אַל־תַּהַרְגֵ֤ם פֶּן־יִשְׁכְּח֬וּ עַמִּ֗י הֲנִיעֵ֣מֹו בְ֭חֵילְךָ וְהֹורִידֵ֑מֹו מָֽגִנֵּ֣נוּ אֲדֹנָֽי׃
Do not kill them, lest my people forget. Make them wander by your strength, and bring them down, O our shield, Lord.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אַל | ʾal | “do not” | Negative particle |
| 2 | תַּהַרְגֵם | tahargem | “you kill them” | Qal yiqtol 2ms + suff 3mp |
| 3 | פֶּן | pen | “lest” | Negative conjunction |
| 4 | יִשְׁכְּחוּ | yishkeḥu | “they forget” | Qal yiqtol 3mp |
| 5 | עַמִּי | ʿammi | “my people” | N(ms) + suff 1cs |
| 6 | הֲנִיעֵמוֹ | haniʿemo | “make them wander” | Hifil imperative ms + suff 3mp |
| 7 | בְחֵילְךָ | veḥeilekha | “by your strength” | Prep בְּ + N(ms) + suff 2ms |
| 8 | וְהֹורִידֵמוֹ | ve-horidemo | “and bring them down” | Hifil imperative ms + suff 3mp |
| 9 | מָגִנֵּנוּ | maginnenu | “our shield” | N(ms) + suff 1cp |
| 10 | אֲדֹנָי | ʾAdonai | “Lord” | Divine title |
Morphology
- אַל (ʾal) – Root: אל (ʾal); Root Type: Particle, non-verbal; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Do not”; Notes: Used with an imperfect verb to express prohibition.
- תַּהַרְגֵם (tahargem) – Root: הרג (h-r-g); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Yiqtol (imperfect) 2nd person masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “You kill them”; Notes: Addressed directly to God with the negative particle אַל, expressing a prohibition.
- פֶּן (pen) – Root: פן (pen); Root Type: Particle, non-verbal; Form: Negative conjunction; Translation: “Lest”; Notes: Introduces the undesirable consequence that would follow.
- יִשְׁכְּחוּ (yishkeḥu) – Root: שׁכח (sh-k-ḥ); Root Type: III-Guttural; Binyan: Qal; Form: Yiqtol (imperfect) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “They forget”; Notes: Refers to the people forgetting God’s judgment if the enemies are destroyed too quickly.
- עַמִּי (ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Root Type: Geminate; Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “My people”; Notes: The possessive suffix identifies the covenant community.
- הֲנִיעֵמוֹ (haniʿemo) – Root: נוע (n-w-ʿ); Root Type: Hollow; Binyan: Hifil; Form: Imperative masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “Make them wander”; Notes: The causative Hifil requests that God make the enemies wander instead of destroying them immediately.
- בְחֵילְךָ (veḥeilekha) – Root: חיל (ḥ-y-l); Root Type: Hollow; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “By your strength”; Notes: The preposition indicates the means by which God acts.
- וְהֹורִידֵמוֹ (ve-horidemo) – Root: ירד (y-r-d); Root Type: I-Yod; Binyan: Hifil; Form: Conjunction וְ + imperative masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And bring them down”; Notes: The Hifil expresses causing the enemies to be brought low or humbled.
- מָגִנֵּנוּ (maginnenu) – Root: גנן (g-n-n); Root Type: Geminate; Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person common plural; Translation: “Our shield”; Notes: A metaphorical title for God as the protector of his people.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾAdonai) – Root: אדן (ʾ-d-n); Root Type: Strong; Form: Divine title, masculine plural of majesty used as a singular proper title; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: A reverential title addressing the God of Yisraʾel. It is read in place of the Tetragrammaton where appropriate in Jewish tradition, though here it appears as the written form.