Psalms

Psalm 35:11–16

¹¹Hostile witnesses come forward;

they make charges I know nothing about.

¹²They repay me evil for good,

to the bereavement of my soul.

¹³Yet when they were ill,

I put on sackcloth;

I humbled myself with fasting,

but my prayers returned unanswered.^b

¹⁴I paced about

as for my friend or brother;

I was bowed down with grief,

like one mourning for his mother.

¹⁵But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee;

they gathered together against me.

Assailants I did not know

slandered me without ceasing.

¹⁶Like godless jesters at a feast,^c

they gnashed their teeth at me.

Footnotes

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.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Hostile	חָמָ֑ס	ḥā·mās	Noun - masculine singular	H2555 violence, wrong
witnesses	עֵדֵ֣י	‘ê·ḏê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H5707 witness
come forward	יְ֭קוּמוּן	yə·qū·mūn	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; Paragogic nun	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
they make charges	יִשְׁאָלֽוּנִי׃	yiš·’ā·lū·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; first person common singular	H7592 ask, inquire
I know	יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי	yā·ḏa‘·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H3045 know
nothing	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They repay me	יְשַׁלְּמ֣וּנִי	yə·šal·lə·mū·nî	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; first person common singular	H7999 be complete, sound
evil	רָ֭עָה	rā·‘āh	Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
for	תַּ֥חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
good	טוֹבָ֗ה	ṭō·w·ḇāh	Noun - feminine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
the bereavement	שְׁכ֣וֹל	šə·ḵō·wl	Noun - masculine singular	H7908 bereavement, loss of children
of my soul	לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃	lə·nap̄·šî	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Yet	וַאֲנִ֤י׀	wa·’ă·nî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
when they were ill	בַּחֲלוֹתָ֡ם	ba·ḥă·lō·w·ṯām	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine plural	H2470 be weak, sick
I put on	לְב֬וּשִׁי	lə·ḇū·šî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3830 garment, clothing, raiment
sackcloth	שָׂ֗ק	śāq	Noun - masculine singular	H8242 sack, sackcloth
I humbled	עִנֵּ֣יתִי	‘in·nê·ṯî	Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular	H6031 be occupied, busied with
myself	נַפְשִׁ֑י	nap̄·šî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
with fasting	בַצּ֣וֹם	ḇaṣ·ṣō·wm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6685 fasting, fast
but my prayers	וּ֝תְפִלָּתִ֗י	ū·ṯə·p̄il·lā·ṯî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H8605 prayer
returned	תָשֽׁוּב׃	ṯā·šūḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7725 turn back, return
unanswered	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I paced about	הִתְהַלָּ֑כְתִּי	hiṯ·hal·lā·ḵə·tî	Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - first person common singular	H1980 go, come, walk
as for my friend	כְּרֵֽעַ־	kə·rê·a‘-	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H7453 shouting, roar
or brother	כְּאָ֣ח	kə·’āḥ	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H251 brother
I was bowed down	שַׁחֽוֹתִי׃	ša·ḥō·w·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H7817 bow, be bowed down, crouch
with grief	קֹדֵ֥ר	qō·ḏêr	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H6937 be dark
like one mourning	כַּאֲבֶל־	ka·’ă·ḇel-	Preposition-k; Adjective - masculine singular construct	H57 mourning
mother	אֵ֝֗ם	’êm	Noun - feminine singular	H517 mother

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But when I stumbled	וּבְצַלְעִי֮	ū·ḇə·ṣal·‘î	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H6761 limping, stumbling
they assembled	וְֽנֶאֱ֫סָ֥פוּ	wə·ne·’ĕ·sā·p̄ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H622 gather, remove
in glee	שָׂמְח֪וּ	śā·mə·ḥū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H8055 rejoice, be glad
they gathered together	נֶאֶסְפ֬וּ	ne·’es·p̄ū	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural	H622 gather, remove
against me	עָלַ֣י	‘ā·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H5921 height
Assailants	נֵ֭כִים	nê·ḵîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H5222 id.
I did not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
know	יָדַ֑עְתִּי	yā·ḏa‘·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H3045 know
slandered me	קָֽרְע֥וּ	qā·rə·‘ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H7167 tear
without	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
ceasing	דָֽמּוּ׃	ḏām·mū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H1826 be or grow dumb, silent, still

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Like godless	בְּ֭חַנְפֵי	bə·ḥan·p̄ê	Preposition-b; Adjective - masculine plural construct	H2611 profane, irreligious
jesters	לַעֲגֵ֣י	la·‘ă·ḡê	Adjective - masculine plural construct	H3934 mocking
at a feast	מָע֑וֹג	mā·‘ō·wḡ	Noun - masculine singular	H4580 cake
they gnashed	חָרֹ֖ק	ḥā·rōq	Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute	H2786 gnash or grind the teeth
their teeth	שִׁנֵּֽימוֹ׃	šin·nê·mōw	Noun - cdc; third person masculine plural	H8127 tooth, ivory
at me	עָלַ֣י	‘ā·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H5921 height