A continuing plea, in the spirit of the psalm before it, asking why Hashem seems distant while the wicked prosper and the poor are oppressed — closing in confidence that Hashem is King forever, who vindicates the humble.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Why do You stand afar off, O Hashem? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?
verse value 2684
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "why" (לָמָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "far·off" (בְּרָח֑וֹק, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "far·off" (בְּרָח֑וֹק), "You·hide·Yourself" (תַּ֝עְלִ֗ים). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "You·stand" (root עמד, 36x in Psalms); "why" (root מה, 25x in Psalms). First appearance of the root רחוק ("far·off") in Psalms. First appearance of the root עלם ("You·hide·Yourself") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'far·off', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: לָמָ֣ה [why] (75) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + תַּעֲמֹ֣ד [You·stand] (514) + בְּרָח֑וֹק [far·off] (316) + תַּ֝עְלִ֗ים [You·hide·Yourself] (550) + לְעִתּ֥וֹת [in·times] (906) + בַּצָּרָֽה [in·the·distress] (297) = 2684.
Rashi
"You hide in times of distress" — You hide Your eyes in times of distress.
Ibn Ezra
“Why, Hashem, do You stand far off” — there is no doubt that the glory of Hashem is in every place; rather, when His power is not seen, it seems as though He were a man standing far off, therefore it is not seen — or He is near, and hides His eyes, at times when we are in distress.
Radak
'Why, Hashem, do You stand afar off?' — David did not compose this psalm about one particular matter; rather, it is a prayer that any person who is in distress from his enemy may pray. In it he describes the ways of the wicked man in oppressing the poor, and [the fact] that the poor man has no strength to be saved from him. And since for the most part the oppressor does not act openly, he describes the oppression of the wicked man, who oppresses the poor man through ambush and in secret, so that the poor man has no way to guard himself from him except that his eyes are [turned] toward Hashem. He describes the deeds of the wicked man both in the singular and in the plural, for the wicked man is one, but his helpers are many. And he also included in it the oppression that the nations of the world are destined to inflict on Israel in their land; therefore it says: 'the nations have perished out of His land' (v. 16), and it says: 'that man, who is of the earth, may strike terror no more' (v. 18). It says: 'Why, Hashem, do You stand afar off?' For when help comes from Him to the poor man and to the one who cries out, it is as if He were near to him and helping him, as it says (Deuteronomy 4:7): 'that has God so near to it'; and it says (Psalms 145:18): 'Hashem is near to all who call upon Him.' And when the enemy grows strong, it is as if God were far off and hid His eyes from the poor man; therefore it says: 'Why, Hashem, do You stand afar off?' And the letter bet of 'be-rachok' ['afar off'] stands in place of two [letters], meaning: in place of 'be-makom rachok' ['in a distant place']. 'Do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?' — 'in times' [le'itot] when the poor man is in distress.
Metzudat David
"You stand afar off" — as if You stand in a far-off place and hide Yourself in time of trouble.
Metzudat Zion
'Ta'lim' — from the language of ha'alamah (concealment).
Malbim
"Why" — following the previous psalm, he raises the question of why there is a wicked man who prospers, which is a reason it is hidden from people's eyes that there is a God who judges on earth. "Why, Hashem, do You stand far off?" — he depicts it as though Hashem always stands far off, so that it seems to us as though He pays no heed to watch, from His lofty dwelling, over what happens here below, and only in a time of trouble — which is the time when He draws near to this world and judges people for the evil of their deeds, so that then He no longer stands far off — but even then, since He does not punish directly but rather through the wicked man, who is the rod of His anger, the wicked man thinks that he does this by the power of his own hand, and likewise people think that it happens by chance and not by Hashem's decree. If so, why do You conceal Yourself even "in times of trouble" — though You are then not far off, and You do judge and punish — nevertheless You hide Yourself so that they will not see that it is You who does this? For "in the pride of the wicked, the poor is hotly pursued" — it appears that the wicked man pursues the poor in his pride and is not an agent of Hashem, but rather that he does this by the power of his own hand and in his pride (as it is written, "for he said, By the strength of my hand I have done it..." — Isaiah 10:13). (And one may also explain "You hide Yourself in the pride of the wicked" — that in times of trouble You conceal Yourself behind the pride of the wicked man who hotly pursues the poor, such that what is truly Your power is what drives him to pursue the poor, and he is a rod in the hand of Your fury; this is hidden and concealed behind the pride of the wicked man, for what appears openly is that he does so by his own power and pride.) And on this basis the poet complains that not everyone perceives what is hidden, and most are mistaken, [thinking] that the pride of the wicked man alone accomplishes this, and that it was not the hand of Hashem that did it. This is a second point: for "they are caught in the schemes they devised" — that because people are mistaken about this and think in their hearts that the wicked man does this of his own accord, through his pride, and doubt [Divine] Providence — through these very schemes they become caught in the hand of the wicked man; for since they do not recognize that it is a punishment from Hashem, and the people do not repent even when He strikes them because of it, they are given over into the hand of the wicked man to do with them as he pleases.
