King James Version

Psalms 81:5

This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Psalms 81:6.

עֵ֤דוּתeduttestimonyעֵדוּתnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “testimony”, the ordinary formH5715testimonytestimony, witness.בִּֽיה֘וֹסֵ֤ףbihosefin Josephיְהוֹסֵףpreposition, noun, proper name — “in Joseph”H3084Jehoseph (i.e. Joseph), a son of JacobJoseph.שָׂמ֗וֹsamvoputשׂוּםverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “put”, a completed actionH7760to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase]…בְּ֭צֵאתוֹbetsetvoin bring forthיָצָאpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in bring forth”, the to-form of the verbH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…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,…אֶ֣רֶץeretsearthאֶרֶץnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.מִצְרָ֑יִםmitsrayimEgyptמִצְרַיִםnoun, proper name — “Egypt”H4714Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower EgyptEgypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.שְׂפַ֖תsefatlanguageשָׂפָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “language”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8193the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.לֹאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יָדַ֣עְתִּיyadatiknowיָדַעverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “know”, a completed actionH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…אֶשְׁמָֽעeshmahearשָׁמַעverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “hear”, an unfinished actionH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(81-6) He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, when He went forth against the land of Egypt. The speech of one that I knew not did I hear:

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, When he went out over the land of Egypt, Where I heard a language that I knew not.

Young’s Literal Translation

A testimony on Joseph He hath placed it, In his going forth over the land of Egypt. A lip, I have not known — I hear.

World English Bible

He appointed it in Joseph for a covenant, when he went out over the land of Egypt, I heard a language that I didn’t know.

Darby Translation

He ordained it in Joseph [for] a testimony, when he went forth over the land of Egypt, [where] I heard a language that I knew not.

Douay-Rheims

They have not known nor understood: they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth shall be moved.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(81-6) He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, when He went forth against the land of Egypt. The speech of one that I knew not did I hear:

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

He made it to be a testimony in Joseph, when he came forth out of the land of Egypt: he heard a language which he understood not.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μαρτύριον ἐν τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἔθετο αὐτὸν, ἐν τῷ ἐξελθεῖν αὐτὸν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου· γλῶσσαν ἣν οὐκ ἔγνω, ἤκουσεν.