לְכוּ־חֲזוּ מִפְעֲלֹות יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׂם שַׁמֹּות בָּאָרֶץ׃
Come, behold the works of YHWH, who has set desolations in the earth.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לְכוּ | lekhu | “come” | Qal imperative mp |
| 2 | חֲזוּ | ḥazu | “behold” | Qal imperative mp |
| 3 | מִפְעֲלֹות | mifʿalot | “works of” | N(fp) construct |
| 4 | יְהוָה | YHWH | “YHWH” | Proper N |
| 5 | אֲשֶׁר־שָׂם | ʾasher-sam | “who has set” | Rel + Qal perfect 3ms |
| 6 | שַׁמֹּות | shammot | “desolations” | N(fp) |
| 7 | בָּאָרֶץ | ba-ʾarets | “in the earth” | Prep בְּ + Def. N(fs) |
Morphology
- לְכוּ (lekhu) – Root: הלך (h-l-k); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperative masculine plural; Translation: “come”; Notes: Call to action addressed to a group. While the literal root is הלך (“Go”), in this context, it functions as an exhortation to gather and witness. “Come” is a standard and contextually accurate way to handle this plural imperative.
- חֲזוּ (ḥazu) – Root: חזה (ḥ-z-h); Root Type: III-He (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperative masculine plural; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Command to observe attentively.
- מִפְעֲלֹות (mifʿalot) – Root: פעל (p-ʿ-l); Root Type: II-Guttural (ע) (weak); Form: Noun feminine plural construct (state: construct); Translation: “works of”; Notes: Refers to deeds or actions. Using “works” is solid; it comes from the root פעל (pa’al), implying active, purposeful deeds.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Root Type: III-He (weak); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel. Leaving the Tetragrammaton as YHWH is the ultimate “strictly literal” choice, as it avoids substituting the title Adonai (LORD) into the English text, which is common in most formal translations.
- אֲשֶׁר־שָׂם (ʾasher-sam) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r) + שׂים (ś-y-m); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak) + Hollow (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Relative particle + perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “who has set”; Notes: Introduces description of YHWH’s actions. By using “who has set,” the direct connection between YHWH and the action is maintained. The Hebrew שָׂם (sam) is a Qal perfect 3ms, so “has set” or “has placed” is the exact grammatical equivalent.
- שַׁמֹּות (shammot) – Root: שׁמם (sh-m-m); Root Type: Geminate; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “desolations”; Notes: Refers to devastation or ruin. The root שׁמם (shamam) refers to being desolated, appalled, or stunned. In this Psalm, the “desolations” are often interpreted as God bringing wars to an end by destroying the weapons of the nations (as seen in the next verse). The word “desolations” is lexically perfect. It captures the dual sense of destruction and the awe-inspiring silence that follows God’s intervention.
- בָּאָרֶץ (ba-ʾarets) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite article הַ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the earth”; Notes: Specifies the location of the acts.