Through the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued, They are taken in the devices that they have imagined.
verse value 2876
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "that" (ז֣וּ) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "that" (ז֣וּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·devices" (בִּמְזִמּ֖וֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "burns" (יִדְלַ֣ק), "are·seized" (יִתָּפְשׂ֓וּ), "in·devices" (בִּמְזִמּ֖וֹת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 87x in Psalms); "poor" (root עני, 32x in Psalms). First appearance of the root גאוה ("in·the·pride·of") in Psalms. First appearance of the root מזמה ("in·devices") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'poor', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: בְּגַאֲוַ֣ת [in·the·pride·of] (412) + רָ֭שָׁע [wicked] (570) + יִדְלַ֣ק [burns] (144) + עָנִ֑י [poor] (130) + יִתָּפְשׂ֓וּ [are·seized] (796) + בִּמְזִמּ֖וֹת [in·devices] (495) + ז֣וּ [that] (13) + חָשָֽׁבוּ [have·devised] (316) = 2876.
Rashi
"he pursues" — Heb. ידלק, he pursues, as (in Gen. 31:36): “that you pursued (דלקת) me?” "they are caught" — The poor are caught in the plots that the wicked devise against them.
Ibn Ezra
“In pride” — in the pride of the wicked. “The poor is hotly pursued” — like “he pursues”; and the sense of “they will be caught” is the wicked one, who is the officer, and his companions with him.
Radak
'Through the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued' — this is openly, that he pursues him in his pride. 'They are taken in the devices that they have imagined' — 'yitafesu' ['let them be caught'] is a prayer: may it be Your will that the wicked be caught in the devices that they devised to catch the poor. And the meaning of 'zu' is like 'asher' ['which/that']; and likewise (Isaiah 42:24).
Metzudat David
"Through the pride" — Because of the greatness of his pride he pursues the poor man, and he catches him with the device that he devised to catch him.
Metzudat Zion
'Yidlak' — meaning, he chases; and likewise 'for you hotly pursued after [me]' (Genesis 31). 'Bimzimot' — a term meaning thought/scheming.
For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, And the covetous vaunts himself, though he contemns Hashem.
verse value 2565
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "wicked" (רָ֭שָׁע, 3 letters) and the longest is "of·the·desire·of" (עַל־תַּאֲוַ֣ת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "for·boasts" (כִּֽי־הִלֵּ֣ל), "of·the·desire·of" (עַל־תַּאֲוַ֣ת), "and·the·covetous" (וּבֹצֵ֥עַ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "his·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "for·boasts" (root הלל, 94x in Psalms). First appearance of the root תאוה ("of·the·desire·of") in Psalms. First appearance of the root בצע ("and·the·covetous") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־הִלֵּ֣ל [for·boasts] (95) + רָ֭שָׁע [wicked] (570) + עַל־תַּאֲוַ֣ת [of·the·desire·of] (907) + נַפְשׁ֑וֹ [his·soul] (436) + וּבֹצֵ֥עַ [and·the·covetous] (168) + בֵּ֝רֵ֗ךְ [blesses·himself] (222) + נִ֘אֵ֥ץ [spurns] (141) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2565.
Rashi
"For the wicked man boasts" — This refers to “O Lord, why do You stand from afar,” for now the wicked man boasts that he achieves all the desire of his soul. "and the robber congratulates himself for having blasphemed the Lord" — And the robber praises himself, saying that he has blasphemed the Lord, yet he will have peace. "congratulates" — Heb. בֵּרֵך, like בֵּרַך, an expression of the past tense. You should know [that this is so,] for if it were a noun, the accent would be on the first letter and it would be vowelized with a “pattah” [meaning a “seggol” under the “resh”], but this one is vowelized with a small “kamatz” [i.e., with a “tzereh”] and it is accented below on the “resh.” Do not wonder about בֵּרֵך, that he did not say: בֵּרַך, because many words spelled with a “resh” are vowelized in this manner, e.g. (below 74:18), “an enemy blasphemed (חֵרֵף) the Lord,” and it does not say חֵרַף. "blasphemed" — Heb. נאץ, like חֵרֵף and Menachem interpreted every expression of נאוץ in this manner.
Ibn Ezra
“For” (ki) — Rabbi Moshe said that “ki” stands in place of “asher” (that), and the sense is: “that the wicked boasts,” because he attained the desire of his soul; and as for “the covetous man who blesses” — he is the one who spurns Hashem, and [Rabbi Moshe reads] “berech” as in “Naboth cursed [lit. “blessed”] God and the king” (1 Kings 21:13), “[curse (lit. “bless”)] God, and die” (Job 2:9); and alternatively he explains “berech” to mean “a gift, an offering,” functioning there as a noun, as in “ve-hadavar ein bahem” (the matter is not among them), and likewise “u-verachah ve-lo ashivenah” (a gift, and I will not refuse it). But this is not correct, for “berech” is a past-tense verb, as though it were written “u-verach berachah ve-lo ashivenah” (and he gave a blessing/gift, and I will not refuse it). In my own opinion, however, “the wicked boasts,” mentioned above, refers to one wicked man, while “the covetous man blesses” refers to a different wicked man — the one who has spurned Hashem; and here “berech” (blesses) means the same as “yehalel” (boasts/praises).
Radak
'For the wicked boasts' — because he praises himself 'of his heart's desire' — that which he does, with no one to prevent him; you will see that he has haughtiness in him, and he will be trapped by what he plans to do. 'And the covetous vaunts himself, though he contemns Hashem' — the wicked man blesses and praises gain, and [praises] whoever follows his way, and he contemns God; and he says that God has no power to save the oppressed from his hand, or that He pays no heed to him, as it says (v. 13): 'He has said in his heart, You will not require it.'
