בַּלַּ֣ע אֲ֭דֹנָי פַּלַּ֣ג לְשֹׁונָ֑ם כִּֽי־רָאִ֨יתִי חָמָ֖ס וְרִ֣יב בָּעִֽיר׃
Swallow, O Lord, divide their tongue; for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | בַּלַּע | ballaʿ | “swallow” | Piel imperative 2ms |
| 2 | אֲדֹנָי | Adonai | “Lord” | N(ms) proper |
| 3 | פַּלַּג | pallaġ | “divide” | Piel imperative 2ms |
| 4 | לְשֹׁונָם | le-shonam | “their tongue” | N(fs) + suff 3mp |
| 5 | כִּי | ki | “for” | Conj |
| 6 | רָאִיתִי | raʾiti | “I have seen” | Qal perfect 1cs |
| 7 | חָמָס | ḥamas | “violence” | N(ms) |
| 8 | וְרִיב | ve-riv | “and strife” | Conj + N(ms) |
| 9 | בָּעִיר | ba-ʿir | “in the city” | Prep בְּ + Def. N(fs) |
Morphology
- בַּלַּע (ballaʿ) – Root: בלע (b-l-ʿ); Root Type: III-Guttural (ע) (weak); Binyan: Piel; Form: Piel imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Swallow”; Notes: A forceful plea for divine intervention to destroy or confound. Both בַּלַּע (“swallow”) and פַּלַּג (“divide”) are Piel imperatives in the 2ms form, marked by intensity and force. בַּלַּע recalls Psalm 52:6, where the enemy’s tongue “swallows”; here David petitions God to swallow the enemy, a measure‑for‑measure reversal. פַּלַּג (“divide”) is equally apt, drawn from the root that gives the name Peleg, in whose days the earth was divided (Genesis 10:25). The Hebrew verb בַּלַּע here lacks an explicit direct object. While many translations supply “them” or “their counsel,” the literal rendering “Swallow, O Lord” leaves it absolute—a terse command. This heightens the sense of divine judgment as an unqualified act of consuming chaos.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾ-d-n); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Reverential title addressing God directly.
- פַּלַּג (pallaġ) – Root: פלג (p-l-g); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Piel; Form: Piel imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “divide”; Notes: Likely alludes to confusion or division of speech.
- לְשֹׁונָם (le-shonam) – Root: לשׁן (l-š-n); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “their tongue”; Notes: Symbolizes speech or communication. By translating פַּלַּג לְשֹׁונָם as “divide their tongue,” the rendering preserves the direct allusion to Babel in Genesis, where languages were confused. David’s petition is not only for the enemy’s defeat but for the collapse of their conspiracy through the disruption of speech itself.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the plea.
- רָאִיתִי (raʾiti) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Root Type: III-He (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have seen”; Notes: Indicates direct personal observation.
- חָמָס (ḥamas) – Root: חמס (ḥ-m-s); Root Type: I-Guttural (ח) (weak); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “violence”; Notes: Refers to injustice and wrongdoing.
- וְרִיב (ve-riv) – Root: ריב (r-y-b); Root Type: Hollow (weak); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and strife”; Notes: Indicates contention or dispute. While it can mean a legal case or a lawsuit, in the context of “violence” (חָמָס), it refers to the social discord and quarreling tearing the city apart from the inside.
- בָּעִיר (ba-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿ-y-r); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע) (weak); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite article הַ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the city”; Notes: The setting of social disorder and conflict.