Psalms

Psalm 50:18–22

¹⁸When you see a thief, you befriend him,

and throw in your lot with adulterers.

¹⁹You unleash your mouth for evil

and harness your tongue to deceit.

²⁰You sit and malign your brother;

you slander your own mother’s son.

²¹You have done these things, and I kept silent;

you thought I was^b just like you.

But now I rebuke you

and accuse you to your face.^c

²²Now consider this, you who forget God,

lest I tear you to pieces,

with no one to rescue you:

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
When	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
you see	רָאִ֣יתָ	rā·’î·ṯā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H7200 see
a thief	גַ֭נָּב	ḡan·nāḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H1590 thief
you befriend	וַתִּ֣רֶץ	wat·ti·reṣ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7521 be pleased with, accept favourably
him	עִמּ֑וֹ	‘im·mōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5973 with
and throw in your lot	חֶלְקֶֽךָ׃	ḥel·qe·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2506 portion, tract, territory
with	וְעִ֖ם	wə·‘im	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5973 with
adulterers	מְנָאֲפִ֣ים	mə·nā·’ă·p̄îm	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural	H5003 commit adultery

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You unleash	שָׁלַ֣חְתָּ	šā·laḥ·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H7971 send
your mouth	פִּ֭יךָ	pî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H6310 mouth
for evil	בְרָעָ֑ה	ḇə·rā·‘āh	Preposition-b; Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
and harness	תַּצְמִ֥יד	taṣ·mîḏ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H6775 bind, join
your tongue	וּ֝לְשׁוֹנְךָ֗	ū·lə·šō·wn·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - common singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3956 tongue
to deceit	מִרְמָֽה׃	mir·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H4820 deceit, treachery

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You sit	תֵּ֭שֵׁב	tê·šêḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
and malign	תְדַבֵּ֑ר	ṯə·ḏab·bêr	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H1696 speak
your brother	בְּאָחִ֣יךָ	bə·’ā·ḥî·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H251 brother
you	תִּתֶּן־	tit·ten-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
slander	דֹּֽפִי׃	dō·p̄î	Noun - masculine singular	H1848 blemish, fault
your own mother’s	אִ֝מְּךָ֗	’im·mə·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H517 mother
son	בְּבֶֽן־	bə·ḇen-	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1121 son

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You have done	עָשִׂ֨יתָ׀	‘ā·śî·ṯā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
these things	אֵ֤לֶּה	’êl·leh	Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
and I kept silent	וְֽהֶחֱרַ֗שְׁתִּי	wə·he·ḥĕ·raš·tî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H2790 cut in, engrave, plough, devise
you thought	דִּמִּ֗יתָ	dim·mî·ṯā	Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H1819 be like, resemble
I was	הֱֽיוֹת־	hĕ·yō·wṯ-	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
just like you	כָמ֑וֹךָ	ḵā·mō·w·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H3644 like, as, when
But now I rebuke you	אוֹכִיחֲךָ֖	’ō·w·ḵî·ḥă·ḵā	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular; second person masculine singular	H3198 decide, adjudge, prove
and accuse you	וְאֶֽעֶרְכָ֣ה	wə·’e·‘er·ḵāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular	H6186 arrange or set in order
to your face	לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃	lə·‘ê·ne·ḵā	Preposition-l; Noun - cdc; second person masculine singular	H5869 eye

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now	נָ֣א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
consider	בִּֽינוּ־	bî·nū-	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H995 discern
this	זֹ֭את	zōṯ	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
you who forget	שֹׁכְחֵ֣י	šō·ḵə·ḥê	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct	H7911 forget
God	אֱל֑וֹהַּ	’ĕ·lō·w·ah	Noun - masculine singular	H433 god, God
lest	פֶּן־	pen-	Conjunction	H6435 lest
I tear you to pieces	אֶ֝טְרֹ֗ף	’eṭ·rōp̄	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H2963 tear, rend, pluck
with no one	וְאֵ֣ין	wə·’ên	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
to rescue you	מַצִּֽיל׃	maṣ·ṣîl	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H5337 strip, plunder