כִּ֤י לֹ֣א בְ֭מוֹתוֹ יִקַּ֣ח הַכֹּ֑ל לֹא־יֵרֵ֖ד אַחֲרָ֣יו כְּבוֹדוֹ׃
For not in his death will he take the whole, his glory will not go down after him.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | כִּי | ki | “for” | Conj |
| 2 | לֹא | lo | “not” | Neg |
| 3 | בְמוֹתוֹ | be-moto | “in his death” | Prep בְּ + N(ms) + suff 3ms |
| 4 | יִקַּח | yiqqaḥ | “he will take” | Qal imperfect 3ms |
| 5 | הַכֹּל | ha-kol | “the whole” | Def. art. הַ + N(ms) |
| 6 | לֹא־יֵרֵד | lo-yered | “it will not go down” | Neg לֹא + Qal imperfect 3ms |
| 7 | אַחֲרָיו | ʾaḥarav | “after him” | Prep אַחַר + suff 3ms |
| 8 | כְּבוֹדוֹ | kevodo | “his glory” | N(ms) + suff 3ms |
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negation.
- בְמוֹתוֹ (be-moto) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Root Type: Hollow (weak); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “in his death”; Notes: Temporal condition. The use of “in his death” accurately reflects the preposition be- and the suffix -o. It establishes the “when” of the statement immediately.
- יִקַּח (yiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Root Type: III-Guttural (ח) (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will take”; Notes: Acquisition or carrying away. The verb “to take.” There is a grim irony here; throughout the Psalm, the wealthy man is depicted as “taking” land and “taking” honor, but at the point of death, the “taking” stops abruptly.
- הַכֹּל (ha-kol) – Root: כלל (k-l-l); Root Type: Strong; Form: Definite article הַ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the whole”; Notes: Totality of possessions. While most modern translations use “anything” to make it smoother in English, “the whole” (or “the all”) more closely mirrors the Hebrew ha-kol. It emphasizes the total abandonment of earthly goods.
- לֹא־יֵרֵד (lo-yered) – Root: ירד (y-r-d); Root Type: I-Yod (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Negative particle לֹא + imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it will not go down”; Notes: Refers to descent to Sheʾol. The verb yered (from yarad) specifically means “to descend” or “go down,” likely a nod to the grave or Sheol.
- אַחֲרָיו (ʾaḥarav) – Root: אחר (ʾ-ḥ-r); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Preposition אַחַר + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “after him”; Notes: Following death.
- כְּבוֹדוֹ (kevodo) – Root: כבד (k-b-d); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his glory”; Notes: Wealth, honor, or splendor. While “glory” is the standard translation, in this context, it often refers to wealth or possessions. In the Hebrew worldview, a person’s “weight” (the root k-b-d means heavy) was measured by their status and riches. The poet is saying that the “weight” that made him important in life won’t follow him into the pit.