יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ רֹדְפַי֙ וְאַל־אֵבֹ֣שָׁה אָ֔נִי יֵחַ֣תּוּ הֵ֔מָּה וְאַל־אֵחַ֖תָּה אָ֑נִי הָבִ֤יא עֲלֵיהֶם֙ יֹ֣ום רָעָ֔ה וּמִשְׁנֶ֥ה שִׁבָּרֹ֖ון שָׁבְרֵֽם׃ ס
Let my pursuers be put to shame, but let me not be put to shame. Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed. Bring upon them the day of evil, and with double destruction break them.
Morphology
- יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ (yevoshu) – Root: בושׁ; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “let them be put to shame”; Notes: Expresses a plea for the humiliation of enemies.
- רֹדְפַי (rodfai) – Root: רדף; Form: Qal participle masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my pursuers”; Notes: Refers to adversaries seeking to harm the speaker.
- וְאַל־אֵבֹ֣שָׁה (ve-ʾal-evoshah) – Root: בושׁ; Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Qal imperfect cohortative 1st person singular; Translation: “but let me not be put to shame”; Notes: Parallel contrast with previous clause, expressing personal plea.
- אָ֔נִי (ʾani) – Root: אני; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasizes the subject of the plea.
- יֵחַ֣תּוּ (yeḥattu) – Root: חתת; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “let them be dismayed”; Notes: Conveys fear or broken courage.
- הֵ֔מָּה (hema) – Root: הם; Form: Independent pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Refers back to the speaker’s enemies.
- וְאַל־אֵחַ֖תָּה (ve-ʾal-eḥattah) – Root: חתת; Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Qal imperfect cohortative 1st person singular; Translation: “but let me not be dismayed”; Notes: Parallels previous plea for personal security.
- אָ֑נִי (ʾani) – Root: אני; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic repetition for rhetorical effect.
- הָבִ֤יא (havi) – Root: בוא; Form: Hiphil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Bring”; Notes: Petition to YHWH to initiate judgment.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿaleihem) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “upon them”; Notes: Specifies the recipients of the requested judgment.
- יֹ֣ום (yom) – Root: יום; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “day”; Notes: Refers to a designated time—specifically of divine punishment.
- רָעָ֔ה (raʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “evil” or “calamity”; Notes: Clarifies the nature of the day—disaster.
- וּמִשְׁנֶ֥ה (u-mishneh) – Root: שנה; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “and double”; Notes: Implies intensification—twice the measure.
- שִׁבָּרֹ֖ון (shibbaron) – Root: שבר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “breaking” or “destruction”; Notes: Refers to total collapse or ruin.
- שָׁבְרֵֽם (shavrem) – Root: שבר; Form: Qal imperative masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “break them”; Notes: Final imperative for divine retribution.