Psalms

Psalm 74:3–8

³Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins,

to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.

⁴Your foes have roared within Your meeting place;

they have unfurled their banners as signs,

⁵like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees

⁶and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.

⁷They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground;

they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.

⁸They said in their hearts,

“We will crush them completely.”

They burned down every place

where God met us in the land.

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
Turn	הָרִ֣ימָה	hā·rî·māh	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H7311 be high, exalted, rise
Your steps	פְ֭עָמֶיךָ	p̄ə·‘ā·me·ḵā	Noun - feminine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H6471 beat, foot, anvil, occurrence
to the everlasting	נֶ֑צַח	ne·ṣaḥ	Noun - masculine singular	H5331 eminence, enduring, everlastingness, perpetuity
ruins	לְמַשֻּׁא֣וֹת	lə·maš·šu·’ō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine plural construct	H4876 ruin
to everything	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
in the sanctuary	בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃	baq·qō·ḏeš	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6944 sacred, sanctity
the enemy	אוֹיֵ֣ב	’ō·w·yêḇ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H341 be hostile to
has destroyed	הֵרַ֖ע	hê·ra‘	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7489 be evil, bad

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Your foes	צֹ֭רְרֶיךָ	ṣō·rə·re·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H6887 bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, cramped
have roared	שָׁאֲג֣וּ	šā·’ă·ḡū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H7580 roar
within	בְּקֶ֣רֶב	bə·qe·reḇ	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H7130 inward part, midst
Your meeting place	מוֹעֲדֶ֑ךָ	mō·w·‘ă·ḏe·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H4150 appointed time, place, meeting
they have unfurled	שָׂ֖מוּ	śā·mū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H7760 put, place, set
their banners	אוֹתֹתָ֣ם	’ō·w·ṯō·ṯām	Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine plural	H226 sign
as signs	אֹתֽוֹת׃	’ō·ṯō·wṯ	Noun - common plural	H226 sign

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
like men	יִ֭וָּדַע	yiw·wā·ḏa‘	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3045 know
wielding	כְּמֵבִ֣יא	kə·mê·ḇî	Preposition-k; Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
axes	קַרְדֻּמּֽוֹת׃	qar·dum·mō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H7134 axe
in a thicket	בִּֽסֲבָךְ־	bi·să·ḇāḵ-	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H5442 thicket
of trees	עֵ֝֗ץ	‘êṣ	Noun - masculine singular	H6086 tree, trees, wood

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and	וְעֵת	wə·ʿēṯ	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6258 now
smashing	יַהֲלֹמֽוּן׃	ya·hă·lō·mūn	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; Paragogic nun	H1986 smite, hammer, strike down
all	יָּ֑חַד	yā·ḥaḏ	Adverb	H3162 unitedness
the carvings	פִּתּוּחֶ֣יהָ	pit·tū·ḥe·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H6603 engraving
with hatchets	בְּכַשִּׁ֥יל	bə·ḵaš·šîl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H3781 axe
and picks	וְ֝כֵֽילַפֹּ֗ת	wə·ḵê·lap·pōṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural	H3597 club, sledge-hammer

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They have burned	שִׁלְח֣וּ	šil·ḥū	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural	H7971 send
Your sanctuary	מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑ךָ	miq·dā·še·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H4720 sacred place, sanctuary
to the ground	לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ	lā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
they have defiled	חִלְּל֥וּ	ḥil·lə·lū	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural	H2490 bore, pierce
the dwelling place	מִֽשְׁכַּן־	miš·kan-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4908 dwelling-place, 'tabernacle'
of Your Name	שְׁמֶֽךָ׃	šə·me·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H8034 name

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They said	אָמְר֣וּ	’ā·mə·rū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H559 utter, say
in their hearts	בְ֭לִבָּם	ḇə·lib·bām	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
We will crush them	נִינָ֣ם	nî·nām	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural; third person masculine plural	H3238 suppress (?), oppress, maltreat
completely	יָ֑חַד	yā·ḥaḏ	Adverb	H3162 unitedness
They burned down	שָׂרְפ֖וּ	śā·rə·p̄ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H8313 burn
every	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
place	מוֹעֲדֵי־	mō·w·‘ă·ḏê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H4150 appointed time, place, meeting
where God met us	אֵ֣ל	’êl	Noun - masculine singular	H410 god
in the land	בָּאָֽרֶץ׃	bā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land