עֶ֤רֶב וָבֹ֣קֶר וְ֭צָהֳרַיִם אָשִׂ֣יחָה וְאֶהֱמֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע קֹולִֽי׃
Evening and morning and noon I will speak, and I will murmur, and He hears my voice.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | עֶרֶב | ʿerev | “evening” | N(ms) |
| 2 | וָבֹקֶר | va-boqer | “and morning” | Conj + N(ms) |
| 3 | וְצָהֳרַיִם | ve-ṣohorayim | “and noon” | Conj + N(mp) |
| 4 | אָשִׂיחָה | ʾasiḥah | “I will speak” | Qal cohortative 1cs |
| 5 | וְאֶהֱמֶה | ve-ʾehemeh | “and I will murmur” | Qal imperfect 1cs |
| 6 | וַיִּשְׁמַע | va-yishmaʿ | “and He hears” | Qal wayyiqtol 3ms |
| 7 | קֹולִי | qolī | “my voice” | N(ms) + suff 1cs |
Morphology
- עֶרֶב (ʿerev) – Root: ערב (ʿ-r-b); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע) (weak); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “evening”; Notes: Indicates time of day.
- וָבֹקֶר (va-boqer) – Root: בקר (b-q-r); Root Type: Strong; Form: Conjunction וָ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and morning”; Notes: Continues temporal sequence.
- וְצָהֳרַיִם (ve-ṣohorayim) – Root: צהר (ṣ-h-r); Root Type: II-Guttural (ה) (weak); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine plural (dual form); Translation: “and noon”; Notes: Completes the daily cycle. The phrase “evening and morning and noon” marks the earliest scriptural hint of a three‑part daily prayer cycle. Preserving them as distinct nouns, rather than smoothing into “all day long,” maintains the rhythmic persistence of the speaker. The triadic structure conveys ritualized endurance, underscoring prayer as a continual discipline rather than a vague duration.
- אָשִׂיחָה (ʾasiḥah) – Root: שׂיח (ś-y-ḥ); Root Type: Hollow (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Qal cohortative 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will speak”; Notes: Expresses intention or desire to pray or meditate. The root שׂיח is versatile, meaning to muse, meditate, or speak, often implying thought that overflows into words. “I will speak” is a solid literalism; in the cohortative mood it conveys firm resolve—“I will pour out my thoughts.”
- וְאֶהֱמֶה (ve-ʾehemeh) – Root: המה (h-m-h); Root Type: III-He (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I will murmur”; Notes: Indicates low, meditative speech. The verb וְאֶהֱמֶה comes from the root הָמָה, used for the roaring of the sea or the moaning of a dove. “I will murmur” is an excellent literalism, capturing the low‑frequency, persistent sound of distress. It suggests that the prayer is not always articulate but sometimes only a hum or moan of pain. The rendering avoids the trap of a polite “prayer request.” By using שִׂיח (“speak”) and הָמָה (“murmur”), the raw, vocalized reality of the Hebrew is preserved. The movement from clear speaking to guttural murmuring depicts a soul exhausting its vocabulary and descending into pure sound.
- וַיִּשְׁמַע (va-yishmaʿ) – Root: שׁמע (š-m-ʿ); Root Type: III-Guttural (ע) (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וַ + wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and He hears”; Notes: Depicts divine response to prayer. The verb וַיִּשְׁמַע is an imperfect form with the Waw‑consecutive, giving it a resultative force. “and He hears” (present tense) conveys the immediate response to the murmuring. In contrast to the two cohortatives that express the speaker’s intent, this simple imperfect marks the outcome: the speaker resolves to speak, and God hears.
- קֹולִי (qolī) – Root: קול (q-w-l); Root Type: Hollow (weak); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my voice”; Notes: Refers to the speaker’s audible prayer.