יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ

   yi-se-makh-a-VI-kha

   your father will rejoice
2. clause🔊 יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ

   yi-se-makh-a-VI-kha ve-i-ME-kha

   your father will rejoice and your mother
3. sentence🔊 יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃

   yi-se-makh-a-VI-kha ve-i-ME-kha ve-ta-GEL yo-la-de-te-KHA

   your father will rejoice and your mother and she will rejoice she who bore you

Exegesis

The verse employs two synonymous jussive verbs—yismakh {יִשְׂמַח | yiśmaḥ} ‘let rejoice’ and ṭāgēl {תָּגֵל | ṭāgēl} ‘let exult’—in poetic parallelism.

Each verb attaches a second person masculine singular suffix to the construct nouns avikha {אָבִיךָ | ʾāḇîḵā} and immekha {אִמֶּךָ | ʾimmēḵā}, while the perfect form yōladdəṯḵā {יֽוֹלַדְתֶּךָ | yōladdəṯḵā} carries a third person feminine singular suffix, yielding “she who gave birth to you.” The coordinating conjunction wə- links the celebratory imperatives, reinforcing the inclusive joy of parents and the birth-giver. The English renders the jussive with “let” (formal) and “may” (dynamic) to mirror the Hebrew imperative mood and maintains the parallel structure for rhetorical emphasis.

Root and etymology

s-m-ḥ🔊 ס־מ־חsamach–mem–ḥet

“to rejoice”

• 🔊 שִׂמְחָהsimchahjoy, happinessNehemiah 8:10