Metzudat David
"For the wicked boasts" — Because the wicked man praises and glorifies himself that he has achieved his desire; and the robber, when he commits his outrages, blesses himself in his heart, saying, "All will be well with me, for nothing will be done to me" — therefore man's heart is filled to do evil.
Metzudat Zion
'Halel' — a term meaning praise, as in 'and they praised her' (there [Genesis], 12). 'Uvotze'a' — the robber, as in 'woe to him who gets evil gain' (Habakkuk 2:9). 'Ni'etz' — meaning, he disgraced, as in 'for the men treated the offering of Hashem with contempt' (1 Samuel 2).
Malbim
"For the wicked boasts of the desire of his soul" — meaning, the wicked man boasts and prides himself over his desire; for all people's desires are greater than their power and their attainment — there is no person who attains all that he wants; one who has a hundred seeks two hundred — so that he cannot boast that his attainment is greater than his desire, for his desire boasts over him, since it is greater than the power of his hand and his attainment. Only the wicked man attains more than he desires, to the point that he can boast of the desire of his soul, that he has attained more than he desired. And nevertheless, though he succeeds so greatly, "and he who blesses the covetous man spurns Hashem" — whoever blesses and praises the successful wicked man — meaning, one who envies himself over the success of the wicked man thereby spurns Hashem, and this is counted against him as a punishable sin, as though he had angered Hashem; and through these very schemes that they devised, they themselves are caught in the hand of the wicked man and receive their punishment. If so, I ask: why does "the wicked, in the pride of his countenance, [say], 'He will not require it'" — why does Hashem not seek to punish the wicked man, of whom [it is said], "in the pride of his countenance, [he says], There is no God — all his thoughts," he who denies the existence of God entirely? If He would seek to punish one who merely thinks that the wicked man pursues and chases in his pride, and attributes this power to the wicked man himself rather than to Providence, and would likewise seek to punish one who blesses the successful wicked man — how much more so should He have sought to punish the wicked man himself, who denies everything, and all of whose thoughts are that there is no God! Why does Hashem not seek to punish him? Instead it is the very opposite: for "his ways always succeed" — he is successful with a success that is above nature; for one who succeeds by natural means will not succeed by every path nor at every time — meaning, he will succeed only by one path, if he chooses the path suited by nature for success, and not at every time, only at the particular time suited for success, not in a time of misfortune. But he — all his ways succeed, meaning every means he chooses will succeed, and he will also succeed at every time, even in a time of misfortune; and this shows that his success is above nature. And also "Your judgments are far above, out of his sight" — even at a time when You execute judgment in the world and evils of Providence come, such as pestilence and famine, the judgments do not touch him; rather "he puffs at all his adversaries" — he makes use of Your judgments to blow [destruction] upon his adversaries, so that the judgments fall upon his adversaries, and no evil touches him.
The wicked, in the pride of his countenance [, says]: 'He will not require'; All his thoughts are: 'There is no God.'
verse value 1939
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 33 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "wicked" (רָשָׁ֗ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·his·thoughts" (כׇּל־מְזִמּוֹתָֽיו, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "not·He·will·inquire" (בַּל־יִדְרֹ֑שׁ), "all·his·thoughts" (כׇּל־מְזִמּוֹתָֽיו). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "wicked" (root רשע, 87x in Psalms); "there·is·no" (root אין, 67x in Psalms). First appearance of the root גבה ("like·the·height·of") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'not·He·will·inquire', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: רָשָׁ֗ע [wicked] (570) + כְּגֹ֣בַהּ [like·the·height·of] (30) + אַ֭פּוֹ [his·nose] (87) + בַּל־יִדְרֹ֑שׁ [not·He·will·inquire] (546) + אֵ֥ין [there·is·no] (61) + אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים [God] (86) + כׇּל־מְזִמּוֹתָֽיו [all·his·thoughts] (559) = 1939.
Rashi
"A wicked man at the height of his anger" — When he is haughty, and he lifts up and holds his face erect, and his anger is at its height. "He will not seek" — All his thoughts tell him, “The Holy One, blessed be He, will not seek anything that I may do because there is no judgment.” "there is no God" — There is no judgment, and there is no judge.
Ibn Ezra
“The wicked” — he attributes the haughtiness to the nose, because no part of the face is more elevated than it; and there is no doubt that haughtiness resides in the heart, but he speaks only of what is visible. “He will not require it” — [related to] “without Him”; and the bet [preposition] is missing from the phrase “all his thoughts,” [to be understood as] “in all his thoughts.”
Radak
'The wicked, in the pride of his countenance' — pride of heart shows itself in the face, and the face is called 'af' [nose/countenance], because [pride] rises up over the face; as in 'and he fell on his face [le-apav]' (I Samuel 20:41), which is like 'on his face'; and 'they bowed down to him with their faces [appayim] to the ground' (Genesis 42:6) — likewise 'on the face.' 'He will not require' — because of his haughtiness and pride, he does not seek out God, nor pray to Him. 'There is no God' [is] all his thoughts — all the schemes of the wicked man and his thoughts are that 'there is no God' who judges on earth; and whatever a person wishes to do he will do, since there is none who seeks and none who demands [an account]; therefore he does not 'seek God.'
Metzudat David
"In the pride" — When his wrath rises up against whomever, he thinks there is no one who investigates his deeds, and all his thoughts are that there is no God in the world to repay him for his deeds.
