כָּמֹֽהוּ׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 כָּמֹֽהוּ׃

   ka-MO-hu

   like his
2. clause🔊 תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י אַחֲרִיתִ֖י כָּמֹֽהוּ׃

   ta-MOT naf-SHI MOT ye-sha-RIM u-te-HI a-kha-ri-TI ka-MO-hu

   let {me} die my soul the death of the upright and let be my end like his
3. sentence🔊 מִ֤י מָנָה֙ עֲפַ֣ר יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּמִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת־רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י אַחֲרִיתִ֖י כָּמֹֽהוּ׃

   MI ma-NA a-FAR ya-a-KOV u-mis-PAR ET-RO-va yis-ra-EL ta-MOT naf-SHI MOT ye-sha-RIM u-te-HI a-kha-ri-TI ka-MO-hu

   Who has counted the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel let {me} die my soul the death of the upright and let be my end like his

Exegesis

Construct chains nap̄šî mōṯ yešārîm {נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים | nap̄šî mōṯ yešārîm} ‘my soul (let die) the death of the upright’ and ʾaḥărîtî kāmōhū {אַחֲרִיתִי כָּמֹהוּ | ʾaḥărîtî kāmōhū} ‘my end like his’ place key nouns in focus positions, highlighting aspiration to share the fate of the righteous. The translation renders Qal cohortatives with “let” (formal) or “I wish that” (dynamic) to reflect the Hebrew mood.