Psalms 33:6–9

In its context

Its words in the original

• דְבַרdevar· word, matter, thing

  Word; what is said. Also "matter" or "thing": what is spoken about, an affair, an event.

• 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.

• שָׁמַיִםshamayim· heavens, sky

  The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".

• נַעֲשׂוּnaasu· do, make

  Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.

• רוּחַruach· spirit, wind, breath

  The basic idea is "air in motion". The same word can be "wind"; "breath", the air that is breathed and keeps life; or "spirit": the mood or inner strength of a person, or the Spirit of God, his presence and power at work.

• פִּיpi· mouth

  Mouth. Also what someone says or commands ("by the mouth of" = by the word of); the edge of a sword; "according to".

• צְבָאָtsevaa· host, army

  A great ordered company, like an army. "All their host" is everything that fills the heavens and the earth: the stars and the created beings. From this word comes the title "YHWH of hosts" (YHWH Tsevaot).

• כֹּנֵסkones· gather

  To gather: to bring people or things together in one place.

• נֵּדned· heap

  Heap, wall: water that rises like a wall.

• מֵיme· water

  Water. In Hebrew it is always plural ("waters").

• יָּםyam· sea, west

  Sea, or any great body of water (also a lake). Since the Mediterranean lies west of Israel, the word also means "west".

• נֹתֵןnoten· give, put, set

  Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.

• אֹצָרוֹתotsarot· treasure, storehouse

  A treasure, or a storehouse where something valuable is kept.

• תְּהוֹמוֹתtehomot· the deep

  The deep waters: the deep sea, the ocean, and the waters under the earth. In the Hebrew Bible it is not a place of punishment or the place of the dead.

• יִירְאוּyiru· fear

  Fear. It can be fright before a danger or deep reverence before God ("fear YHWH"). In some forms, be fearsome, awesome.

• אָרֶץarets· earth, land

  The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").

• יָגוּרוּyaguru· sojourn

  Live in a place as a foreigner, without being from there or having land of one's own. In other senses, be afraid; gather against someone.

• יֹשְׁבֵיyoshve· sit, dwell

  Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.

• תֵבֵלtevel· world

  The world: the inhabited earth.

• אָמַרamar· say

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

• יֶּהִיyehi· be, become, happen

  Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".

• צִוָּהtsiva· command

  Command, give an order; give charge to someone.

• יַּעֲמֹדyaamod· stand

  Stand; stay, remain, endure. "Stand before" someone is to serve him or be in his presence. In another form of the verb, set up, place, appoint.