Psalms 131:1–2
A calmed and quieted soul, like a weaned child with its mother
Study it word by word1A song of the ascents. Of David. YHWH, my heart has not been lifted up, nor have my eyes been raised high, nor have I walked in great things or in things too wonderful for me.
2Rather, I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like the weaned child within me is my soul.
In its context
…
3Let Israel await YHWH from now and forever.
Its words in the original
- שִׁירshir· song
Song, singing.
- מַּעֲלוֹתmaalot· step; ascent
Step, stair; going up.
- דָוִדdavid· David
David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- גָבַהּgavah· be high, be proud
To be high, to rise up; figuratively, to be exalted or to become proud.
- לִבִּlibi· heart
Heart. In Hebrew it is not only the place of feelings: it is the center of the person, where one thinks, decides and wills; also the middle of something.
- רָמוּramu· be high, lift up
Be high, rise; in the causative form, lift up, raise, exalt.
- עֵינַena· eye
Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.
- הִלַּכְתִּיhilachti· go, walk
Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").
- גְדֹלוֹתgedolot· great
Great in size, number, age or importance; also "the elder" of two; "high priest" is "great priest".
- נִפְלָאוֹתniflaot· be wonderful, too hard
Be extraordinary, beyond what one can do; be wonderful. "Is anything too hard for YHWH?"
- שִׁוִּיתִיshiviti· make like, set
To make level, to make one thing like another; also to put, to place. Hence "to make the feet like those of the does."
- דוֹמַמְתִּיdomamti· be silent, be still
Be silent, be still, stop.
- נַפְשִׁnafshi· soul, living being, life
A breathing being, a living being. It is translated "living being" (people and animals), "life" (when living or dying is at stake), "person" (in counts and laws), "soul" (the person at the innermost: desires, joy, anguish) or "myself". In the Old Testament it names the whole living being, not only a part of it.
- גָמֻלgamul· wean, deal with
Wean: stop nursing a child, around two or three years of age. In other passages, deal well or ill with someone; ripen.
- אִמּim· mother
Mother; also figuratively, a city as the mother of its people.