Psalm 21 Text

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Listen & Read: Psalm 21

Read along and listen to our audio recordings for Psalm 21. Choose between simple, unaffected audio recordings (in Hebrew or English), or a dramatized reading that takes into account our emotional and discourse analyses. You can also choose between a text-only view, or a view overlaid with our summary At-a-Glance, Expanded Paraphrase, or Participant Analysis tracking.

Simple Reading (Hebrew)
Forthcoming.
Simple Reading (English)
Forthcoming.
Dramatic Reading (Hebrew)
Forthcoming.
Dramatic Reading (English)
Forthcoming.

Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.
לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
1a
For the director. A psalm by David.
יְֽהוָ֗ה בְּעָזְּךָ֥ יִשְׂמַח־מֶ֑לֶךְ
2a
YHWH, the king rejoices because of your strength,
וּ֝בִישׁ֥וּעָתְךָ֗ מַה־יָגֵיל מְאֹֽד׃
2b
and how greatly he exults because of your salvation.
תַּאֲוַ֣ת לִ֭בּ וֹ נָתַ֣תָּה לּ֑ וֹ
3a
You have granted him his heart’s desire,
וַאֲרֶ֥שֶׁת שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו בַּל־מָנַ֥עְתָּ סֶּֽלָה׃
3b
and not withheld his lips’ request. Selah.
כִּֽי־תְ֭קַדְּמֶנּוּ בִּרְכ֣וֹת ט֑וֹב
4a
For you meet him with good blessings;
תָּשִׁ֥ית לְ֝רֹאשׁ֗וֹ עֲטֶ֣רֶת פָּֽז׃
4b
You place a golden crown upon his head.
חַיִּ֤ים ׀ שָׁאַ֣ל מִ֭מְּךָ נָתַ֣תָּה לּ֑וֹ
5a
He asked for life from you; you have granted it to him;
אֹ֥רֶךְ יָ֝מִ֗ים עוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃
5b
Long life, forever and ever.
גָּד֣וֹל כְּ֭בוֹדוֹ בִּישׁוּעָתֶ֑ךָ
6a
His honor is great because of your salvation;
ה֥וֹד וְ֝הָדָר תְּשַׁוֶּ֥ה עָלָֽיו׃
6b
You bestow glory and majesty upon him.
כִּֽי־ תְשִׁיתֵ֣ הוּ בְרָכ֣וֹת לָ עַ֑ד
7a
For you give him blessings forever;
תְּחַדֵּ֥ הוּ בְ֝ שִׂמְחָ֗ה אֶת־ פָּנֶֽי ךָ׃
7b
You make him glad with joy with your presence.
כִּֽי־ הַ֭ מֶּלֶךְ בֹּטֵ֣חַ בַּ יהוָ֑ה
8a
For the king trusts in YHWH,
וּבְחֶ֥סֶד עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃
8b
and because of the faithfulness of the Most High, he will not be shaken.
תִּמְצָ֣א יָ֭דְךָ לְכָל־אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ
9a
Your hand will reach to all your enemies;
יְ֝מִֽינְךָ תִּמְצָ֥א שֹׂנְאֶֽיךָ׃
9b
Your right hand will lay hold of those who hate you.
תְּשִׁיתֵ֤מוֹ ׀ כְּתַנּ֥וּר אֵשׁ֮ לְעֵ֪ת פָּ֫נֶ֥יךָ
10a
You will place them as [in] a fiery oven at the time of your appearance;
יְ֭הוָה בְּאַפּ֣וֹ יְבַלְּעֵ֑ם וְֽתֹאכְלֵ֥ם אֵֽשׁ׃
10b
YHWH will swallow them up in his anger, and fire will consume them.
פִּ֭רְיָמוֹ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ תְּאַבֵּ֑ד
11a
You will destroy their offspring from the earth,
וְ֝זַרְעָ֗ם מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃
11b
and their descendants from humankind.
כִּי־ נָט֣וּ עָלֶ֣י ךָ רָעָ֑ה
12a
Because even if they planned evil against you
חָֽשְׁב֥וּ מְ֝זִמָּ֗ה בַּל־ יוּכָֽלוּ׃
12b
[and] they devised a plot, they would not succeed.
כִּ֭י תְּשִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ שֶׁ֑כֶם
13a
Because you will make them turn back,
בְּ֝ מֵֽיתָרֶ֗י ךָ תְּכוֹנֵ֥ן עַל־ פְּנֵי הֶֽם׃
13b
With your bowstrings, you will take aim at their faces.
ר֣וּמָה יְהוָ֣ה בְּעֻזֶּ֑ךָ
14a
YHWH, be exalted in your strength!
נָשִׁ֥ירָה וּֽ֝נְזַמְּרָה גְּבוּרָתֶֽךָ׃
14b
Let us sing about and praise your might!

Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Text (CBC)
לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ 1a For the director. A psalm by David.
יְֽהוָ֗ה בְּעָזְּךָ֥ יִשְׂמַח־מֶ֑לֶךְ 2a YHWH, the king rejoices because of your strength,
וּ֝בִישׁ֥וּעָתְךָ֗ מַה־יָגֵיל מְאֹֽד׃ 2b and how greatly he exults because of your salvation.
תַּאֲוַ֣ת לִ֭בּוֹ נָתַ֣תָּה לּ֑וֹ 3a You have granted him his heart’s desire,
וַאֲרֶ֥שֶׁת שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו בַּל־מָנַ֥עְתָּ סֶּֽלָה׃ 3b and not withheld his lips’ request. Selah.
כִּֽי־תְ֭קַדְּמֶנּוּ בִּרְכ֣וֹת ט֑וֹב 4a For you meet him with good blessings;
תָּשִׁ֥ית לְ֝רֹאשׁ֗וֹ עֲטֶ֣רֶת פָּֽז׃ 4b You place a golden crown upon his head.
חַיִּ֤ים ׀ שָׁאַ֣ל מִ֭מְּךָ נָתַ֣תָּה לּ֑וֹ 5a He asked for life from you; you have granted it to him;
אֹ֥רֶךְ יָ֝מִ֗ים עוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ 5b Long life, forever and ever.
גָּד֣וֹל כְּ֭בוֹדוֹ בִּישׁוּעָתֶ֑ךָ 6a His honor is great because of your salvation;
ה֥וֹד וְ֝הָדָר תְּשַׁוֶּ֥ה עָלָֽיו׃ 6b You bestow glory and majesty upon him.
כִּֽי־תְשִׁיתֵ֣הוּ בְרָכ֣וֹת לָעַ֑ד 7a For you give him blessings forever;
תְּחַדֵּ֥הוּ בְ֝שִׂמְחָ֗ה אֶת־פָּנֶֽיךָ׃ 7b You make him glad with joy with your presence.
כִּֽי־הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ בֹּטֵ֣חַ בַּיהוָ֑ה 8a For the king trusts in YHWH,
וּבְחֶ֥סֶד עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃ 8b and because of the faithfulness of the Most High, he will not be shaken.
תִּמְצָ֣א יָ֭דְךָ לְכָל־אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ 9a Your hand will reach to all your enemies;
יְ֝מִֽינְךָ תִּמְצָ֥א שֹׂנְאֶֽיךָ׃ 9b Your right hand will lay hold of those who hate you.
תְּשִׁיתֵ֤מוֹ ׀ כְּתַנּ֥וּר אֵשׁ֮ לְעֵ֪ת פָּ֫נֶ֥יךָ 10a You will place them as [in] a fiery oven at the time of your appearance;
יְ֭הוָה בְּאַפּ֣וֹ יְבַלְּעֵ֑ם וְֽתֹאכְלֵ֥ם אֵֽשׁ׃ 10b YHWH will swallow them up in his anger, and fire will consume them.
פִּ֭רְיָמוֹ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ תְּאַבֵּ֑ד 11a You will destroy their offspring from the earth,
וְ֝זַרְעָ֗ם מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ 11b and their descendants from humankind.
כִּי־נָט֣וּ עָלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה 12a Because even if they planned evil against you
חָֽשְׁב֥וּ מְ֝זִמָּ֗ה בַּל־יוּכָֽלוּ׃ 12b [and] they devised a plot, they would not succeed.
כִּ֭י תְּשִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ שֶׁ֑כֶם 13a Because you will make them turn back,
בְּ֝מֵֽיתָרֶ֗יךָ תְּכוֹנֵ֥ן עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃ 13b With your bowstrings, you will take aim at their faces.
ר֣וּמָה יְהוָ֣ה בְּעֻזֶּ֑ךָ 14a YHWH, be exalted in your strength!
נָשִׁ֥ירָה וּֽ֝נְזַמְּרָה גְּבוּרָתֶֽךָ׃ 14b Let us sing about and praise your might!

Expanded paraphrase The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

This resource is forthcoming.

Participant Tracking Text Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? Our full analysis can be found in the Participant Analysis layer.

  Participant Color-Coding

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