His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are far above out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he puffs at them.
verse value 2381
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "in·them" (בָּהֶֽם, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·his·adversaries" (כׇּל־צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יו, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "from·before·him" (מִנֶּגְדּ֑וֹ), "all·his·adversaries" (כׇּל־צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יו), "he·puffs" (יָפִ֥יחַ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·every·time" (root כל, 82x in Psalms); "his·ways" (root דרך, 70x in Psalms); "in·them" (root הם, 69x in Psalms). First appearance of the root חיל ("prosper") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·before·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: יָ֘חִ֤ילוּ [prosper] (64) + דְרָכָ֨ו [his·ways] (230) + בְּכׇל־עֵ֗ת [in·every·time] (522) + מָר֣וֹם [on·high] (286) + מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ [Your·judgments] (459) + מִנֶּגְדּ֑וֹ [from·before·him] (103) + כׇּל־צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יו [all·his·adversaries] (562) + יָפִ֥יחַ [he·puffs] (108) + בָּהֶֽם [in·them] (47) = 2381.
Rashi
"prosper" — Heb. יחילו, prosper, and similar to this is (in Job 20:21): “therefore shall his goods not prosper (יחיל).” Others explain יחילו like (II Sam. 3:29): “May it rest (יחולו) upon the head of Joab.” "Your judgments are far removed from him" — Your judgments of pains and punishments are removed and distanced from him, for they do not come upon him. "All his adversaries he blows at them" — With a blowing of wind, he blows at them, and they fall before him.
Ibn Ezra
"His ways" [yachilu] — Rabbi Moshe HaKohen said: the meaning of 'his ways' is 'his desires,' as in 'a man's heart plans his way' (Proverbs 16:9). And the sense of 'yachilu' is 'they will come,' as in 'let them fall upon the head of Joab' (2 Samuel 3:29) — meaning that [his desires] come to him, and his needs are fulfilled for him according to his wish. Or, 'his ways' may mean the ways of God, in which case the sense of 'yachilu' would be that it was fitting that they should have frightened him, from the root meaning 'trembling.' But correct in my opinion is that 'yachilu' is a transitive verb from the root meaning 'writhing,' as in 'they shall be in pain, as a woman in travail' (Isaiah 13:8), and its object is omitted, as in 'You shall not murder' (Exodus 20:13), which likewise has no stated object. "His ways" [in the following clause] — refers back to the wicked man, for his ways frighten the discerning person, because he prospers. The word 'marom' (on high) — is like 'You, Hashem, are on high forever' (Psalm 92:9), and it refers to Hashem. And the meaning is: 'You are on high; Your judgments are removed from before him.' And the sense of 'yafiach bahem' (he puffs at them) is like 'men of scorn inflame a city' (Proverbs 29:8).
Radak
'His ways prosper' (the qere reads 'derakhav' — 'his ways') — from the sense of 'chil' [to writhe], as in 'like a woman in travail' (Psalms 48:7). He means that the wicked man's evil ways make the poor writhe [in pain] 'at all times' — for as long as he is in the world, they will fear him. 'Your judgments are far above, out of his sight' — 'marom' ['on high'] is a form of address to God, may He be blessed. He says: that You, Hashem, are 'marom' ['on high'], [so] 'Your judgments' are far from him and do not touch him; therefore he grows haughty. 'As for all his adversaries' — these are the poor. 'he puffs at them' — they are before him like a puff of the mouth [i.e., of no consequence to him]. Or it is from the sense of 'pach' [snare] and trap, meaning that he sets a snare for them to catch them. And likewise 'yafichu kiryah' (Proverbs 29:8).
Metzudat David
"They prosper" — because at all times he succeeds in his ways, and Your judgments are far removed from him, and with a mere puff of breath he destroys his enemies.
Metzudat Zion
'Yachilu' — meaning, they prosper, as in 'his prosperity does not endure' (Job 2).
He says in his heart: 'I shall not be moved, I who to all generations shall not be in adversity.'
verse value 1617
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "says" (אָמַ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·I·shall·be·moved" (בַּל־אֶמּ֑וֹט, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "not·in·evil" (לֹֽא־בְרָֽע). The root דור appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms); "who" (root אשר, 101x in Psalms); "in·his·heart" (root לב, 74x in Psalms). First appearance of the root מוט ("not·I·shall·be·moved") in Psalms. First appearance of the root דור ("to·generation") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'not·I·shall·be·moved', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: אָמַ֣ר [says] (241) + בְּ֭לִבּוֹ [in·his·heart] (40) + בַּל־אֶמּ֑וֹט [not·I·shall·be·moved] (88) + לְדֹ֥ר [to·generation] (234) + וָ֝דֹ֗ר [and·generation] (210) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [who] (501) + לֹֽא־בְרָֽע [not·in·evil] (303) = 1617.
Rashi
"“for all generations I will not be in adversity”" — Adversity will not befall me throughout my generations.
Ibn Ezra
"Who shall not be in adversity" [asher lo vara] — meaning 'that I shall not see [harm],' as in 'and let me not look upon my own wretchedness' (Numbers 11:15).
Radak
'He says in his heart: I shall not be moved' — he thinks in his heart that he will not be moved forever; he will not be moved from his greatness. 'to all generations, who shall not be in adversity' — 'to all generations' I will live, for I will not be, and I will not see, 'adversity'; therefore I will live a long time.
Metzudat David
"He says in his heart" — Therefore he thinks that he will never be inclined to be brought low to the ground. "To all generations" — Even after many generations he will prosper and will not experience misfortune.
