Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Psalm 119 - Part 5 Grammar

Now part 5: ה and it must be H for the first letter. Perhaps I will even try some new first letters in later sections. My original choices are noted here. As usual Green is for Grammar. Seven of eight verses begin with a Hiphil imperative - following on two in part 4. There is not a single question - but the psalmist saves questions for laments. The first parts of the psalm continue the prayer in answer to the question at the beginning of part 2 - How will this youngster sweep the way forward - with a lot of helpful hiphil imperatives in prayer.
Help me learn יְהוָה the way of your statutes
and I will observe with foot firmly planted
הוֹרֵנִי יְהוָה דֶּרֶךְ חֻקֶּיךָ
  וְאֶצְּרֶנָּה עֵקֶב
Have me understand and I will observe your teaching
and I will keep it with a whole heart
הֲבִינֵנִי וְאֶצְּרָה תוֹרָתֶךָ
  וְאֶשְׁמְרֶנָּה בְכָל לֵב
Have me go in the pathway of your commandments
for I have delighted in them
הַדְרִיכֵנִי בִּנְתִיב מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ
  כִּי בוֹ חָפָצְתִּי
Hearten me to your testimonies
and not to unjust profit
הַט לִבִּי אֶל עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ
וְאַל אֶל בָּצַע
Hide my eyes from gazing on emptiness
in your way give me life
הַעֲבֵר עֵינַי מֵרְאוֹת שָׁוְא
בִּדְרָכֶךָ חַיֵּנִי
Hold to your servant your promise
which is to your fear
הָקֵם לְעַבְדְּךָ אִמְרָתֶךָ
  אֲשֶׁר לְיִרְאָתֶךָ
Hide my reproach that I have feared
for your judgments are good
הַעֲבֵר חֶרְפָּתִי אֲשֶׁר יָגֹרְתִּי
  כִּי מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ טוֹבִים
Here I long for your precepts
in your righteousness give me life
הִנֵּה תָּאַבְתִּי לְפִקֻּדֶיךָ
  בְּצִדְקָתְךָ חַיֵּנִי
I notice that the second half of the verses can often be read as a single thought, but sometimes requires a touch of punctuation as a second 'sentence'. With respect to the rare verb תָּאַבְתִּי taken as 'longing' and occurring only three times in the Bible - all of them in this psalm (vs 20, 40, and 174), I see that BDB and my Hebrew-Latin concordance all accept it is a valid word, not a misprint for some other word. I wonder how to express longing in the past so for now I have rendered it present. I also wonder if this word might be derived from another one beginning with alef - related to love.

Details
hvorényהוֹרֵנִיHelp me learnHiphil imperative with object pronomial suffix
yyיְהוָהLORDProper name - do you think it might be thought of as composed entirely of vowels?
derekדֶּרֶךְthe way ofconstruct - definite because of next word
xuqeykaחֻקֶּיךָyour statutesplural noun with possessive pronoun
v)ecrenahוְאֶצְּרֶנָּהand I will observeconjunction + first person imperfect qal
`éqbעֵקֶבwith foot firmly plantedadverb - play on Jacob
habynényהֲבִינֵנִיhave me understandHiphil imperative with object pronomial suffix
v)ecrahוְאֶצְּרָהand I will observeconjunction + first person imperfect qal
tvoratekaתוֹרָתֶךָyour lawsingular noun with possessive pronoun
v)eshmrenahוְאֶשְׁמְרֶנָּהand I will keepconjunction + first person imperfect qal
bkal lébבְכָל לֵבwith all heartpreposition + adjective + singular noun
hàdrykényהַדְרִיכֵנִיHave me goHiphil imperative with object pronomial suffix
bintybבִּנְתִיבin the pathwaypreposition (definite) + singular noun
micvoteykaמִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָof your commandmentsplural noun with possessive pronoun
ky bvoכִּי בוֹfor in themconjunction + preposition + object pronoun
xapactyחָפָצְתִּיI have delightedfirst person perfect qal
hà+ libyהַט לִבִּיHearten meHiphil imperative + noun with possessive pronoun
)el `édvoteykaאֶל עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָto your testimoniespreposition + plural noun with possessive pronoun
v)àl )el bacà`וְאַל אֶל בָּצַעand not to unjust profitconjunction + negative particle + preposition + noun (note I have not coloured this standalone preposition among others since there are many standalone prepositions that second 2nd team members to 1st team functions! (IOW Some stand-alone prepositions use both groups of letters.)
hà`abérהַעֲבֵרHideHiphil imperative
`éynàyעֵינַיmy eyesplural noun with possessive pronoun
mér)votמֵרְאוֹתfrom gazing onpreposition + qal infinitive construct
shav)שָׁוְאemptinessnoun
bidrakekaבִּדְרָכֶךָin your waypreposition + singular noun with possessive pronoun
xàyényחַיֵּנִיgive me lifeqal imperative with personal pronoun as object
haqémהָקֵםHoldHiphil imperative
l`àbdkaלְעַבְדְּךָto your servantpreposition + singular noun with possessive pronoun
)imratekaאִמְרָתֶךָyour promisesingular noun with possessive pronoun
)asherאֲשֶׁרwhich isrelative pronoun - verbless clause
lyir)atekaלְיִרְאָתֶךָto your fearpreposition + singular noun with possessive pronoun
hà`abérהַעֲבֵרHideHiphil imperative
xrpatyחֶרְפָּתִיmy reproachsingular noun with possessive pronoun
)asherאֲשֶׁרthatrelative pronoun
yagortyיָגֹרְתִּיI have fearedqal perfect first person
kyכִּיforconjunction
mishpa+eykaמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָyour judgmentsplural noun with possessive pronoun
+vobymטוֹבִיםare goodadjective agreeing with prior noun
hinéhהִנֵּהHereLiterally behold
ta)àbtyתָּאַבְתִּיI longqal perfect first person
lpiqudeykaלְפִקֻּדֶיךָfor your preceptspreposition + plural noun with possessive pronoun
bcidqatkaבְּצִדְקָתְךָin your righteousnesspreposition + singular noun with possessive pronoun
xàyényחַיֵּנִיgive me lifepiel (OK) imperative with personal pronoun as object

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