--- title: Psalms 127:1 — A Song of Ascents; of Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they… · Hebrew, tree and pragmatics description: A Song of Ascents; of Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Who acts: LORD, Ascents, watchman. Psalms 127:1 in Hebrew with its dependency tree, the Targum, JPS 1917 and the pragmatics of every clau --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.127.1/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tanakh/) / [Ketuvim](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/) / [Psalms](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA/) / [chapter 127](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA/127/) / 127:1 # Psalms 127:1 תְּהִלִּים **Who acts:** LORD, Ascents, watchman · **What happens:** build, labour, keep, wake · **To what, where:** house, vain, city This is Psalms 127:1 from Mova's open Bible corpus, the Tanakh in three languages (Ketuvim — the Writings). The page gives the verse in Hebrew as the Westminster Leningrad Codex has it, its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, built from MACULA Hebrew — and its pragmatics: who acts — LORD, Ascents, watchman — and what happens in the verse to house, vain, city, read clause by clause by Mova's frames. Beside it stand the Aramaic of the Targum and the English of the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 translation, each English sentence with a tree of its own. It is one of the 150 chapters of Psalms on this site, all built by Mova itself from its own trees, with no large model in between. שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּֽעֲל֗וֹת לִשְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥האִם־יְהוָ֤ה ׀ לֹא־יִבְנֶ֬ה בַ֗יִת שָׁ֤וְא ׀ עָמְל֣וּ בוֹנָ֣יו בּ֑וֹ אִם־יְהוָ֥ה לֹֽא־יִשְׁמָר־עִ֝֗יר שָׁ֤וְא ׀ שָׁקַ֬ד שׁוֹמֵֽר׃ [A Song of Ascents; of Solomon.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PSA.2396/) [Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PSA.2397/) ## The tree {#tree} Right to left, as the Hebrew is read; a prefix or suffix is a word of its own, and a line under the words joins those written as one. Under each word its part of speech and MACULA's English gloss. ```conllu rtl gloss # sent_id = wlc:PSA:2246 # text = שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּֽעֲל֗וֹת לִשְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥האִם־יְהוָ֤ה ׀ לֹא־יִבְנֶ֬ה בַ֗יִת שָׁ֤וְא ׀ עָמְל֣וּ בוֹנָ֣יו בּ֑וֹ אִם־יְהוָ֥ה לֹֽא־יִשְׁמָר־עִ֝֗יר שָׁ֤וְא ׀ שָׁקַ֬ד שׁוֹמֵֽר׃ # verse = PSA.127.1 1 שִׁ֥יר שִׁיר NOUN _ Number=Sing 5 nsubj _ Gloss=the.song|Ref=PSA_127:1!1|MId=o191270010011|Strong=7892 2-3 הַֽמַּֽעֲל֗וֹת _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2 הַֽ הַ DET _ PronType=Art 3 det _ Gloss=of|Ref=PSA_127:1!2|MId=o191270010021|Strong=1886a|Type=definite_article 3 מַּֽעֲל֗וֹת מַעֲלָה NOUN _ Gender=Fem|Number=Plur 1 compound:smixut _ Gloss=the.ascents|Ref=PSA_127:1!2|MId=o191270010022|Strong=4609 4-6 לִשְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥האִם־ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4 לִ לְ ADP _ _ 5 case _ Gloss=of|Ref=PSA_127:1!3|MId=o191270010031|Strong=3807a 5 שְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥ה שְׁלֹמֹה PROPN _ _ 0 root _ Gloss=Solomon|Ref=PSA_127:1!3|MId=o191270010032|Strong=8010 6 אִם־ אִם SCONJ _ _ 10 mark _ Gloss=if|Ref=PSA_127:1!4|MId=o191270010041|Strong=0518 7 יְהוָ֤ה יהוה PROPN _ _ 10 nsubj _ Gloss=Yahweh|Ref=PSA_127:1!5|MId=o191270010051|Strong=3068 8 ׀ ׀ PUNCT _ _ 7 punct _ Ref=PSA_127:1!5 9 לֹא־ לֹא ADV _ _ 10 advmod _ Gloss=not|Ref=PSA_127:1!6|MId=o191270010061|Strong=3808|Type=negative|SpaceAfter=No 10 יִבְנֶ֬ה בָּנָה VERB _ Gender=Masc|HebBinyan=QAL|Number=Sing|Person=3 14 advcl _ Gloss=he.will.build|Ref=PSA_127:1!7|MId=o191270010071|Strong=1129|Frame=A0:191270010051;A1:191270010081;|Type=yiqtol 11 בַ֗יִת בַּיִת NOUN _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 10 obj _ Gloss=a.house|Ref=PSA_127:1!8|MId=o191270010081|Strong=1004 12 שָׁ֤וְא שָׁוְא NOUN _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 14 obl _ Gloss=vanity|Ref=PSA_127:1!9|MId=o191270010091|Strong=7723 13 ׀ ׀ PUNCT _ _ 12 punct _ Ref=PSA_127:1!9 14 עָמְל֣וּ עָמַל VERB _ Gender=Com|HebBinyan=QAL|Number=Plur|Person=3 5 parataxis _ Gloss=they.have.toiled|Ref=PSA_127:1!10|MId=o191270010101|Strong=5998|Frame=A0:191270010111;|Type=qatal 15-16 בוֹנָ֣יו _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 15 בוֹנָ֣י בָּנָה VERB _ Gender=Masc|HebBinyan=QAL|Number=Plur 