יְהוִ֤ה אֲדֹנָי֙ חֵילִ֔י וַיָּ֤שֶׂם רַגְלַי֙ כָּֽאַיָּלֹ֔ות וְעַ֥ל בָּמֹותַ֖י יַדְרִכֵ֑נִי לַמְנַצֵּ֖חַ בִּנְגִינֹותָֽי׃
YHWH, the Lord, is my strength, and He makes my feet like the does; and upon my high places He causes me to tread. To the choirmaster, with my stringed instruments.
Morphology
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of Israel’s God.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural of majesty; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Title expressing authority.
- חֵילִי (ḥeyli) – Root: חיל (ḥayil); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my strength”; Notes: Indicates physical and spiritual empowerment.
- וַיָּשֶׂם (va-yasem) – Root: שים (sim); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “and He makes”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s transforming action.
- רַגְלַי (raglay) – Root: רגל (regel); Form: Noun feminine plural + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my feet”; Notes: Symbol of mobility and stability.
- כָּאַיָּלֹות (ka-ayyalot) – Root: איל (ayyal); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine plural; Translation: “like the does”; Notes: Does move swiftly and sure-footedly on rocky heights.
- וְעַל (ve-ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Conjunction + preposition עַל; Translation: “and upon”; Notes: Introduces the location of action.
- בָּמֹותַי (ba-motay) – Root: במה (bamah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my high places”; Notes: Symbolic of victory, spiritual elevation, or literal heights.
- יַדְרִכֵנִי (yadrikheni) – Root: דרך (darakh); Form: Hiphil imperfect 3ms + suffix 1cs; Translation: “He causes me to tread”; Notes: Hiphil expresses causative action—God making the prophet walk securely.
- לַמְנַצֵּחַ (la-menatseaḥ) – Root: נצח (natsaḥ); Form: Preposition לְ + Piel participle masculine singular; Translation: “to the choirmaster”; Notes: Standard superscriptional formula in Psalms; here concluding the prayer.
- בִּנְגִינֹותָי (bi-neginotay) – Root: נגן (nagan); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural + suffix 1cs; Translation: “with my stringed instruments”; Notes: Indicates musical accompaniment for the prayer/hymn.