כִּֽי־֭עָלֶיךָ הֹרַ֣גְנוּ כָל־הַיֹּ֑ום נֶ֝חְשַׁ֗בְנוּ כְּצֹ֣אן טִבְחָֽה׃
For because of You we are killed all the day, we are reckoned as sheep of slaughter.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | כִּי־ | ki | “for” | Conjunction |
| 2 | עָלֶיךָ | ʿalekha | “because of You” | Prep עַל + suff 2ms |
| 3 | הֹרַגְנוּ | horagnu | “we are killed” | Qal passive perfect 1cp |
| 4 | כָּל־ | kol | “all of” | N(ms construct) |
| 5 | הַיֹּום | ha-yom | “the day” | Def. art. הַ + N(ms) |
| 6 | נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ | neḥshavnu | “we are reckoned” | Nifal perfect 1cp |
| 7 | כְּצֹאן | ke-tson | “as sheep” | Prep כְּ + N(fp collective) |
| 8 | טִבְחָה | tivḥah | “slaughter” | N(fs) |
Morphology
- כִּי־ (ki) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason or explanation.
- עָלֶיךָ (ʿalekha) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Root Type: II-Guttural (ע); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “because of You”; Notes: Indicates cause or reason tied to God. Starting a sentence with “For because of” is a bit repetitive in English. Both words perform the same function here. The Hebrew כִּֽי acts as a “For” or “Indeed,” and עָלֶיךָ means “on account of You” or “for Your sake.” It usually sounds better to pick one: “For Your sake we are killed…” or “Because of You we are killed…”
- הֹרַגְנוּ (horagnu) – Root: הרג (h-r-g); Root Type: I-Guttural (ה); Binyan: Qal (passive sense); Form: Perfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we are killed”; Notes: Expresses continual suffering or being put to death. The Hebrew verb here is in the “Perfect” aspect, but in this context, it describes a continuous or repeated state (the “all the day” part). While “we are killed” works, “we are being slaughtered” or “we are being put to death” emphasizes that this is an ongoing, daily nightmare for the speakers.
- כָּל־ (kol) – Root: כל (k-l); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular construct (state: construct); Translation: “all of”; Notes: Governs the following noun.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (y-w-m); Root Type: Hollow; Form: Definite article הַ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the day”; Notes: Indicates continuous duration. “All the day” is very “KJV-style” (King James Version). In modern English, we typically say “all day long,” but “all the day” is perfectly understandable and keeps that ancient, solemn feel.
- נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ (neḥshavnu) – Root: חשב (ḥ-sh-v); Root Type: I-Guttural (ח); Binyan: Nifal; Form: Perfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we are reckoned”; Notes: Indicates being regarded or considered. “Reckoned” or “accounted” perfectly captures the Hebrew נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ (from the root חשב, meaning to think, calculate, or value).
- כְּצֹאן (ke-tson) – Root: צאן (ṣ-ʾ-n); Root Type: II-Guttural (א); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine plural (collective); Translation: “as sheep”; Notes: Metaphor of vulnerability.
- טִבְחָה (tivḥah) – Root: טבח (ṭ-b-ḥ); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “slaughter”; Notes: Indicates being destined for killing.