אַל־יָגֵ֥ל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אַל־יָגֵ֥ל

   al-ya-GEL

   let not rejoice
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃

   al-ya-GEL lib-BE-kha

   let not rejoice your heart
3. clause🔊 וּ֝בִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃

   u-vik-KA-shlo al-ya-GEL lib-BE-kha

   and in his stumbling let not rejoice your heart
4. sentence🔊 בִּנְפֹ֣ל אויבי‪ך אֽ֭וֹיִבְךָ אַל־תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃

   bin-FOL o-vei-KHA o-YIV-kha al-tis-MAKH u-vik-KA-shlo al-ya-GEL lib-BE-kha

   in falling of your enemies your enemy do not rejoice and in his stumbling let not rejoice your heart

Exegesis

The verse presents two parallel negative imperatives introduced by the particle al {אַל־} and governing the reactions to the downfall of one’s adversary.

The coordinating conjunction vav appears in uvikkashlo {וּבִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ | ū-bik-kā-šə-lō} ‘and in his stumbling’ to structure the second parallel clause, which employs the jussive form yagel {יָגֵ֥ל | yā-ḡēl} ‘be glad’ with libekha {לִבֶּךָ | lī-be-ḵā} ‘your heart’ as the experiential subject. This chiastic arrangement and repetition of negatives create emphatic moral restraint and highlight the inward focus of the emotional response.