אַל

𐤀𐤋

ʼAl tashchêth

not

A phrase meaning 'Do not destroy' or 'Do not ruin,' functioning as the incipit or title of certain psalms (e.g., Psalm 57, 58, 59, 75). Not a common noun or verb but a formulaic liturgical or musical direction.

H516

Psalms 58:1 · Word #2

Lexicon H516

Lemmaאַל תַּשְׁחֵת
Lemma (Paleo)𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤔𐤇𐤕
TransliterationʼAl tashchêth
Strong'sH516
DefinitionA phrase meaning 'Do not destroy' or 'Do not ruin,' functioning as the incipit or title of certain psalms (e.g., Psalm 57, 58, 59, 75). Not a common noun or verb but a formulaic liturgical or musical direction.

Morphology HTn All morphology codes

Part of Speech T — Particle — Function word
Subtype n — Negative — Negative particle

Common Translation

Phrasenot

SIBI-P1 Translation H516-01

upon, over

Morphological NotesPreposition (HR); invariant form expressing spatial, figurative, or relational elevation.
Rendering RationaleThe preposition derives from the root meaning "to ascend" or "be high," and thus fundamentally expresses a position of elevation or superposition. "Upon, over" preserves this core vertical sense while allowing for its extended relational uses.

View full lexicon entry for H516 →

SILEX v2

SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)

Do not destroy

Same as P1No — adjusted for context
RationaleP1 ('upon, over') incorrectly rendered the Hebrew formula as a preposition. According to SILEX and the usage in psalmic headings, this is a formulaic musical/liturgical instruction meaning 'Do not destroy.' Correcting to match the context and definition.
P1 FlagWrong Strong's/context/mapping—should be formulaic phrase 'Do not destroy', not a preposition.