubstantiality, and brevity.
- כָּל (kol) – Root: כלל (kalal); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular construct (state: construct); Translation: “every”; Notes: Again used in construct, now with אָדָם, extending the claim to every human being.
- אָדָם (ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “human”; Notes: Refers generically to humankind rather than to a named individual.
- נִצָּב (nitstsav) – Root: נצב (natsav); Root Type: I-Nun; Binyan: Nifal; Form: Participle masculine singular; Translation: “standing”; Notes: Even when a human appears established or firmly positioned, he remains vapor.
- סֶלָה (selah) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Liturgical marker; Translation: “Selah”; Notes: Likely marks a pause for reflection or musical interlude.