17
UnlessלוּלֵיYHWHיְהוָהhad been a helpעֶזְרָתָהto me,לִּיmy soulנַפְשִׁיwould soonכִּמְעַטhave dweltשָׁכְנָהin the silence.דוּמָה
Psalms 94:17
Study it in the app“Unless YHWH had been a help to me, my soul would soon have dwelt in the silence.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Psalms 94:17, word by word
- Unlessלוּלֵיlule
if not, unless
If not, unless, were it not that.
Where else “lule” appears- 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- had been a helpעֶזְרָתָezrata
help
Help, aid.
Where else “ezrata” appears- my soulנַפְשִׁnafshi
soul
A person's innermost self: what they feel and desire.
Where else “nafshi” appears- would soonמְעַטmeat
almost
A short while, or very nearly: barely, by a little.
Where else “meat” appears- have dweltשָׁכְנָהshachna
dwell
To live somewhere, stay.
Where else “shachna” appears- in the silenceדוּמָהduma
silence
Silence; figuratively, the place of the dead, where no voice is heard.
Where else “duma” appears
Translation note
“The silence”: the place of the dead (Psalm 115:17).
The context
16Who will rise up for me against evildoers? Who will take his stand for me against the workers of wickedness?
17 · This verse (above)
18When I said, “My foot slips,” your loyal love, YHWH, upheld me.