Psalms 32:3–5

In its context

Its words in the original

• הֶחֱרַשְׁתִּיhecherashti· be silent; plow, engrave

  Be silent, keep quiet, let something pass. The same Hebrew form also means plow, engrave, and devise or plot.

• בָּלוּbalu· wear out

  Wear out, grow old with time; wear something out.

• עֲצָמָatsama· bone

  Bone. "Bone of my bones" is the Hebrew way of saying "of my own family", "like me". It also means "very", "self" ("that very day").

• שַׁאֲגָתִshaagati· roaring, groaning

  A roar, like a lion's; also the loud groan of a person in distress.

• יּוֹםyom· day

  Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").

• יוֹמָםyomam· by day

  By day, in the daytime.

• לַיְלָהlayla· night

  Night.

• תִּכְבַּדtichbad· be heavy, honor

  Be heavy. In a good sense, have weight: be rich, important or honored; hence "honor" and "glorify". In a bad sense, be a burden, or become dull and unresponsive (as Pharaoh's heart).

• יָדֶyade· hand, power

  Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.

• נֶהְפַּךְnehpach· turn, overthrow

  Turn, turn over; change, overthrow.

• לְשַׁדִּleshadi· juice, cake

  Juice, substance, vigor. In Numbers 11:8, a dough or cake made with oil.

• חַרְבֹנֵיcharvone· drought, heat

  Dryness, a parching heat: the summer heat that leaves everything without water.

• קַיִץkayits· summer; summer fruit

  Summer; also the fruit that ripens in summer.

• סֶלָהsela· Selah

  Selah: a word found at the end of some stanzas of the psalms. It is probably a direction for the music or a pause; its exact sense is unknown, so it is left in Hebrew.

• חַטָּאתִchatati· sin, sin offering

  Sin: missing the mark of what God asks; also the guilt and the punishment. In the laws the same word also names the sacrifice offered for sin.

• אוֹדִיעֲodia· know

  Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").

• עֲוֺנִavoni· iniquity

  Iniquity: wickedness, a serious wrong. The same word covers the wrong, the guilt it leaves and the punishment it brings.

• כִסִּיתִיchisiti· cover

  Cover, hide; also cover over (sin), conceal.

• אָמַרְתִּיamarti· say

  Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".

• אוֹדֶהode· praise, give thanks; confess

  In one form of the verb, praise, give thanks. In another, confess: acknowledge sins or the name of God aloud. Its root sense is to throw.

• פְשָׁעַfeshaa· transgression

  A serious wrong against someone: rebellion, transgression.

• יהוָהyhva· 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.

• נָשָׂאתָnasata· lift, carry, bear

  Lift up, carry, bear. "Bear sin" is to suffer its consequences; said of God, "taking away" sin is forgiving it. "Lift up the eyes" is to look.