Saturday, January 09, 2010

Psalm 119 - Part 4 Grammar

Clearly daleth was a challenge for our poet. She began five of eight lines with דֶּרֶךְ or equivalent.

Dust-cleaved is my being
give me life according to your word
דָּבְקָה לֶעָפָר נַפְשִׁי
חַיֵּנִי כִּדְבָרֶךָ

Declared have I my ways and you heard me
teach me your statutes
דְּרָכַי סִפַּרְתִּי וַתַּעֲנֵנִי
  לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ

Direct my discernment in the way of your precepts
and I will meditate on your wonderful works
דֶּרֶךְ פִּקּוּדֶיךָ הֲבִינֵנִי
  וְאָשִׂיחָה בְּנִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ

Drips my being with grief
strengthen me according to your word
דָּלְפָה נַפְשִׁי מִתּוּגָה
קַיְּמֵנִי כִּדְבָרֶךָ

Deceitful way remove from me
and grace me with your teaching
דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁקֶר הָסֵר מִמֶּנִּי 
וְתוֹרָתְךָ חָנֵּנִי

Deliberated have I a way of faith
I have agreed with your judgments
דֶּרֶךְ אֱמוּנָה בָחָרְתִּי
  מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ שִׁוִּיתִי

Determined I cleave to your testimonies
יְהוָה do not put me to shame
דָּבַקְתִּי בְעֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ
  יְהוָה אַל תְּבִישֵׁנִי

Direct by your commandments I will run
for you enlarge my heart
דֶּרֶךְ מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ אָרוּץ
כִּי תַרְחִיב לִבִּי


Details
dabqah
דָּבְקָה
cleaved is
cleaved repeats in the 7th line, qal perfect 3rd person feminine agreeing with נפש
le`apar
לֶעָפָר
Dust
Dust - good stuff - loved by Hashem, there is a preposition here of course
nàpshy
נַפְשִׁי
my being
me - dust - I cleave to other things too - see 7th verse
xàyény
חַיֵּנִי
give me life
piel imperative with object pronomial suffix
kidbareka
כִּדְבָרֶךָ
according to  your word
preposition+singular noun+possessive pronoun
drakày
דְּרָכַי
my ways
plural noun with possessive first person pronoun
sipàrty
סִפַּרְתִּי
Declared I have
first person qal perfect
vàtà`anény
וַתַּעֲנֵנִי
and you heard me
conjunction+imperfect second person+first person pronoun as object
làmdény
לַמְּדֵנִי
Teach me
imperative+first person pronoun as object
xuqeyka
חֻקֶּיךָ
your statutes
plural with second person possessive pronoun
derek piqvudeyka
דֶּרֶךְ פִּקּוּדֶיךָ
the way of  your precepts
definite from personal pronoun affixed to plural noun
habynény
הֲבִינֵנִי
Direct my discernment
Hiphil (causative) imperative - make me to understand with object pronomial suffix
v)asyxah
וְאָשִׂיחָה
and I will meditate
My earlier psalms translations are not exactly concordant - I think I will stick to meditate/muse for this word rather than 'talk'
bnipl)voteyka
בְּנִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ
on your wonderful works
nine letter 'word' 3 letter root - nice - what is it? a niphal participle in the plural with possessive pronoun?
dalpah
דָּלְפָה
Drips
Drip is the primary gloss! third person feminine qal perfect
nàpshy
נַפְשִׁי
my being
note that 'soul' throat/self/being is feminine
mitvugah
מִתּוּגָה
with grief
all those nouns are dependent on the grammatical letters - is it the verbs only that are primal?
qàymény
קַיְּמֵנִי
strengthen me
imperative+first person pronoun
kidbareka
כִּדְבָרֶךָ
according to your word
preposition+singular noun+possessive pronoun
derek sheqr
דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁקֶר
Deceitful way
the way of deceit - construct
hasér
הָסֵר
remove
hiphil imperative - hollow verb סור
mimeny
מִמֶּנִּי
from me
preposition and first person object pronoun
vtvoratka
וְתוֹרָתְךָ
and your law
conjunction+singular noun+possessive pronoun
xanény
חָנֵּנִי
grace me
imperative+first person pronoun
derek )emvunah
דֶּרֶךְ אֱמוּנָה
a way of faith
construct - the noun faith is derived from the verb again - wondering about rules for derivation
baxarty
בָחָרְתִּי
Deliberated I have
or decided - first person qal perfect
mishpa+eyka
מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ
your judgments
plural noun (derived from verb + preceding mem) and second person posessive
shivuyty
שִׁוִּיתִי
I have agreed with
qal perfect first person
dabàqty
דָּבַקְתִּי
Determined I cleave
first person perfect - note I didn't use a 'past' tense here
b`édvoteyka
בְעֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ
to your testimonies
preposition+plural noun+possessive pronoun
yy
יְהוָה
O LORD
)àl tbyshény
אַל תְּבִישֵׁנִי
Do not put me to shame
imperative+first person pronoun
derek
דֶּרֶךְ
the way
beginning of construct chain
micvoteyka
מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ
of your commandments
plural noun (derived from verb + preceding mem) and second person posessive
)arvuc
אָרוּץ
I will run
first person singular imperfect
ky
כִּי
for
preposition
tàrxyb
תַרְחִיב
you enlarge
רחב second person imperfect - could be future - again I used present

liby
לִבִּי
my heart
singular noun with possessive first person - note only one beth in this heart!

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