כִּ֤י לֹֽא־אֹויֵ֥ב יְחָֽרְפֵ֗נִי וְאֶ֫שָּׂ֥א לֹֽא־֭מְשַׂנְאִי עָלַ֣י הִגְדִּ֑יל וְאֶסָּתֵ֥ר מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
For not an enemy reproaches me, and I would bear; not one hating me against me has made great, and I would hide myself from him.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | כִּי | ki | “for” | Conj |
| 2 | לֹא | lo | “not” | Neg |
| 3 | אֹויֵב | ʾoyev | “enemy” | N(ms) |
| 4 | יְחָרְפֵנִי | yeḥarfenī | “he reproaches me” | Piel imperfect 3ms + suff 1cs |
| 5 | וְאֶשָּׂא | ve-ʾessa | “and I would bear” | Qal cohortative 1cs |
| 6 | לֹא | lo | “not” | Neg |
| 7 | מְשַׂנְאִי | mesanʾī | “one hating me” | Piel ptc ms + suff 1cs |
| 8 | עָלַי | ʿalay | “against me” | Prep עַל + suff 1cs |
| 9 | הִגְדִּיל | higdil | “has made great” | Hiphil perfect 3ms |
| 10 | וְאֶסָּתֵר | ve-ʾessater | “and I would hide myself” | Niphal cohortative 1cs |
| 11 | מִמֶּנּוּ | mimmennu | “from him” | Prep מִן + suff 3ms |
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces explanation or contrast.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the clause. The emphatic negation לֹא… לֹא gains force by fronting the particle. The unusual word order—לֹא־אֹויֵב (“not an enemy”) instead of the standard אֹויֵב לֹא (“an enemy does not”)—places the identity of the betrayer at the center of shock. The translation preserves this staccato emphasis, mirroring the abruptness of the Hebrew.
- אֹויֵב (ʾoyev) – Root: איב (ʾ-y-b); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Qal participle masculine singular used substantively; Translation: “enemy”; Notes: Indicates a hostile opponent.
- יְחָרְפֵנִי (yeḥarfenī) – Root: חרף (ḥ-r-p̄); Root Type: I-Guttural (ח) (weak); Binyan: Piel; Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “he reproaches me”; Notes: Indicates verbal insult or disgrace. The verb “reproaches” (from the root חרף) is in the Piel stem, indicating intensive, cutting insult.
- וְאֶשָּׂא (ve-ʾessa) – Root: נשׂא (n-ś-ʾ); Root Type: I-Nun (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal cohortative 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I would bear”; Notes: Expresses willingness to endure. The verb וְאֶשָּׂא is a Qal imperfect 1cs. Rendering it as “I would bear” rather than “I will bear” captures the counterfactual mood: “If it were an enemy, I could bear it.” This interpretive literalism conveys the hypothetical force of the clause while preserving the Hebrew form.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Repeats negation for emphasis.
- מְשַׂנְאִי (mesanʾī) – Root: שׂנא (ś-n-ʾ); Root Type: III-Guttural (א) (weak); Binyan: Piel; Form: Piel participle masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “one hating me”; Notes: Describes an active enemy characterized by hatred.
- עָלַי (ʿalay) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle with suffix; Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “against me”; Notes: Indicates opposition directed toward the speaker.
- הִגְדִּיל (higdil) – Root: גדל (g-d-l); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Hiphil; Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has made great”; Notes: Refers to magnifying oneself arrogantly. The verb הִגְדִּיל is a Hiphil perfect 3ms, literally meaning “has magnified” or “made great.” Paired with עָלַי (“against me”), the idiom conveys “he has magnified himself in pride or insolence against me.” Retaining “has made great” stays true to the root גדל, leaving the reader to infer whether ego, speech, or power is what has been magnified.
- וְאֶסָּתֵר (ve-ʾessater) – Root: סתר (s-t-r); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Niphal; Form: Conjunction וְ + Niphal cohortative 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I would hide myself”; Notes: Expresses desire to withdraw or conceal oneself. It mirrors the language of מִסְתַּתֵּר in Psalm 54:2, where the Zifim describe Dawid as concealing himself. Here, the betrayer is one from whom Dawid cannot hide, intensifying the sense of vulnerability.
- מִמֶּנּוּ (mimmennu) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle with suffix; Form: Preposition מִן + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “from him”; Notes: Indicates separation or avoidance.