Malbim
"He says" — and you should also not say that his heart is full of fear and that he does not trust in his success (as was indeed the opinion of Eliphaz, that the success of the wicked is not [true] success, because he is always afraid of the punishment that will overtake him or overtake his children) — for he "says in his heart, I shall not be moved," and he trusts in his heart that no evil will overtake him, and he also trusts that no evil will overtake his children; for he says that he will not be moved "for all generations," even the generations that come after him, "who [shall] not [be] in adversity" — as though he is not included at all in the evil that comes upon the world, for he is the exception to the rule that people are destined for misfortunes and the mishaps of time.
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
verse value 2729
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 34 letters. Notable word values: "cursing" (אָלָ֤ה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "cursing" (אָלָ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·deceit" (וּמִרְמ֣וֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "his·mouth" (פִּ֣יהוּ), "and·oppression" (וָתֹ֑ךְ), "his·tongue" (לְ֝שׁוֹנ֗וֹ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·mouth" (root פה, 46x in Psalms); "his·tongue" (root לשון, 33x in Psalms); "is·full" (root מלא, 30x in Psalms). First appearance of the root אלה ("cursing") in Psalms. First appearance of the root מלא ("is·full") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·oppression', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: אָלָ֤ה [cursing] (36) + פִּ֣יהוּ [his·mouth] (101) + מָ֭לֵא [is·full] (71) + וּמִרְמ֣וֹת [and·deceit] (692) + וָתֹ֑ךְ [and·oppression] (426) + תַּ֥חַת [under] (808) + לְ֝שׁוֹנ֗וֹ [his·tongue] (392) + עָמָ֥ל [toil] (140) + וָאָֽוֶן [and·iniquity] (63) = 2729.
Rashi
"and guile" — Heb. ותך, an expression of an evil thought that lodges constantly in his midst.
Ibn Ezra
"And oppression" [va-tokh] — this is a sign of the evil thought within his heart, in secret, in the manner of 'their inward part is destruction' (Psalm 5:10), while he outwardly displays peace and goodness; therefore afterward it says 'in secret places' (verse 8).
Radak
'His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression' — this is the way of the wicked: when he wishes to deceive others, he swears to them with a full mouth, so that it will appear that he swears with his whole intention, yet [his words] are 'deceit and oppression' [tokh]. 'Tokh' is like deceit, since what he displays with his mouth is not within (tokh) his heart. 'Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity' — when he swears with his tongue, under his tongue there is 'mischief and iniquity.' And the heart is 'under' the tongue, being hidden from what is revealed by the tongue; and likewise 'and He was extolled under my tongue' (Psalms 66:17) speaks of the heart. And 'mala' ['full'] is used only as a verb, like 'and the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle' (Exodus 40:34). He says: that he fills his mouth with curses so that a person will believe him, while he deceives him with it.
Metzudat David
"Cursing" — he fills his mouth with false oaths and deceit. "Under his tongue" — this repeats what was said [before].
Metzudat Zion
'Alah' — an oath, as in 'and hears the voice of adjuration' (Leviticus 8). 'Vatoch' — a term meaning deceit hidden within (betoch) the heart.
Malbim
"His mouth is full of cursing" — With his mouth he constantly affirms his words with an oath, as if he feared Hashem, and he speaks "deceit and oppression" in order to deceive people. But "under his tongue" — that is, in his inner self, hidden beneath his words — is "mischief and iniquity": in his speech he flatters as though he were righteous and good, while his heart is full of wickedness and deceit.
He sits in the lurking-places of the villages; In secret places does he slay the innocent; His eyes are on the watch for the helpless.
verse value 2510
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "he·sits" (יֵשֵׁ֤ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·the·secret·places" (בַּֽ֭מִּסְתָּרִים, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "in·the·lurking-place·of" (בְּמַאְרַ֬ב), "villages" (חֲצֵרִ֗ים), "for·the·helpless" (לְֽחֵלְכָ֥ה). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·eyes" (root עין, 64x in Psalms); "he·sits" (root ישב, 58x in Psalms). First appearance of the root חצר ("villages") in Psalms. First appearance of the root מסתר ("in·the·secret·places") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'innocent', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: יֵשֵׁ֤ב [he·sits] (312) + בְּמַאְרַ֬ב [in·the·lurking-place·of] (245) + חֲצֵרִ֗ים [villages] (348) + בַּֽ֭מִּסְתָּרִים [in·the·secret·places] (752) + יַהֲרֹ֣ג [he·slays] (218) + נָקִ֑י [innocent] (160) + עֵ֝ינָ֗יו [his·eyes] (146) + לְֽחֵלְכָ֥ה [for·the·helpless] (93) + יִצְפֹּֽנוּ [watch] (236) = 2510.
Rashi
"his eyes spy on Your army" — The eyes of Esau lurk for Israel, who are Your army. "on Your army" — Heb. לחלכה ; (verse 14), “upon You Your army (חלכה) leaves.” Both of them are in the masorah as words spelled with כה instead of ך, like (Exod. 7:29), “upon you (ובכה) and upon your people”; (Prov. 2:11), “discretion shall guard you (תנצרכה) (Exod. 29:35), “I commanded you (אתכה)”; (I Sam. 1: 26), “who was standing with you (עמכה).” We learn from the masorah that חלכה is like חילך, Your army. But Menachem (p.89) interprets לחלכה יצפנו and so יעזב חלכה like (verse 10), “and helpless ones (חלכאים) shall fall into his power,” a word meaning humble and moaning. Accordingly, כה is [part of] the radical.
