Psalms

Psalm 41:5–9

⁵My enemies say with malice:

“When will he die and be forgotten?”

⁶My visitor speaks falsehood;

he gathers slander in his heart;

he goes out and spreads it abroad.

⁷All who hate me whisper against me;

they imagine the worst for me:

⁸“A vile disease has been poured into him;

he will never get up from where he lies!”

⁹Even my close friend whom I trusted,

the one who shared my bread,

has lifted up his heel against me.^a

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
My enemies	אוֹיְבַ֗י	’ō·wy·ḇay	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H341 be hostile to
say	יֹאמְר֣וּ	yō·mə·rū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
with malice	רַ֣ע	ra‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
When	מָתַ֥י	mā·ṯay	Interrogative	H4970 when?
will he die	יָ֝מ֗וּת	yā·mūṯ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4191 die
and be forgotten	וְאָבַ֥ד	wə·’ā·ḇaḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H6 perish

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
My visitor	וְאִם־	wə·’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
speaks	יְדַבֵּ֗ר	yə·ḏab·bêr	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1696 speak
falsehood	שָׁ֤וְא	šāw	Noun - masculine singular	H7723 emptiness, vanity
he gathers	יִקְבָּץ־	yiq·bāṣ-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6908 gather, collect
slander	אָ֥וֶן	’ā·wen	Noun - masculine singular	H205 trouble, sorrow, wickedness
in his	ל֑וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
heart	לִבּ֗וֹ	lib·bōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
he goes	יֵצֵ֖א	yê·ṣê	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
out	לַח֣וּץ	la·ḥūṣ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H2351 the outside
and spreads it abroad	יְדַבֵּֽר׃	yə·ḏab·bêr	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1696 speak

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
All	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
who hate	שֹׂנְאָ֑י	śō·nə·’āy	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H8130 hate
me	עָלַ֓י׀	‘ā·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H5921 height
whisper	יִ֭תְלַחֲשׁוּ	yiṯ·la·ḥă·šū	Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3907 whisper, charm
against me	עָלַ֣י	‘ā·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H5921 height
they imagine	יַחְשְׁב֖וּ	yaḥ·šə·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2803 think, account
the worst	רָעָ֣ה	rā·‘āh	Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
for me	לִֽי׃	lî	Preposition; first person common singular

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
A vile	בְּ֭לִיַּעַל	bə·lî·ya·‘al	Noun - masculine singular	H1100 worthlessness
disease	דְּֽבַר־	də·ḇar-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1697 speech, word
has been poured	יָצ֣וּק	yā·ṣūq	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H3332 pour, cast, flow
into him	בּ֑וֹ	bōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
he will never	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
get up	לָקֽוּם׃	lā·qūm	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
from where	וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר	wa·’ă·šer	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
he lies	שָׁ֝כַ֗ב	šā·k̲ab̲	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7901 lie down

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Even	גַּם־	gam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
my close friend	אִ֤ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
whom	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
I trusted	בָּטַ֣חְתִּי	bā·ṭaḥ·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H982 trust
the one who shared	אוֹכֵ֣ל	’ō·w·ḵêl	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H398 eat
my bread	לַחְמִ֑י	laḥ·mî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3899 bread, food
has lifted up	הִגְדִּ֖יל	hiḡ·dîl	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1431 grow up, become great
heel	עָקֵֽב׃	‘ā·qêḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H6119 heel, footprint, hinderpart
against me	עָלַ֣י	‘ā·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H5921 height