הַיְשֻׁלַּ֤ם תַּֽחַת־טֹובָה֙ רָעָ֔ה כִּֽי־כָר֥וּ שׁוּחָ֖ה לְנַפְשִׁ֑י זְכֹ֣ר עָמְדִ֣י לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְדַבֵּ֤ר עֲלֵיהֶם֙ טֹובָ֔ה לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ֖ מֵהֶֽם׃
Shall evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my life. Remember my standing before You to speak good concerning them, to turn away Your wrath from them.
Morphology
- הַיְשֻׁלַּם (ha-yshullam) – Root: שׁלם; Form: Hophal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular interrogative; Translation: “Shall it be repaid”; Notes: Passive form indicating the speaker receiving evil in return for good—rhetorical question.
- תַּחַת־טוֹבָה (taḥat-tovah) – Root: תחת, טוב; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “for good”; Notes: Expresses exchange or substitution—good being repaid with evil.
- רָעָה (raʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “evil”; Notes: Stands in contrast to “good” (טובה); implies betrayal.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the justification for the question.
- כָרוּ (karu) – Root: כרה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have dug”; Notes: Suggests a trap or malicious intent.
- שׁוּחָה (shuḥah) – Root: שׁוח; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “pit”; Notes: Figurative for danger, entrapment, or mortal threat.
- לְנַפְשִׁי (le-nafshi) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “for my life”; Notes: Personal danger directed at the speaker’s very being.
- זְכֹר (zekhor) – Root: זכר; Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Remember”; Notes: Plea to YHWH to recall the prophet’s intercession.
- עָמְדִי (ʿamdi) – Root: עמד; Form: Qal infinitive construct with 1st person singular suffix (used substantivally); Translation: “my standing”; Notes: Refers to the prophet’s posture of prayer or intercession.
- לְפָנֶיךָ (lefanekha) – Root: פן; Form: Preposition + noun plural construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “before You”; Notes: Indicates direct audience with YHWH.
- לְדַבֵּר (le-dabber) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to speak”; Notes: Intensive form expressing earnest plea or petition.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿalehem) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “concerning them”; Notes: Refers to those who now oppose the prophet.
- טוֹבָה (tovah) – Root: טוב; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “good”; Notes: The positive intent of the prophet’s intercession.
- לְהָשִׁיב (le-hashiv) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to turn back”; Notes: Expresses causative idea—“to cause to turn away.”
- אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ (et-ḥamatkha) – Root: חמה; Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your wrath”; Notes: The divine anger the prophet sought to avert.
- מֵהֶם (mehem) – Root: מן; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “from them”; Notes: Refers to the people now plotting evil.