Ibn Ezra
"He sits" — every ambusher sits in a place where there is no habitation, but this one ambushes within a settled place. "Lechelekhah" (against the helpless) — some say that the kaf is a pronominal suffix addressing Hashem [i.e., 'Your poor one']; but one must object to this on the grounds of the missing yod, for words like 'bayit,' 'zayit,' and 'laylah,' when they take a pronominal suffix, do not lose their yod. Now concerning 'chelka'im' (verse 10), there is a dispute between the ketiv and the qeri as to whether it is one word or two; and the meaning of '[chel]ka'im' is like 'nekha'im' (stricken), on the pattern of 'davim' (faint) and its plural. And a great grammarian said: that 'chelka'im' is one word, and it belongs to the quadriliteral verb-forms. And the word 'lechelekhah' is like it, with the heh in place of an alef. And the Gaon said: that the nun of 'yitzpenu' is extra [not a root letter], and its meaning is 'yitzpu' (they watch), the proof being 'His eyes watch the nations' (Psalm 66:7). But correct in my opinion is that it means 'they lie hidden in wait for their lives' — the sense being that his eyes seek out a hidden and concealed place.
Radak
'He sits in the lurking-places of the villages' — 'chatzerim' [villages] are unwalled towns that lie along the roads, as in 'and her towns and her villages [chatzereha]' (Joshua 15:45); 'the villages [chatzerim] where Kedar dwells' (Isaiah 42:11); in the manner of 'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as open towns [perazot]' (Zechariah 2:5). 'In secret places does he slay the innocent' — for most of the time the wicked man does not commit his evil deed openly, but sits 'in ambush and in secret places,' guarding himself from people so that they will not see him — yet he does not guard himself from God, who sees all! 'His eyes are on the watch for the helpless' — 'la-chelekhah' is like 'chelekh,' with the heh added; and its meaning is 'for the poor man.' He says: that the eyes of the wicked man lie in wait for the poor man, to catch him. 'Yitzpenu' ['are on the watch'] is an intransitive verb, meaning: he places his eyes in a hidden spot, and from there he watches the roads.
Metzudat David
"He sits" — The wicked man sits in ambush in the villages, and he catches the innocent and kills him in secret. "His eyes" — He makes himself appear as though he hides his eye from the poor man, as if he pays him no heed, so that the poor man will not be on his guard.
Metzudat Zion
'Lechelchah' — its meaning is similar to 'poor and weak,' and it resembles [in usage] the verses that follow it. 'Yitzpenu' — meaning, they hide themselves, as in 'is treasured up for the righteous' (Proverbs 13).
Malbim
"He sits" — He takes the lion, the fiercest of the predatory beasts, as a metaphor to liken the wicked man to it; however, when comparing his deeds over the years of his life, his case differs from that of the lion. For it is known that the lion, while it is a young lion (kefir), sits in its lair lying in ambush and does not go out from its den to hunt prey, until it reaches the stage of a mature lion (aryeh), at which point it goes out to lie in wait in the villages for its prey. But with the wicked man it is the opposite: in his youth he is like the mature lion, going out after his prey to lie in wait in the fields and forests; and when he grows older — when it becomes fitting, as befits human dignity, for him to sit at home (for in this a man has an advantage over the beasts of the field) — he then becomes like the young lion who hunts and seizes prey from within his own lair. Yet he has one advantage over the lion: the lion, when it grows old and weak, becomes an old lion (layish) that perishes for lack of prey, whereas the wicked man, even when he is crushed and bowed down in his old age, still seizes prey and devours a man. This is the meaning of: when this wicked man "sits in the lurking-places of the villages" and goes out after his prey in his youth, then "in secret places he slays the innocent," whose "eyes lie in wait for the helpless" — while the innocent man lifts his eyes to You and hopes for Your strength and power to help him, at that very moment the wicked man kills him, and his trust in Hashem is of no avail to him at all. Afterward, when he "lies in wait in a hidden place like a lion in his den" — when he begins to sit in honor in his house — he then resembles the lion sitting in its lair. And it is the nature of the lion, when it sits in its lair lying in wait for its prey, that when it sees its prey it suddenly leaps upon it some four or five cubits; and if it catches it on the first attempt, the prey becomes food for its teeth. But if it fails to catch it on the first attempt, then even if the prey merely passes by it again afterward, the lion will not try again to touch it, but returns in shame to its den. In light of this nature implanted in the lion, it says that this wicked man "lies in wait to snatch the poor" — yet it does not happen to him as it does to the lion, whose prey sometimes escapes its grasp; rather, he always snatches the poor man "by drawing him into his net," and none escapes from his hand.
He lies in wait in a secret place as a lion in his lair, He lies in wait to catch the poor; He does catch the poor, when he draws him up in his net.
verse value 3227
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "poor" (עָנִ֑י, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·the·secret·place" (בַּמִּסְתָּ֨ר, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 213: lies·in·wait, lies·in·wait. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "in·the·secret·place" (בַּמִּסְתָּ֨ר), "to·catch" (לַחֲט֣וֹף), "he·catches" (יַחְטֹ֥ף). The root ארב appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "poor" (root עני, 32x in Psalms). First appearance of the root ארב ("lies·in·wait") in Psalms. First appearance of the root סך ("in·his·lair") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'poor', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: יֶאֱרֹ֬ב [lies·in·wait] (213) + בַּמִּסְתָּ֨ר [in·the·secret·place] (702) + כְּאַרְיֵ֬ה [like·a·lion] (236) + בְסֻכֹּ֗ה [in·his·lair] (87) + יֶ֭אֱרֹב [lies·in·wait] (213) + לַחֲט֣וֹף [to·catch] (133) + עָנִ֑י [poor] (130) + יַחְטֹ֥ף [he·catches] (107) + עָ֝נִ֗י [poor] (130) + בְּמׇשְׁכ֥וֹ [when·he·draws] (368) + בְרִשְׁתּֽוֹ [in·his·net] (908) = 3227.
