נַפְשִׁי֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 נַפְשִׁי֙

   naf-SHI

   my soul
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙

   ta-MOT naf-SHI

   let {me} die my soul
3. 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
4. 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

The Qal cohortatives tāmōt nap̄šî {תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי | tāmōt nap̄šî} ‘let my soul die’ and ū-tᵊhî ʾaḥărîtî {וּתְהִי אַחֲרִיתִי | ū-tᵊhî ʾaḥărîtî} ‘and let my end be’ express the speaker’s earnest wish.

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.