Psalms 12:6

With the Hebrew beneath

Psalms 12:6, word by word

The sayingsאִמֲרוֹתimarot

word, saying

Saying, spoken word.

Where else “imarot” appears

of YHWHיְהוָהyehva

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.

Where else “yehva” appears

are pureטְהֹרוֹתtehorot

pure

Without a mixture of anything else, like gold with no alloy.

Where else “tehorot” appears

silverכֶּסֶףkesef

silver

A white, valuable metal, the one most used after gold.

Where else “kesef” appears

refinedצָרוּףtsaruf

test

To test people as silver is purified.

Where else “tsaruf” appears

in a crucibleעֲלִילalil

crucible (?)

Probably a "crucible" or small furnace where metal is melted. It appears only in Psalm 12 and its sense is not certain.

Where else “alil” appears

of earthאָרֶץarets

ground

What is underfoot: bowing down to touch it.

Where else “arets” appears

purifiedמְזֻקָּקmezukak

refine

To refine, to purify: to remove impurities from gold, silver or wine by straining or melting. "Refined gold" is very pure gold.

Where else “mezukak” appears

seven timesשִׁבְעָתָיִםshivatayim

sevenfold

Seven times, sevenfold.

Where else “shivatayim” appears

Translation note

“In a crucible of earth”: the Hebrew word for “crucible” appears only here, and its sense is not certain.

The context