כִּסְאֲךָ אֱלֹהִים עֹולָם וָעֶד שֵׁבֶט מִישֹׁר שֵׁבֶט מַלְכוּתֶךָ׃
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | כִּסְאֲךָ | kiseʾkha | “your throne” | N(ms) + suff 2ms |
| 2 | אֱלֹהִים | ʾelohim | “God” | N(mp) |
| 3 | עֹולָם | ʿolam | “forever” | N(ms) |
| 4 | וָעֶד | va-ʿed | “and ever” | Conj וְ + N(ms) |
| 5 | שֵׁבֶט | shevet | “scepter” | N(ms) |
| 6 | מִישֹׁר | mishor | “uprightness” | N(ms) |
| 7 | שֵׁבֶט | shevet | “scepter” | N(ms) |
| 8 | מַלְכוּתֶךָ | malkhutekha | “your kingdom” | N(fs) + suff 2ms |
Morphology
- כִּסְאֲךָ (kiseʾkha) – Root: כסא (k-s-ʾ); Root Type: III-Aleph (weak); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Your throne”; Notes: Represents the seat of royal authority and sovereignty.
- אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Noun masculine plural (plural of majesty); Translation: “God”; Notes: Functions vocatively, addressing the king in exalted terms. The Vocative “O God” (כִּסְאֲךָ אֱלֹהִים). The Hebrew כִּסְאֲךָ (Your throne) is followed immediately by אֱלֹהִים (God).The Grammatical “Problem”: In Hebrew, there is no explicit word for “is” in this sentence, and no punctuation to tell us exactly how Elohim functions. Grammarians have debated three ways to translate this:
-
- Vocative (Direct Address): “Your throne, O God, is forever…” (It boldly addresses the king being married in the psalm as “God” or divine). Treating Elohim as a direct address is the most natural reading of the Hebrew syntax and the standard accepted by most major historical translations.
- Predicate: “Your throne is God forever…” (Meaning God is the foundation of the throne).
- Construct/Adjectival: “Your divine throne is forever…”
-
- עֹולָם (ʿolam) – Root: עלם (ʿ-l-m); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע) (weak); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Denotes unending duration.
- וָעֶד (va-ʿed) – Root: עד (ʿ-d); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע) (weak); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and ever”; Notes: Reinforces the perpetual nature of the reign.
- שֵׁבֶט (shevet) – Root: שׁבט (sh-b-ṭ); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “scepter”; Notes: Symbol of rulership and authority.
- מִישֹׁר (mishor) – Root: ישׁר (y-sh-r); Root Type: I-Yod (weak); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “uprightness”; Notes: Describes justice and fairness in rule. The Hebrew word mishor comes from the root yashar, which means straight, level, or smooth. When applied to a king’s rule, a “level path” becomes a metaphor for equity, fairness, and justice. A king with a shevet mishor doesn’t rule crookedly or show favoritism. “Uprightness” perfectly captures both the physical straightness of the literal scepter and the moral straightness of the king’s reign. “Equity” or “Justice” are also excellent alternatives.
- שֵׁבֶט (shevet) – Root: שׁבט (sh-b-ṭ); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “scepter”; Notes: Repetition שֵׁבֶט… שֵׁבֶט emphasizes the nature of righteous rule. The verse uses shevet twice: “A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” This creates a beautiful chiasm-like emphasis in the Hebrew. The repetition preserves the poetic rhythm of the original text perfectly.
- מַלְכוּתֶךָ (malkhutekha) – Root: מלך (m-l-k); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Your kingdom”; Notes: Refers to the domain governed by the king.