King James Version

Psalms 42:1

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

In the Hebrew text this line is Psalms 42:2. The heading is Hebrew Psalms 42:1.

Heading in the Hebrew text

לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַlamnatsechato excelנָצַחpreposition, with the article, verb, piel, participle, absolute — “to excel”, a verb used as a describing wordH5329properly, to glitter from afar, i.e. to be eminent (as a superintendent, especially of the Temple services and its music); to be permanentexcel, chief musician (singer), oversee(-r), set forward.מַשְׂכִּ֥ילmaskilMaschilמַשְׂכִּילnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “Maschil”, the ordinary formH4905instructive, i.e. a didactic poemMaschil.לִבְנֵיlivneto sonבֵּןpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “to son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […קֹֽרַחqorachKorahקֹרַחnoun, proper name — “Korah”H7141Korach, the name of two Edomites and three IsraelitesKorah.

כְּאַיָּ֗לkeayalas hartאַיָּלpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “as hart”, the ordinary formH354a stag or male deerhart.תַּעֲרֹ֥גtaarogpantעָרַגverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “pant”, an unfinished actionH6165to long forcry, pant.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…אֲפִֽיקֵיafiqestrong pieceאָפִיקnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “strong piece”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH650properly, containing, i.e. a tube; also a bed or valley of astream; also a strong thing or a herobrook, channel, mighty, river, [phrase] scale, stream, strong piece.מָ֑יִםmayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).כֵּ֤ןkenas... asכֵּןparticle, demonstrative — “as... as”H3651properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles)[phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (th…נַפְשִׁ֨יnafshicreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…תַעֲרֹ֖גtaarogpantעָרַגverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “pant”, an unfinished actionH6165to long forcry, pant.אֵלֶ֣יךָeleykhaamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אֱלֹהִֽיםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

BOOK II (42-1) For the Leader; Maschil of the sons of Korah. (42-2) As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Young’s Literal Translation

To the Overseer. — An Instruction. By sons of Korah. As a hart doth pant for streams of water, So my soul panteth toward Thee, O God.

World English Bible

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.

Darby Translation

As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Douay-Rheims

A psalm for David. Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

BOOK II (42-1) For the Leader; Maschil of the sons of Korah. (42-2) As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

As the hart earnestly desires the fountains of water, so my soul earnestly longs for thee, O God.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς σὲ ὁ Θεός.