מִזְמֹ֗ור לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אֵ֤ל אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים יְֽהוָ֗ה דִּבֶּ֥ר וַיִּקְרָא־אָ֑רֶץ מִמִּזְרַח־֝שֶׁ֗מֶשׁ עַד־מְבֹאֹֽו׃
A psalm of Asaf. The God of gods, YHWH, he spoke and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto its going.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | מִזְמֹור | mizmor | “psalm” | N(ms) |
| 2 | לְאָ֫סָף | le-Asaf | “of Asaf” | Prep לְ + Proper N |
| 3 | אֵל | ʾel | “El” | N(ms) |
| 4 | אֱלֹהִים | ʾelohim | “Elohim” | N(mp) |
| 5 | יְהוָה | YHWH | “YHWH” | Proper N |
| 6 | דִּבֶּר | dibber | “he spoke” | Piel perfect 3ms |
| 7 | וַיִּקְרָא | va-yiqraʾ | “and he called” | Qal wayyiqtol 3ms |
| 8 | אָ֫רֶץ | ʾarets | “earth” | N(fs) |
| 9 | מִמִּזְרַח | mi-mizraḥ | “from the rising” | Prep מִן + N(ms) |
| 10 | שֶׁמֶשׁ | shemesh | “sun” | N(ms) |
| 11 | עַד־מְבֹאֹו | ʿad-mevoʾo | “unto its going” | Prep עַד + N(ms) + suff 3ms |
Morphology
- מִזְמֹור (mizmor) – Root: זמר (z-m-r); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “psalm”; Notes: A musical or poetic composition, often for liturgical use.
- לְאָ֫סָף (le-Asaf) – Root: אסף (ʾ-s-f); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “of Asaf”; Notes: Indicates authorship or association with Asaf, a Levitical musician.
- אֵל (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “God”; Notes: A divine title emphasizing strength or might.
- אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Though plural in form, often singular in meaning when referring to the one God. In Hebrew, this is a stacking of three titles: El, Elohim, and YHWH. By piling these names together, the poet isn’t just naming God; he is establishing absolute authority. In Hebrew grammar, this is often interpreted as “The God of Gods, the LORD.” It’s meant to sound like a royal herald announcing a king.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (h-w-h); Root Type: III-He; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- דִּבֶּר (dibber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Piel; Form: Perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he spoke”; Notes: The intensive stem emphasizes deliberate or authoritative speech.
- וַיִּקְרָא (va-yiqraʾ) – Root: קרא (q-r-ʾ); Root Type: III-Aleph; Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וַ + wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he called”; Notes: Narrative sequence following the speech, indicating summoning or proclamation. Dibber (spoke) and Vayiqra (called). In Hebrew, when God “speaks and calls,” it isn’t just a conversation; it is a summons. The earth is being called to the “witness stand.”
- אָ֫רֶץ (ʾarets) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “earth”; Notes: The inhabited world or land as the object of the divine call.
- מִמִּזְרַח (mi-mizraḥ) – Root: זרח (z-r-ḥ); Root Type: Strong; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the rising”; Notes: Refers to the place of sunrise, marking the eastern boundary.
- שֶׁמֶשׁ (shemesh) – Root: שמשׁ (sh-m-sh); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun common gender singular; Translation: “sun”; Notes: Specifies the rising point, forming a construct-like relationship in sense.
- עַד־מְבֹאֹו (ʿad-mevoʾo) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Root Type: III-Aleph; Form: Preposition עַד + noun masculine singular construct (state: construct) + suffix 3ms; Translation: “unto its going”; Notes: Refers to sunset, completing the merism from east to west. This is the standard Hebrew idiom for East to West. The Hebrew word order is designed to be loud. It starts with three hammer-blow names of God and then immediately moves to the ends of the earth. By saying the sun “goes” (or enters) at the end, it creates a sense of a completed cycle. The summons is universal—no one from the East to the West is exempt from what God is about to say.