2. Ozi vezimrat yah vayei li lishuah (Ayin Zayin Yod, Vav Zayin Mem Resh Tav, Yod He, Vav Yod He Yod, Lamed Yod, Lamed Yod Shin Vav Ayin He)]. Onkelos translates: my strength and my song of praise. He therefore explains ohzi (Ayin with qamats Zayin with dagesh and hiriq Yod) as uzi (Ayin with qubuts, Zayin with dagesh and hiriq Yod) and vezimrat (Vav Zayin Mem Resh Tav) as vezimrati (Vav Zayin Mem Resh Tav Yod) But I am astonished at the vowelling of the first word, which is unique in Scriptures, if an exception is made of the three passages in which the two words are joined. In all other places it is provided with the vowel "u", for example in Jer. xvi. 19 and Psalms lix. 10. In general, when a word of two letters contains the vowel "o", if it is lengthened by a third letter, and if the second letter has no "sheva", the first takes an "u": oz (Ayin with holam Zayin) makes rok, uzi (Resh with sin dot Qof, Ayin with qubuts Zayin with dagesh Yod makes jok, ruki (Het Qof, Resh with qubuts Qof with dagesh and hiriq Yod) makes ol, juki (Ayin with holam Lamed, Het with qubuts Qof with dagesh and hiriq Yod makes kol ulo (Kaf with holam Lamed, Ayin with qubuts Lamed with dagesh Vav)[70] makes kulo (Kaf with qubuts Lamed with dagesh Vav), as in Exodus xiv. 7. On the contrary, the three other passages, namely, our passage, the one in Is. (xii. 2), and that in Psalms (cxviii. 14), have ozi (Ayin Zayin Yod) vowelled with a short "o"; moreover, these verses do not have vezimrati (Vav Zayin Mem Resh Tav Yod) but vezimrat (Vav Zayin Mem Resh Tav), and all continue with vayei li lishuah (Vav Yod He Yod, Lamed Yod, Lamed Yod Shin Vav Ayin He). And to give a full explanation of this verse, it is in my opinion necessary to say that ohzi (Ayin with qamats Zayin with dagesh Yod) is not equivalent to uzi (Ayin with qubuts Zayin with dagesh Yod nor vezimrat (Vav Zayin Mem Resh Tav) to vezimrati (Vav Zayin Mem Resh Tav Yod), but that ohzi (Ayin with qamats Zayin with dagesh Yod) is a substantive (without a possessive suffix, but provided with a paragogic "yod"), as in Psalm cxxiii. 1, Obadiah 3, Deut. xxxiii. 16. The eulogy (of the Hebrews) therefore signifies: it is the strength and the vengeance of God that have been my salvation. vezimrat (Vav Zayin Mem Resh Tav) is thus in the construct with the word God, exactly as in Judges v.23, Is. ix. 18, Eccl. iii. 18. As for the word vezimrat (Vav Zayin Mem Resh Tav) it has the meaning which the same root has in Lev. xxv. 4 ("thou shalt not prune") and in Is. xxv. 5; that is to say, "to cut". The meaning of our verse, then, is: "The strength and the vengeance of our Lord have been our salvation." One must not be astonished that the text uses vayehi (Vav Yod He Yod) (imperfect changed to past) and not haiah (He Yod He) (perfect): for the same construction occurs in other verses; for example, I Kings vi. 5, II Chron. x. 17[71], Num. xiv. 16 and 36, Ex. ix. 21.