Psalms
Psalm 123:1–3
1A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to You,
the One enthroned in heaven.
2As the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the LORD our God
until He shows us mercy.
3Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy,
for we have endured much contempt.
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Psalm 123:1
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A song | שִׁ֗יר | šîr | Noun - masculine singular construct | H7892 song |
| of ascents | הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת | ham·ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ | Article; Noun - feminine plural | H4609 what comes up |
| I lift up | נָשָׂ֣אתִי | nā·śā·ṯî | Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | H5375 lift, take, carry |
| my eyes | עֵינַ֑י | ‘ê·nay | Noun - cdc; first person common singular | H5869 eye |
| to You | אֵ֭לֶיךָ | ’ê·le·ḵā | Preposition; second person masculine singular | H413 motion to |
| the One enthroned | הַ֝יֹּשְׁבִ֗י | hay·yō·šə·ḇî | Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | H3427 sit, remain, dwell |
| in heaven | בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ | baš·šā·mā·yim | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural | H8064 sky, aloft |
Psalm 123:2
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As the eyes | כְעֵינֵ֪י | ḵə·‘ê·nê | Preposition-k; Noun - cdc | H5869 eye |
| of servants | עֲבָדִ֡ים | ‘ă·ḇā·ḏîm | Noun - masculine plural | H5650 slave, servant |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the hand | יַ֤ד | yaḏ | Noun - feminine singular construct | H3027 hand |
| of their master | אֲֽדוֹנֵיהֶ֗ם | ’ăḏō·w·nê·hem | Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural | H113 lord |
| as the eyes | כְּעֵינֵ֣י | kə·‘ê·nê | Preposition-k; Noun - cdc | H5869 eye |
| of a maidservant | שִׁפְחָה֮ | šip̄·ḥāh | Noun - feminine singular | H8198 maid, maid-servant |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the hand | יַ֪ד | yaḏ | Noun - feminine singular construct | H3027 hand |
| of her mistress | גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥הּ | gə·ḇir·tāh | Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular | H1404 mistress |
| so | כֵּ֣ן | kên | Adverb | H3651 right, veritable, honest |
| our eyes | עֵ֭ינֵינוּ | ‘ê·nê·nū | Noun - cdc; first person common plural | H5869 eye |
| are on | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the LORD | יְהוָ֣ה | Yah·weh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3068 Yahweh |
| our God | אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ | ’ĕ·lō·hê·nū | Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural | H430 God |
| until | עַ֝֗ד | ‘aḏ | Preposition | H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while |
| He shows us mercy | שֶׁיְּחָנֵּֽנוּ׃ | še·yə·ḥān·nê·nū | Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; first person common plural | H2603 shew favour, be gracious |
Psalm 123:3
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Have mercy on us | חָנֵּ֣נוּ | ḥān·nê·nū | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; first person common plural | H2603 shew favour, be gracious |
| O LORD | יְהוָ֣ה | Yah·weh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3068 Yahweh |
| have mercy | חָנֵּ֑נוּ | ḥān·nê·nū | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; first person common plural | H2603 shew favour, be gracious |
| for | כִּֽי־ | kî- | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| we have endured | שָׂבַ֥עְנוּ | śā·ḇa‘·nū | Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural | H7646 be sated, satisfied, surfeited |
| much | רַ֝֗ב | raḇ | Adjective - masculine singular | H7227 much, many, great |
| contempt | בֽוּז׃ | ḇūz | Noun - masculine singular | H937 contempt |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Psalm 123:1 Psalm 121:1 · Psalm 141:8 · Psalm 25:15 · Psalm 2:4 · Psalm 11:4 · Luke 18:13 · Matthew 6:9 · Psalm 132:1 · Psalm 125:1 · Psalm 120:1 · Isaiah 57:15 · Psalm 126:1
Psalm 123:2 Psalm 130:5–6 · Lamentations 3:25–26 · Psalm 25:15 · Psalm 40:1–3 · Genesis 49:18 · Psalm 119:123–125 · Luke 18:1 · Genesis 32:26 · Joshua 10:6 · Joshua 9:27 · Psalm 119:82
Psalm 123:3 Psalm 57:1 · Luke 18:11–13 · Psalm 89:50–51 · Nehemiah 4:2–4
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.