Ibn Ezra
"He lies in wait" — Rabbi Moshe said: that 'be-sukkoh' (in his lair) is like 'be-sukkato' (in his own lair); and likewise 'pinnah' (corner) is like 'pinnatah' (its corner). "To catch" [lachtof] — like 'and catch for yourselves' (Judges 21:21).
Radak
'He lies in wait in a secret place as a lion in his lair; he lies in wait to catch the poor; he does catch the poor, when he draws him up in his net' — he compares him to a lion that stands 'in his lair' and 'lies in wait to catch' whoever passes by him, or near him, so that they will not be on guard against him and flee from him when they see him; and when he sees the prey, 'he catches' [it]. And 'catching' is a swift taking, for the wicked man sits in ambush 'in a secret place.' And afterward he compares him to a hunter who spreads his net and stands far from his net so that the bird will not be on guard against him, with the cords of the net in his hand; and when the bird falls into the net he draws the net in with the cords in his hand, and the bird is caught — such is the way of the wicked man. Sometimes he will not be in ambush at all, but will stand far from the roads, so that people will not be on guard against him, and when he sees poor and weak people he will run to them. Or he will station members of his gang along the roads without weapons, while he himself remains with the armed men at a distance; and when the weak people pass by, these [unarmed men] will give them a signal, and they [the armed men] will come; and they [the unarmed men] are to them like the net to the hunter. And he goes on to describe another way that the wicked man acts, which is what it says [next]:
Metzudat David
"He lies in wait" — In a hidden place he lies in wait, and like a lion lying in wait in its lair, so he lies in wait to snatch the poor man by drawing him in. He uses the imagery of prey falling into a trap — like a hunter who pulls the cord of the net to catch whoever enters it.
Metzudat Zion
'Lachtof' — a term meaning swiftness of seizing, as in 'and seize for yourselves' (Judges 21).
He crouches, he bows down, And the helpless fall into his mighty claws.
verse value 1000
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. Verse gematria: 1000 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "strength·of" (חֵ֣ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·his·mighty·ones" (בַּ֝עֲצוּמָ֗יו, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "crouches" (יִדְכֶּ֥ה), "bows·down" (יָשֹׁ֑חַ), "and·falls" (וְנָפַ֥ל). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·falls" (root נפל, 30x in Psalms); "strength·of" (root חיל, 29x in Psalms). First appearance of the root דכה ("crouches") in Psalms. First appearance of the root שחח ("bows·down") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'bows·down', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words.
Rashi
"He crouches, he bows down" — So is the habit of the lurker; he crouches and lowers [himself] and makes himself small in order to be inconspicuous. "and an army of broken people fall by his signals" — Heb. חלכאם, an army of broken people. I saw in the great masorah that חלכאים is one of fifteen words that are written as one word and read as two words, as is בגד in the verse (Gen. 30:11) commencing “And Leah said.” Also (in Deut. 33:2), “a fiery Law (אשדת) is to them”; (Isa. 3: 15), “What do you mean (מלכם) that you crush My people?” Also this word means חל כאים, an army of broken people. כאים is an expression of (below 109:16) “and a broken-hearted one (ונכאה לבב) to kill.” If you say that the “nun” is the radical, (Ezek. 13:22) “Because you have broken (הכאות) the heart of the righteous” will prove that [it is not]. We learn that the “nun” of נראה is like the “nun” of (I Sam. 15:9) נמבזה and the “nun” of (Jer. 6:14) נקלה, and so is its interpretation: and...fall by the signals of this wicked man, with his hints and his winks, an expression of (Isa. 41:21) “present your signals (עצמותיכם).” and (ibid. 33:15) “and closes (ועצם) his eyes,” an army of poor people. Another explanation: בעצומיו, by his mighty men. Said Rabbi Simon: This wicked man puts into his “callirus,” meaning army, only mighty men like himself, as it is said (in Dan. 3:20): “And he commanded the mighty warriors who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abed- nego” (Mid. Ps. 10:5). However, Menachem, (p. 89) interprets חלכאים as “poor and weak (וחלך),” the “chaf” being a radical.
Ibn Ezra
"Yidkeh" (he crouches) — this is the way of the lion: when it longs to seize prey without being noticed, it then springs upon its prey. "Into his mighty claws" [ba-atzumav] — [refers to] his hands and feet, which possess mighty strength; and this is correct, for we find the forms 'yigrom, yishbor gerem' [he gnaws, he breaks a bone], which are of the heavy conjugation, and we also find, of the light conjugation, 'lo garmu la-boker' [they left no bone by morning] (Zephaniah 3:3). So there is 'etzem' (bone), and its derivative 'atzmo' is of the heavy conjugation, and it is also of the light conjugation; thus the sense of 'ba-atzumav' is 'those who crush bones.' "And the helpless" [ve-chelka'im] — I have already explained it.
