כִּֽי־֭נַפְשֹׁו בְּחַיָּ֣יו יְבָרֵ֑ךְ וְ֝יֹודֻ֗ךָ כִּי־תֵיטִ֥יב לָֽךְ׃
For his soul in his life he blesses himself, and they praise you when you do good for yourself.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | כִּי־נַפְשֹׁו | ki-nafsho | “for his soul” | Conj כִּי + N(fs) + suff 3ms |
| 2 | בְּחַיָּיו | be-ḥayyav | “in his life” | Prep בְּ + N(mp) + suff 3ms |
| 3 | יְבָרֵךְ | yevarekh | “he blesses” | Piel imperfect 3ms |
| 4 | וְיֹודֻךָ | ve-yodukha | “and they praise you” | Conj וְ + Hifil imperfect 3mp + suff 2ms |
| 5 | כִּי־תֵיטִיב | ki-teitiv | “for you do good” | Conj כִּי + Hifil imperfect 2ms |
| 6 | לָךְ | lakh | “for yourself” | Prep לְ + suff 2ms |
Morphology
- כִּי־נַפְשֹׁו (ki-nafsho) – Root: — + נפשׁ; Root Type: Particle (Strong) + I-Nun (weak); Form: Conjunction כִּי + noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “for his soul”; Notes: Emphasizes subject acting upon himself. The Hebrew nefesh (soul/self) combined with the verb “bless” suggests a person who is “self-congratulatory.” The subject is the man blessing his own soul/self. It captures that sense of “patting oneself on the back” while still alive.
- בְּחַיָּיו (be-ḥayyav) – Root: חיה; Root Type: III-He (weak); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “in his life”; Notes: During lifetime.
- יְבָרֵךְ (yevarekh) – Root: ברך; Root Type: III-Guttural (ך); Binyan: Piel; Form: Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he blesses”; Notes: Often reflexive in sense, “he blesses himself.”
- וְיֹודֻךָ (ve-yodukha) – Root: ידה; Root Type: III-He (weak); Binyan: Hifil; Form: Conjunction וְ + imperfect 3rd person masculine plural + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and they praise you”; Notes: Public acknowledgment. The Hebrew switches from the third person (“he”) to the second person (“you”). This is a common device in Hebrew poetry to make the message more direct and confrontational. In Hebrew poetry, this is called enallage. By switching from “He” to “You,” the Psalmist is making sure you don’t just judge the “greedy rich guy” from a distance. He turns the mirror on the reader, saying: “This applies to you, too. People will flatter you just as much if you become wealthy.” It turns a general observation into a personal warning.
- כִּי־תֵיטִיב (ki-teitiv) – Root: יטב; Root Type: I-Yod (weak); Binyan: Hifil; Form: Conjunction כִּי + imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “for you do good”; Notes: Self-benefiting action. The phrase “when you do good for yourself” (literally ki teitiv lakh) implies prosperity. The poet is saying: “As long as you are successful and pamper yourself, people will flatter you.”
- לָךְ (lakh) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Reflexive nuance. This verse acts as a bridge between the previous verse (about not taking wealth to the grave) and the next (about the inevitability of death). Here is how the literal components function together:
- The Illusion of Self-Sufficiency: In the first half, the wealthy man is his own priest—he “blesses” his own soul, convinced of his own security.
- The Social Mirror: In the second half, society reinforces this ego. The word yodukha (they will praise/thank you) suggests that people are attracted to success. As long as you are “doing good for yourself,” you have plenty of “friends” and admirers.