Psalms

Psalm 73:8–13

⁸They mock and speak with malice;

with arrogance they threaten oppression.

⁹They set their mouths against the heavens,

and their tongues strut across the earth.

¹⁰So their people^b return to this place

and drink up waters in abundance.

¹¹The wicked say, “How can God know?

Does the Most High have knowledge?”

¹²Behold, these are the wicked —

always carefree as they increase their wealth.

¹³Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure;

in innocence I have washed my hands.

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
They mock	יָמִ֤יקוּ׀	yā·mî·qū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4167 mock, deride
and speak	וִידַבְּר֣וּ	wî·ḏab·bə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1696 speak
with malice	בְרָ֣ע	ḇə·rā‘	Preposition-b; Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
with arrogance	מִמָּר֥וֹם	mim·mā·rō·wm	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H4791 height
they threaten	יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃	yə·ḏab·bê·rū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1696 speak
oppression	עֹ֑שֶׁק	‘ō·šeq	Noun - masculine singular	H6233 oppression, extortion

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They set	שַׁתּ֣וּ	šat·tū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H8371 set, appoint
their mouths	פִּיהֶ֑ם	pî·hem	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H6310 mouth
against the heavens	בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם	ḇaš·šā·ma·yim	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H8064 sky, aloft
and their tongues	וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם	ū·lə·šō·w·nām	Conjunctive waw; Noun - common singular construct; third person masculine plural	H3956 tongue
strut	תִּֽהֲלַ֥ךְ	ti·hă·laḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
across the earth	בָּאָֽרֶץ׃	bā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	לָכֵ֤ן׀	lā·ḵên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
their people	עַמּ֣וֹ	‘am·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5971 people
return	יָשִׁיב	yå̄·šīḇ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
to this place	הֲלֹ֑ם	hă·lōm	Adverb	H1988 of place, hither
and drink up	יִמָּ֥צוּ	yim·mā·ṣū	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4680 drain, drain out
waters	וּמֵ֥י	ū·mê	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct	H4325 water, juice, urine
in abundance	מָ֝לֵ֗א	mā·lê	Adjective - masculine singular	H4392 full

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The wicked say	וְֽאָמְר֗וּ	wə·’ā·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H559 utter, say
How	אֵיכָ֥ה	’ê·ḵāh	Interjection	H349 How?
can God	אֵ֑ל	’êl	Noun - masculine singular	H410 god
know	יָדַֽע־	yā·ḏa‘-	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3045 know
Does the Most High	בְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃	ḇə·‘el·yō·wn	Preposition-b; Adjective - masculine singular	H5945 high
have knowledge	דֵּעָ֣ה	dê·‘āh	Noun - feminine singular	H1844 knowledge

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Behold	הִנֵּה־	hin·nêh-	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
these	אֵ֥לֶּה	’êl·leh	Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
the wicked	רְשָׁעִ֑ים	rə·šā·‘îm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7563 wicked, criminal
always	ע֝וֹלָ֗ם	‘ō·w·lām	Noun - masculine singular	H5769 long duration, antiquity, futurity
carefree	וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י	wə·šal·wê	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine plural construct	H7961 quiet, at ease
as they increase	הִשְׂגּוּ־	hiś·gū-	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural	H7685 grow, increase
their wealth	חָֽיִל׃	ḥā·yil	Noun - masculine singular	H2428 strength, efficiency, wealth, army

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Surely	אַךְ־	’aḵ-	Adverb	H389 surely
in vain	רִ֭יק	rîq	Noun - masculine singular	H7385 emptiness, vanity
I have kept my heart pure	זִכִּ֣יתִי	zik·kî·ṯî	Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular	H2135 be clear, clean, pure
in innocence	בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן	bə·niq·qā·yō·wn	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H5356 innocency
I have washed	וָאֶרְחַ֖ץ	wā·’er·ḥaṣ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H7364 wash, wash off, away, bathe
my hands	כַּפָּֽי׃	kap·pāy	Noun - feminine dual construct; first person common singular	H3709 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan