כִּ֤י שָׁ֣חָה לֶעָפָ֣ר נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ דָּבְקָ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ בִּטְנֵֽנוּ׃
For our soul has sunk down to the dust; our belly clings to the earth.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | כִּי | ki | “for” | Conjunction |
| 2 | שָׁחָה | shaḥah | “has sunk down” | Qal perfect 3fs |
| 3 | לֶעָפָר | le-ʿafar | “to the dust” | Prep לְ + Def. N(ms) |
| 4 | נַפְשֵׁנוּ | nafshenu | “our soul” | N(fs) + suff 1cp |
| 5 | דָּבְקָה | davqah | “clings” | Qal perfect 3fs |
| 6 | לָאָרֶץ | la-ʾaretz | “to the earth” | Prep לְ + Def. N(fs) |
| 7 | בִּטְנֵנוּ | biṭnenu | “our belly” | N(ms) + suff 1cp |
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces explanation of distress.
- שָׁחָה (shaḥah) – Root: שׁחח (sh-ḥ-ḥ); Root Type: II-Guttural (ח) / Geminate; Binyan: Qal; Form: Perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has sunk down”; Notes: The subject is “our soul,” indicating humiliation or collapse.
- לֶעָפָר (le-ʿafar) – Root: עפר (ʿ-p-r); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the dust”; Notes: Dust symbolizes death and lowliness.
- נַפְשֵׁנוּ (nafshenu) – Root: נפשׁ (n-p-sh); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 1st person common plural; Translation: “our soul”; Notes: Represents life or inner being.
- דָּבְקָה (davqah) – Root: דבק (d-b-q); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “clings”; Notes: Expresses being stuck or pressed down.
- לָאָרֶץ (la-ʾaretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the earth”; Notes: Indicates contact with the ground.
- בִּטְנֵנוּ (biṭnenu) – Root: בטן (b-ṭ-n); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person common plural; Translation: “our belly”; Notes: Represents the physical body, emphasizing humiliation.