נָהָ֗ר פְּלָגָ֗יו יְשַׂמְּח֥וּ עִיר־אֱלֹהִ֑ים קְדֹשׁ מִשְׁכְּנֵי עֶלְיֹון׃
A river, its streams gladden the city of God, the holy place of the dwellings of the Most High.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | נָהָר | nahar | “river” | N(ms) |
| 2 | פְּלָגָיו | pelagav | “its streams” | N(mp) + suff 3ms |
| 3 | יְשַׂמְּחוּ | yesammeḥu | “they gladden” | Piel imperfect 3mp |
| 4 | עִיר־אֱלֹהִים | ʿir-Elohim | “city of God” | N(fs) construct + N(mp) |
| 5 | קְדֹשׁ | qedosh | “holy” | Adj(ms) |
| 6 | מִשְׁכְּנֵי | mishkenei | “dwellings of” | N(mp) construct |
| 7 | עֶלְיֹון | ʿelyon | “Most High” | Adj(ms) used as noun |
Morphology
- נָהָר (nahar) – Root: נהר (n-h-r); Root Type: I-Nun (weak); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “river”; Notes: Symbol of life and abundance. “A river” separated by a comma before “its streams” perfectly mirrors the Hebrew pendens construction. The word נָהָר (nahar) sits there almost as a title or a sudden vision before the sentence develops.
- פְּלָגָיו (pelagav) – Root: פלג (p-l-g); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “its streams”; Notes: Refers to divisions or channels of the river.
- יְשַׂמְּחוּ (yesammeḥu) – Root: שׂמח (ś-m-ḥ); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Piel; Form: Imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they gladden”; Notes: Expresses causative joy.
- עִיר־אֱלֹהִים (ʿir-Elohim) – Root: עיר (ʿ-y-r) + אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע) (weak) + I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Noun feminine singular construct (state: construct) + noun masculine plural; Translation: “city of God”; Notes: Refers to the sacred city where God dwells.
- קְדֹשׁ (qedosh) – Root: קדשׁ (q-d-sh); Root Type: Strong; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “holy”; Notes: Describes sacredness or consecration. The word קְדֹשׁ (qedosh) is the construct form of “holy.” By translating it as “the holy place of,” it accurately linked it to the following noun. Some might argue it functions as an adjective (“the holy dwellings”), but “the holy place of the dwellings” preserves the noun-to-noun relationship found in the text.
- מִשְׁכְּנֵי (mishkenei) – Root: שׁכן (sh-k-n); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine plural construct (state: construct); Translation: “dwellings of”; Notes: Refers to habitation or dwelling places. In biblical poetry, the “plural of majesty” or “plural of amplification” is often used for the Tabernacle or Temple to denote its many compartments or its supreme holiness. Using the plural “dwellings” is the strictly literal way to handle this.
- עֶלְיֹון (ʿelyon) – Root: עלה (ʿ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע) (weak); Form: Adjective masculine singular used substantively; Translation: “Most High”; Notes: Title emphasizing supreme exaltation.