פְּדֵ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִ֝כֹּ֗ל צָֽרֹותָיו׃
(Psalm 25:22)
Redeem Israel, O God, from all his troubles.
Redemptive Imperative: פְּדֵה אֱלֹהִים
פְּדֵה — Qal imperative 2ms of פ־ד־ה, “to redeem, deliver, ransom.”
A direct and urgent petition: “Redeem!” — addressed to אֱלֹהִים (Elohim).
This imperative expresses intimate reliance on divine intervention. It is a shift from personal reflection (earlier in Psalm 25) to communal intercession.
National Object: אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל
אֶת — Direct object marker.
יִשְׂרָאֵל — “Yisra’el,” the nation as a whole.
The psalm, largely personal, closes with a national request, aligning individual righteousness with communal hope. The grammar shows that the object of redemption is not just the speaker, but the people of God.
Total Deliverance: מִכֹּל צָרוֹתָיו
מִכֹּל — “from all,” preposition מִן + כֹּל = “from every, out of all.”
צָרוֹתָיו — “his troubles,” from צָרָה (trouble, distress) + 3ms suffix.
Refers to Yisra’el’s afflictions, personifying the nation.
The phrase as a whole means: “from all his troubles.” The prepositional phrase underscores the completeness of the redemption being requested — nothing is to be left out.
Parsing Table: Key Forms in Psalm 25:22
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| פְּדֵה | פ־ד־ה | Qal imperative 2ms | “Redeem!” — direct appeal to God |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל | — | Proper noun | Object of redemption — the nation |
| צָרוֹתָיו | צ־ר־ר | Noun plural + 3ms suffix | “His troubles” — referring to the nation’s suffering |
The Last Word Is Redemption
Psalm 25:22 closes an acrostic poem with a striking deviation — a verse beyond the expected pattern. The grammar supports the message: a singular imperative (פְּדֵה) directed to Elohim; a communal object (יִשְׂרָאֵל); and total scope (מִכֹּל צָרוֹתָיו). Syntax becomes supplication. By moving from personal to national, from first-person to third-person, the psalmist reveals that no plea is complete without concern for the whole of Yisra’el. The grammar lifts the prayer into prophecy.
