שָׁ֤ם פָּֽחֲדוּ־פַחַד֮ לֹא־הָ֪יָה֫ פָ֥חַד כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֗ים פִּ֭זַּר עַצְמֹ֣ות חֹנָ֑ךְ הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים מְאָסָֽם׃
There they feared a fear where there was no fear, for God scattered the bones of your encamper; you put them to shame, for God rejected them.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | שָׁם | sham | “there” | Adverb |
| 2 | פָּחֲדוּ־ | paḥadu | “they feared” | Qal perfect 3mp |
| 3 | פַחַד | paḥad | “fear” | N(ms) |
| 4 | לֹא־ | lo | “not” | Negative particle |
| 5 | הָיָה | haya | “there was” | Qal perfect 3ms |
| 6 | פָחַד | paḥad | “fear” | N(ms) |
| 7 | כִּי־ | ki | “for” | Conjunction |
| 8 | אֱלֹהִים | ʾElohim | “God” | N(mp) |
| 9 | פִּזַּר | pizzar | “he scattered” | Piel perfect 3ms |
| 10 | עַצְמוֹת | ʿatsmot | “bones of” | N(fp) construct |
| 11 | חֹנָךְ | ḥonakh | “your encamper” | Participle ms + suff 2ms |
| 12 | הֱבִשֹׁתָה | hevishotah | “you put them to shame” | Hiphil perfect 2ms + suff 3mp |
| 13 | כִּי־ | ki | “for” | Conjunction |
| 14 | אֱלֹהִים | ʾElohim | “God” | N(mp) |
| 15 | מְאָסָם | meʾasam | “he rejected them” | Qal participle ms + suff 3mp |
Morphology
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to the place or moment of sudden terror.
- פָּחֲדוּ־ (paḥadu) – Root: פחד (p-ḥ-d); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they feared”; Notes: Indicates sudden panic experienced by the wicked.
- פַחַד (paḥad) – Root: פחד (p-ḥ-d); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “fear”; Notes: Cognate accusative intensifying the verb “they feared a fear.” In Hebrew, using a verb and its noun form together (the cognate accusative) expresses intensity. By translating it as “feared a fear,” it preserves the psychological weight of the original. It suggests an overwhelming, all-consuming dread rather than just a momentary worry.
- לֹא־ (lo) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the existence of fear in the objective situation.
- הָיָה (haya) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Root Type: III-He; Binyan: Qal; Form: Perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “there was”; Notes: Indicates the absence of an actual cause for fear.
- פָחַד (paḥad) – Root: פחד (p-ḥ-d); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “fear”; Notes: Reiterates the absence of real danger.
- כִּי־ (ki) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the panic.
- אֱלֹהִים (ʾElohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun masculine plural (used as singular for God); Translation: “God”; Notes: The true cause behind the scattering of the enemies.
- פִּזַּר (pizzar) – Root: פזר (p-z-r); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Piel; Form: Perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he scattered”; Notes: Expresses forceful dispersion. Translating פִּזַּר as “scattered” is lexically perfect. In the ancient world, to have one’s bones scattered (denied burial) was the ultimate disgrace. This rendering preserves the visceral imagery of shame culture, keeping the sense of dishonor at the forefront.
- עַצְמוֹת (ʿatsmot) – Root: עצם (ʿ-ts-m); Root Type: II-Guttural; Form: Noun feminine plural construct (state: construct); Translation: “bones of”; Notes: Symbolizes complete defeat and destruction.
- חֹנָךְ (ḥonakh) – Root: חנה (ḥ-n-h); Root Type: III-He; Binyan: Qal; Form: Participle masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “your encamper”; Notes: The term refers to one encamping against another, likely an enemy, and evokes the image of an army besieging a city. By rendering it as “encamper,” the translation keeps the military imagery focused on the siege itself, highlighting the specific threat that God dismantles in this Psalm.
- הֱבִשֹׁתָה (hevishotah) – Root: בושׁ (b-w-š); Root Type: II-Waw; Binyan: Hiphil; Form: Perfect 2nd person masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “you put them to shame”; Notes: Indicates disgrace inflicted by divine action.
- כִּי־ (ki) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides further explanation.
- אֱלֹהִים (ʾElohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun masculine plural (used as singular for God); Translation: “God”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis as the acting agent.
- מְאָסָם (meʾasam) – Root: מאס (m-ʾ-s); Root Type: II-Guttural; Binyan: Qal; Form: Participle masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “he rejected them”; Notes: Indicates divine rejection and abandonment of the wicked.