מַה־תִּשְׁתֹּ֬וחֲחִ֨י נַפְשִׁי֮ וּֽמַה־תֶּהֱמִ֪י עָ֫לָ֥י הֹוחִ֣ילִי לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־עֹ֣וד אֹודֶ֑נּוּ יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת פָּ֝נַ֗י וֵֽאלֹהָֽי׃
Why do you bow yourself down, my soul, and why do you murmur upon me? Wait in hope for God, for I shall still praise Him, the salvations of my face and my God.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | מַה | mah | “why” | Interrogative particle |
| 2 | תִּשְׁתֹּוחֲחִי | tishtoḥaḥi | “you bow yourself down” | Hitpael imperfect 2fs |
| 3 | נַפְשִׁי | nafshi | “my soul” | N(fs) + suff 1cs |
| 4 | וּמַה | u-mah | “and why” | Conj וְ + interrogative particle |
| 5 | תֶּהֱמִי | tehemi | “you murmur” | Qal imperfect 2fs |
| 6 | עָלָי | ʿalay | “upon me” | Prep עַל + suff 1cs |
| 7 | הֹוחִילִי | hoḥili | “wait in hope” | Hiphil imperative 2fs |
| 8 | לֵאלֹהִים | le-Elohim | “for God” | Prep לְ + N(mp) |
| 9 | כִּי | ki | “for” | Conjunction |
| 10 | עֹוד | ʿod | “still” | Adverb |
| 11 | אֹודֶנּוּ | ʾodennu | “I shall praise Him” | Hiphil imperfect 1cs + suff 3ms |
| 12 | יְשׁוּעֹת | yeshuʿot | “salvations of” | N(fp construct) |
| 13 | פָּנַי | panay | “my face” | N(mp) + suff 1cs |
| 14 | וֵאלֹהָי | ve-Elohai | “and my God” | Conj וְ + N(ms) + suff 1cs |
Morphology
- מַה (mah) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question addressed to the soul.
- תִּשְׁתֹּוחֲחִי (tishtoḥaḥi) – Root: שׁוח (sh-w-ḥ); Root Type: Hollow; Binyan: Hitpael; Form: Imperfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you bow yourself down”; Notes: The reflexive stem portrays the soul as casting itself down in dejection.
- נַפְשִׁי (nafshi) – Root: נפשׁ (n-p-sh); Root Type: I-Nun; Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my soul”; Notes: The inner self is directly addressed as if it were another person.
- וּמַה (u-mah) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Conjunction וְ + interrogative particle; Translation: “and why”; Notes: Repeats the challenge and intensifies the self-address.
- תֶּהֱמִי (tehemi) – Root: המה (h-m-h); Root Type: III-He; Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you murmur”; Notes: Describes inward turmoil, noise, or agitation within the soul.
- עָלָי (ʿalay) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “upon me”; Notes: Expresses the burden that the troubled soul lays upon the speaker.
- הֹוחִילִי (hoḥili) – Root: יחל (y-ḥ-l); Root Type: I-Yod; Binyan: Hiphil; Form: Imperative 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “wait in hope”; Notes: A command to the soul to place its expectation in God.
- לֵאלֹהִים (le-Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine plural; Translation: “for God”; Notes: The preposition marks the one toward whom hope is directed. Though morphologically plural, אֱלֹהִים here refers to the singular God.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the command to hope.
- עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿ-w-d); Root Type: Hollow; Form: Adverb; Translation: “still”; Notes: Signals continuing expectation and future reversal.
- אֹודֶנּוּ (ʾodennu) – Root: ידה (y-d-h); Root Type: I-Yod; Binyan: Hiphil; Form: Imperfect 1st person common singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “I shall praise Him”; Notes: Declares anticipated thanksgiving directed toward God.
- יְשׁוּעֹת (yeshuʿot) – Root: ישׁע (y-sh-ʿ); Root Type: III-Guttural (ע); Form: Noun feminine plural construct (state: construct); Translation: “salvations of”; Notes: The construct form links the acts of deliverance with the following noun.
- פָּנַי (panay) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Root Type: III-He; Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my face”; Notes: Often conveys presence or countenance. Here it likely points to restoration visibly reflected in the psalmist’s face.
- וֵאלֹהָי (ve-Elohai) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “and my God”; Notes: Concludes the verse with personal confession and renewed attachment to God.