14 nsubj _ Gloss=builders|Ref=PSA_127:1!11|MId=o191270010111|Strong=1129|Frame=A1:191270010112;|Type=participle_active 16 ו הוּא PRON _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 15 nmod:poss _ Gloss=its|Ref=PSA_127:1!11|MId=o191270010112|Strong=2050c|Type=pronominal 17-18 בּ֑וֹ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 17 בּ בְּ ADP _ _ 18 case _ Gloss=in|Ref=PSA_127:1!12|MId=o191270010121|Strong=0871a 18 ֑וֹ הוּא PRON _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 14 obl _ Gloss=it|Ref=PSA_127:1!12|MId=o191270010122|Strong=2050c|Type=pronominal 19 אִם־ אִם SCONJ _ _ 22 mark _ Gloss=if|Ref=PSA_127:1!13|MId=o191270010131|Strong=0518|SpaceAfter=No 20 יְהוָ֥ה יהוה PROPN _ _ 22 nsubj _ Gloss=Yahweh|Ref=PSA_127:1!14|MId=o191270010141|Strong=3068 21 לֹֽא־ לֹא ADV _ _ 22 advmod _ Gloss=not|Ref=PSA_127:1!15|MId=o191270010151|Strong=3808|Type=negative|SpaceAfter=No 22 יִשְׁמָר־ שָׁמַר VERB _ Gender=Masc|HebBinyan=QAL|Number=Sing|Person=3 26 advcl _ Gloss=he.will.watch.over|Ref=PSA_127:1!16|MId=o191270010161|Strong=8104|Frame=A0:191270010141;A1:191270010171;|Type=yiqtol|SpaceAfter=No 23 עִ֝֗יר עִיר NOUN _ Gender=Fem|Number=Sing 22 obj _ Gloss=a.city|Ref=PSA_127:1!17|MId=o191270010171|Strong=5892 24 שָׁ֤וְא שָׁוְא NOUN _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 26 obl _ Gloss=vanity|Ref=PSA_127:1!18|MId=o191270010181|Strong=7723 25 ׀ ׀ PUNCT _ _ 24 punct _ Ref=PSA_127:1!18 26 שָׁקַ֬ד שָׁקַד VERB _ Gender=Masc|HebBinyan=QAL|Number=Sing|Person=3 5 parataxis _ Gloss=he.has.kept.awake|Ref=PSA_127:1!19|MId=o191270010191|Strong=8245|Frame=A0:191270010201;|Type=qatal 27 שׁוֹמֵֽר שָׁמַר VERB _ Gender=Masc|HebBinyan=QAL|Number=Sing 26 nsubj _ Gloss=[the].watchman|Ref=PSA_127:1!20|MId=o191270010201|Strong=8104|Type=participle_active|SpaceAfter=No 28 ׃ ׃ PUNCT _ _ 27 punct _ Ref=PSA_127:1!20 ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} - form: statement - act: assert - voice: character - speech: inside a quote begun earlier - negation: yes | verb | form · stem | who (A0) | what, whom (A1) | to whom, further (A2) | who makes it happen (AA) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **not** יִבְנֶה *he will build* | yiqtol · qal | יְהוָה *Yahweh* | בַיִת *a house* | | | | עָמְלוּ *they have toiled* | qatal · qal | בוֹנָי *builders* | | | | | בוֹנָי *builders* | participle active · qal | | ו *its* | | | | **not** יִשְׁמָר־ *he will watch over* | yiqtol · qal | יְהוָה *Yahweh* | עִיר *a city* | | | | שָׁקַד *he has kept awake* | qatal · qal | שׁוֹמֵֽר *\[the\] watchman* | | | | MACULA's semantic frames: for each verb the head word of each participant. A0 is the one who acts, A1 what the act is done to or is about, A2 a further participant; AA, with a causative verb, the one who makes it happen. ## The Targum {#onkelos} שִׁירָא דְאִתְאֲמַר עַל מַסוּקִין דִתְהוֹמָא עַל יַד שְׁלֹמֹה אִין מֵימְרָא דַייָ לָא יִבְנֵי קַרְתָּא מַגָן לָעָן אַרְדִיכְלוֹי בֵּיהּ אִין מֵימְרָא דַייָ לָא נְטַר קַרְתָּא דִירוּשְׁלֵם מַגָן אִתְּעַר נָטֵיר: The Aramaic translation read beside the Hebrew. Text only: Mova has no Aramaic parser yet. ## English, JPS 1917 {#english} Each sentence on its own page, with its tree and pragmatics. A sentence that runs on into the next verse is listed under the verse it begins in. 1. [A Song of Ascents; of Solomon.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PSA.2396/) 2. [Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PSA.2397/) **Hebrew text:** Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. **Tree, glosses and frames:** MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets, available at [github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-hebrew](https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-hebrew/), [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); converted to Universal Dependencies by Mova (words in text order, a prefix its own word). **Speech act:** Mova's rules on the MACULA words (`macula prag`). **Targum:** Onkelos (Torat Emet), Jonathan and the Writings (Mikraot Gedolot), from Sefaria, public domain. **English:** JPS 1917, public domain; trees and speech acts by Mova's cycle, frames by Mova's reader (Elamur Cosmic License). Hebrew sentence `wlc:PSA:2246`. - ← previous: [Psalms 126:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.126.6/) - next →: [Psalms 127:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.127.2/) - ↑ back to [Psalms 127](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA/127/)