וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ שָׁמַ֣יִם צִדְקֹ֑ו כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֓ים שֹׁפֵ֖ט ה֣וּא סֶֽלָה׃
And the heavens declared His righteousness, for God is judging, He is. Sela.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיַּגִּידוּ | va-yaggidu | “and they declared” | Hiphil wayyiqtol 3mp |
| 2 | שָׁמַיִם | shamayim | “heavens” | N(mp) |
| 3 | צִדְקֹו | tsidqo | “His righteousness” | N(ms) + suff 3ms |
| 4 | כִּי | ki | “for” | Conj |
| 5 | אֱלֹהִים | ʾelohim | “God” | N(mp) |
| 6 | שֹׁפֵט | shofet | “judging” | Qal participle ms |
| 7 | הוּא | huʾ | “He” | Pron 3ms |
| 8 | סֶלָה | selah | “Selah” | Particle |
Morphology
- וַיַּגִּידוּ (va-yaggidu) – Root: נגד (n-g-d); Root Type: I-Nun; Binyan: Hiphil; Form: Conjunction וַ + wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they declared”; Notes: The heavens function as subject, proclaiming openly and clearly. The verb וַיַּגִּידוּ means to announce, declare, or report.
- שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) – Root: שׁמים (sh-m-y-m); Root Type: Compound/Plural form; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “heavens”; Notes: The celestial realm as a witness and declarer. In verse 4, God called the heavens to be witnesses. Now, in verse 6, they are performing their duty. They “report back” on the Judge’s character.
- צִדְקֹו (tsidqo) – Root: צדק (ts-d-q); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “His righteousness”; Notes: Refers to divine justice and moral rightness.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the declaration.
- אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the one God despite plural form.
- שֹׁפֵט (shofet) – Root: שׁפט (sh-p-ṭ); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Participle masculine singular; Translation: “judging”; Notes: Expresses ongoing or characteristic action of judgment. Shofet is a participle. It can mean “is a judge” (a title) or “is judging” (an action). The rendering “is judging” keeps the courtroom energy alive.
- הוּא (huʾ) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Independent pronoun 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He”; Notes: Adds emphasis, reinforcing the identity of the subject. The Double Emphasis — “God is judging, He is” — is a literal way to handle the Hebrew pronoun הוּא at the end of the clause. In Hebrew, adding the pronoun הוּא at the end of a sentence like this acts like an underline or a bold font. It’s an emphatic “He and no other.”
- סֶלָה (selah) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Liturgical or musical marker; Translation: “Selah”; Notes: Likely indicates a pause or elevation in musical or poetic structure.