יָג֤וּרוּ יִצְפִּינוּ הֵ֭מָּה עֲקֵבַ֣י יִשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כַּ֝אֲשֶׁ֗ר קִוּ֥וּ נַפְשִֽׁי׃
They gather, they hide, they, my heels they watch, as they have waited for my soul.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | יָג֤וּרוּ | yaguru | “they gather” | Qal imperfect 3mp |
| 2 | יִצְפִּינוּ | yitspinu | “they hide” | Hiphil imperfect 3mp |
| 3 | הֵמָּה | hemmah | “they” | Pron 3mp |
| 4 | עֲקֵבַי | ʿaqevay | “my heels” | N(mp)+suff 1cs |
| 5 | יִשְׁמֹרוּ | yishmoru | “they watch” | Qal imperfect 3mp |
| 6 | כַּאֲשֶׁר | kaʾasher | “as” | Conj |
| 7 | קִוּוּ | qivvu | “they have waited” | Piel perfect 3mp |
| 8 | נַפְשִׁי | nafshi | “my soul” | N(fs)+suff 1cs |
Morphology
- יָג֤וּרוּ (yaguru) – Root: גור (g-w-r); Root Type: Hollow (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they gather”; Notes: Describes hostile assembling. The root גור is strikingly polysemous, carrying senses of “sojourn,” “be afraid,” or “stir up strife/attack.” “They gather” preserves literal accuracy while allowing the context to supply nuance. Paired with the imagery of hiding, the phrase suggests a conspiratorial assembly—enemies clustering together in secrecy, plotting an ambush. The verb’s ambiguity intensifies the scene: what looks like mere gathering is also charged with menace, fear, and hostile intent.
- יִצְפִּינוּ (yitspinu) – Root: צפן (ṣ-p-n); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Hiphil; Form: Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they hide”; Notes: Indicates concealment or ambush.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: —; Root Type: Pronoun; Form: Independent pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphasizes the subject. The emphatic pronoun הֵמָּה functions like אֲנִי earlier, grammatically redundant yet rhetorically charged. Its presence isolates the enemies, pointing directly at them, intensifying the sense of accusation. Retaining the extra “they” mirrors the Hebrew’s finger‑pointing, marking those specific figures as the ones stalking each step. The redundancy becomes emphasis, sharpening the focus on the hostile group and leaving no ambiguity about who is being condemned.
- עֲקֵבַי (ʿaqevay) – Root: עקב (ʿ-q-b); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע) (weak); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my heels”; Notes: Figurative for footsteps or movements. The idiom of watching the heels (עֲקֵבַי) is a classic hunter’s image, conveying pursuit at the closest range. To watch the heels is to follow so tightly that each step lands where the other has just stepped. Rendering it as “my heels they watch” preserves the physical immediacy of being tracked. The enemies are not merely observing from a distance; they are tracing footprints, intent on catching a stumble. The phrase intensifies the sense of relentless pursuit, turning ordinary watching into predatory tracking.
- יִשְׁמֹרוּ (yishmoru) – Root: שׁמר (š-m-r); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they watch”; Notes: Indicates surveillance or stalking.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (kaʾasher) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “as”; Notes: Introduces comparison.
- קִוּוּ (qivvu) – Root: קוה (q-w-h); Root Type: III-He (weak); Binyan: Piel; Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have waited”; Notes: Suggests expectation or anticipation.
- נַפְשִׁי (nafshi) – Root: נפשׁ (n-p-š); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my soul”; Notes: Refers to life or self. The verb קִוּוּ is a Piel perfect 3cp, intensifying the sense of waiting or hoping. What they await is not a mere occasion but the נֶפֶשׁ, the soul or life itself. The phrasing “they waited for my soul” conveys more than patience; it signals predatory intent, a fixation on the very essence of existence. The grammar underscores that this is not passive delay but an active, hostile anticipation, a waiting sharpened into pursuit of life itself.