יָפְיָפִיתָ מִבְּנֵי אָדָם הוּצַק חֵן בְּשְׂפְתֹותֶיךָ עַל־כֵּן בֵּרַכְךָ אֱלֹהִים לְעֹולָם׃
You are more beautiful than the sons of ʾAdam, grace is poured upon Your lips, therefore ʾGod has blessed You forever.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | יָפְיָפִיתָ | yofyafita | “you are very beautiful” | Pual perfect 2ms |
| 2 | מִבְּנֵי | mi-benei | “from the sons of” | Prep מִן + N(mp) construct |
| 3 | אָדָם | ʾadam | “Adam” | N(ms) |
| 4 | הוּצַק | hutsaq | “is poured” | Hophil perfect 3ms |
| 5 | חֵן | ḥen | “grace” | N(ms) |
| 6 | בְּשְׂפְתֹותֶיךָ | be-sefatotekha | “upon your lips” | Prep בְּ + N(fp) + suff 2ms |
| 7 | עַל־כֵּן | ʿal-ken | “therefore” | Prep עַל + particle |
| 8 | בֵּרַכְךָ | berakhkha | “He has blessed you” | Piel perfect 3ms + suff 2ms |
| 9 | אֱלֹהִים | ʾelohim | “God” | N(mp) |
| 10 | לְעֹולָם | le-ʿolam | “forever” | Prep לְ + N(ms) |
Morphology
- יָפְיָפִיתָ (yofyafita) – Root: יפה (y-p-h); Root Type: III-He (weak); Binyan: Pual; Form: Perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you are very beautiful”; Notes: Intensive passive form expressing exceptional beauty. This is a rare form (a Pe’al’al verb) where the root y-p-h (beauty) is doubled. It’s an intensive form. It doesn’t just mean “you are beautiful,” but something more like “you are exceedingly beautiful” or “you are the fairest of the fair.” The translation “You are more beautiful than…” is a great way to handle the superlative nature of that doubled verb.
- מִבְּנֵי (mi-benei) – Root: בן (b-n); Root Type: I-Nun (weak); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct (state: construct); Translation: “from the sons of”; Notes: Indicates comparison with humanity.
- אָדָם (ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾ-d-m); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “ʾAdam”; Notes: Represents humankind collectively. This is the standard Hebrew way to say “mankind” or “humanity.”
- הוּצַק (hutsaq) – Root: יצק (y-ṣ-q); Root Type: I-Yod (weak); Binyan: Hophil; Form: Perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is poured”; Notes: Passive causative indicating grace bestowed.
- חֵן (ḥen) – Root: חן (ḥ-n); Root Type: I-Guttural (ח) (weak); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “grace”; Notes: Favor or charm granted externally.
- בְּשְׂפְתֹותֶיךָ (be-sefatotekha) – Root: שׂפה (ś-p-h); Root Type: III-He (weak); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “upon your lips”; Notes: Refers to speech characterized by grace.
- עַל־כֵּן (ʿal-ken) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Preposition עַל + particle; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Introduces the logical consequence. There is a debate among scholars here. Does God bless the King because he is gracious, or is his grace evidence that God has blessed him? By using “therefore,” the translation accurately reflect the Hebrew עַל־כֵּן, which suggests a causal link between the King’s character and God’s blessing.
- בֵּרַכְךָ (berakhkha) – Root: ברך (b-r-kh); Root Type: II-Guttural (weak); Binyan: Piel; Form: Perfect 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “He has blessed you”; Notes: Indicates bestowed favor from God.
- אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Noun masculine plural (plural of majesty); Translation: “ʾGod”; Notes: Refers to the divine source of blessing.
- לְעֹולָם (le-ʿolam) – Root: עלם (ʿ-l-m); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע) (weak); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Indicates enduring duration.