תַּקִּיפָא דְּשָׁלְמִין עוֹבָדוֹהִי אֲרֵי כָּל ארְחָתֵיהּ דִּינָא אֱלָהָא מְהֵימְנָא דְּמִן קֳדָמוֹהִי עַוְלָה לָא נָפֵק דְּמִן קֳדָם זַכַּי וְקַשִּׁיט הוּא:
Mighty is He, whose works are complete—for all His ways are justice; a faithful God, from before whom no injustice proceeds, from before whom [comes only] innocence and uprightness.
Inner Monologue of the Text Itself
“I am the stone,” the verse declares silently. Not merely metaphor—תקיפא, unbreakable, immovable. I speak of One whose justice needs no correction, whose every action fits the blueprint of perfect righteousness. I am written with participles and construct chains so that you never forget: the Judge of all the earth does right—grammatically, semantically, cosmically.
1. תַּקִּיפָא דְּשָׁלְמִין עוֹבָדוֹהִי — “Mighty is He, whose works are complete”
– תַּקִּיפָא — “Strong / mighty one”; adjective or nominalized form from תקף. Feminine in form, functioning substantivally.
– דְּשָׁלְמִין — Relative particle דְּ + Peʿal passive participle plural of שלם, “complete.”
– עוֹבָדוֹהִי — “His works,” from עֲבֵיד + third ms pronominal suffix.
Syntax Note
This is a construct + relative clause structure, where the noun תַּקִּיפָא is qualified by a clause: “who has complete works.”
2. אֲרֵי כָּל ארְחָתֵיהּ דִּינָא — “For all His ways are judgment”
– אֲרֵי — “Because,” causal connector.
– אַרְחָתֵיהּ — “His paths,” feminine plural + 3ms suffix.
– דִּינָא — “Judgment” or “justice,” used substantively here.
3. אֱלָהָא מְהֵימְנָא — “A faithful God”
– אֱלָהָא — “God.”
– מְהֵימְנָא — Passive Paʿel participle from אמן, “faithful,” used here adjectivally.
4. דְּמִן קֳדָמוֹהִי עַוְלָה לָא נָפֵק — “From before Him injustice does not go out”
– דְּמִן קֳדָמוֹהִי — “From before Him”; דְּ = relative, מִן קֳדָם = “from before,” -והִי = 3ms suffix.
– עַוְלָה — “Injustice,” feminine noun.
– לָא נָפֵק — “does not go out”; Peʿal imperfect 3ms of נפק.
5. דְּמִן קֳדָם זַכַּי וְקַשִּׁיט הוּא — “From before whom comes innocence and uprightness”
– זַכַּי — “Innocence,” noun or adjective.
– קַשִּׁיט — “Uprightness,” abstract noun from קשת (“straight”).
– הוּא — “He is,” 3ms copula. This final clause reinforces divine character as both source and standard of moral rectitude.
Divine Attribute Table
| Phrase | Translation | Grammatical Note |
|---|---|---|
| תַּקִּיפָא דְּשָׁלְמִין עוֹבָדוֹהִי | Mighty is He, whose works are complete | Construct chain + relative clause + passive participle |
| אֲרֵי כָּל ארְחָתֵיהּ דִּינָא | For all His ways are justice | Nominal sentence with causal preface |
| אֱלָהָא מְהֵימְנָא | A faithful God | Noun + participial adjective |
| לָא נָפֵק עַוְלָה | No injustice goes out | Verb with negation and abstract noun subject |
Beneath the Grammar, A Voice
This verse is not just an affirmation of divine perfection—it is a linguistic shield. The parallelism, the construct chains, and the participial adjectives form a fortress of meaning. Targum Onkelos does not alter the intent of the original Hebrew; it amplifies it with Aramaic grammar so that justice isn’t merely declared—it’s parsed, embodied, made grammatical.
Here, the grammar does not merely describe God.
It defends Him.
