תְּנוּ֩ לַיהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֤ם כָּבֹוד֙ בְּטֶ֣רֶם יַחְשִׁ֔ךְ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם יִֽתְנַגְּפ֥וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֖ם עַל־הָ֣רֵי נָ֑שֶׁף וְקִוִּיתֶ֤ם לְאֹור֙ וְשָׂמָ֣הּ לְצַלְמָ֔וֶת ישֶׂית לַעֲרָפֶֽל׃
Give to YHWH your God glory before it grows dark, and before your feet stumble on the mountains of twilight. And you hope for light, but He turns it into death-shadow, He makes it thick darkness.
Morphology
- תְּנוּ֩ (tenu) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Give”; Notes: Call to offer due honor or response to YHWH.
- לַיהוָ֨ה (la-YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to YHWH”; Notes: The recipient of the commanded action.
- אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֤ם (ʾeloheikhem) – Root: אלה; Form: Construct plural noun + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Specifies relationship with the audience.
- כָּבֹוד֙ (kavod) – Root: כבד; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “glory”; Notes: Represents honor, reverence, or praise.
- בְּטֶ֣רֶם (be-terem) – Root: טרם; Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “before”; Notes: Introduces a warning of urgency.
- יַחְשִׁ֔ךְ (yaḥshikh) – Root: חשׁך; Form: Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it grows dark”; Notes: Refers to onset of literal or metaphorical darkness.
- וּבְטֶ֛רֶם (u-ve-terem) – Root: טרם; Form: Conjunction + preposition + adverb; Translation: “and before”; Notes: Parallel temporal warning.
- יִֽתְנַגְּפ֥וּ (yitnaggfu) – Root: נגף; Form: Hitpael imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they stumble”; Notes: Reflexive or passive sense—“be struck” or “stumble.”
- רַגְלֵיכֶ֖ם (ragleikhem) – Root: רגל; Form: Noun feminine plural in construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your feet”; Notes: Refers to the physical consequence of ignoring the warning.
- עַל־הָ֣רֵי (ʿal-harei) – Root: הרר; Form: Preposition + construct plural noun; Translation: “on the mountains of”; Notes: Marks location of danger or descent.
- נָ֑שֶׁף (nashef) – Root: נשׁף; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “twilight”; Notes: Refers to dusk, a transitional or ominous time.
- וְקִוִּיתֶ֤ם (ve-qivvitem) – Root: קוה; Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and you hoped”; Notes: Highlights unmet expectation.
- לְאֹור֙ (le-or) – Root: אור; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for light”; Notes: Symbol of salvation or revelation.
- וְשָׂמָ֣הּ (ve-samah) – Root: שׂים; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and He turned it”; Notes: Refers to YHWH turning light into darkness.
- לְצַלְמָ֔וֶת (le-tsalmavet) – Root: צלם + מות; Form: Preposition + compound noun masculine singular; Translation: “into death-shadow”; Notes: Often denotes deep darkness, associated with death or despair.
- יְשֶׂית (yashet) – Root: שׂית; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He sets”; Notes: Reinforces divine causation.
- לַעֲרָפֶֽל (la-ʿarafel) – Root: ערפל; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to thick darkness”; Notes: A word denoting gloom or impenetrable fog—strong symbol of judgment.