Radak
'He bows down and is crushed' (ודכה is written with a vav, but the qere [traditional reading] is ידכה, with a yod; the vav and the yod are interchangeable) — He says: this is yet another way that the wicked man has of seizing the poor. He makes himself out to be 'crushed and bowed down.' He and his gang pretend to be sick and afflicted, so that people will not be wary of them and will set out with them in a group on the road; and when they are far from the settled area, they display their strength and power to them and seize them. This is [the meaning of]: 'And the helpless fall into his mighty ones' — This is written as one word but read [קרי] as two words, חל כאים, meaning: the community of the stricken and the weak. And 'his mighty ones' is a description of his powerful companions, his hands and his feet. All these ways that he describes concerning the wicked man are meant to show that through all these methods he is careful [to guard himself] from people, but he is not careful [to guard himself] from God, and shows himself to be unafraid of God; for he has said in his heart that He does not see and does not know, as it says:
Metzudat David
"He crouches, he bows down" — He makes himself appear crushed and bent low, so that they will not notice him, but with his great strength he casts down the poor.
Metzudat Zion
'Yidkeh' — a term meaning crushing. 'Yishoach' — from the language of bowing and bending, as in 'is bowed down to the dust' (below, Psalm 44). 'Be'atzumav' — meaning, in his strength, as in 'and through his power' (Daniel 8).
Malbim
"He crouches" — And even at the time when he "crouches" and "bows down," that is, in his old age, when he goes about bent over from the abundance of his days, nevertheless the host of the crushed fall by his might, and all those he slays are mighty. Thus he causes harm to people during all three stages of his life: the days of his rise, his standing, and his decline.
He has said in his heart: 'God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.'
verse value 1877
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "God" (אֵ֑ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "hides" (הִסְתִּ֥יר, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "has·forgotten" (שָׁ֣כַֽח), "hides" (הִסְתִּ֥יר), "not·He·will·see" (בַּל־רָאָ֥ה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "His·face" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "God" (root אל, 112x in Psalms); "has·said" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms). First appearance of the root סתר ("hides") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: אָמַ֣ר [has·said] (241) + בְּ֭לִבּוֹ [in·his·heart] (40) + שָׁ֣כַֽח [has·forgotten] (328) + אֵ֑ל [God] (31) + הִסְתִּ֥יר [hides] (675) + פָּ֝נָ֗יו [His·face] (146) + בַּל־רָאָ֥ה [not·He·will·see] (238) + לָנֶֽצַח [to·eternity] (178) = 1877.
Ibn Ezra
"He has said" — the wicked man admits that God exists, only that He has no knowledge, in the manner of 'How does God know?' (Psalm 73:11). "He will never see" [bal ra'ah] — the meaning is doubled, as is the custom [of poetic parallelism].
Radak
'He has said in his heart: God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see' — 'He has forgotten' [means]: even if He once knew, He has forgotten. Or its meaning is that He does not know at all — like a person who has forgotten a matter and no longer knows it; or like a person who knows the matter yet 'hides his face' and never wishes 'to see it.' Therefore he says:
Metzudat David
"He has said" — All this is because he thinks either that God has forgotten his deeds, or that He pays no heed to them.
Malbim
"He has said in his heart" — First, the wicked man "says in his heart, God has forgotten": that although God sees and watches, He forgets to punish immediately, and therefore the sentence against an evil deed is not carried out quickly. Afterward he grows more brazen and says that God "has hidden His face" and does not watch over the lowly, for His glory is confined to the heavens. And afterward he grows still more brazen and says that God "will never see" — that sight and knowledge are impossible for Him, according to the arguments of the philosophers cited in the Guide [Part 3], who denied Hashem's knowledge entirely. He thus depicts the wicked man as going from bad to worse through the three periods of his life mentioned above, until at the end of his days he denies even Hashem's knowledge, and says, "Yah does not see, and the God of Jacob does not perceive."
Arise, O Hashem; O God, lift up Your hand; Do not forget the humble.
verse value 1708
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "God" (אֵ֭ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·forget" (אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח, 6 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "God" (root אל, 112x in Psalms); "Your·hand" (root יד, 78x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words.
Ibn Ezra
"Arise" — the raising of the hand to display strength. "Do not forget" — corresponding to [the wicked man's claim,] 'God has forgotten' (verse 11).
Radak
'Arise, Hashem; O God, lift up Your hand' — Since the wicked man says that You do not see, [David says:] 'arise' Yourself 'and lift up Your hand' against him 'Do not forget the humble' (in the manuscript before us the written form is ענוים; however, the word was originally עניים, and the yod was changed to a vav by the original scribe himself) — corresponding to what the wicked man said, 'God has forgotten.' It is written עניים and read [קרי] as ענוים.
Metzudat David
"Arise" — Therefore, arise, and lift up Your hand against him to strike him, and do not forget the poor who are trapped in his grasp.
Malbim
"Arise, Hashem" — he pleads: You, Hashem, arise to save; You, "O God, lift up Your hand," to display Your might. And he explains "Arise, Hashem" [that is, that He arise in His mercy to save], for it is fitting "that You should not forget the humble," who are oppressed and have no comforter; "O God, lift up Your hand" [that is, to display His might], on account of the following:
Why does the wicked contemn God, And say in his heart: 'You will not require'?
verse value 2158
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֑ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 2158 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "God" (אֱלֹהִ֑ים, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "why" (עַל־מֶ֤ה), "You·will·inquire" (תִדְרֹֽשׁ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "says" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: עַל־מֶ֤ה [why] (145) + נִאֵ֖ץ [spurns] (141) + רָשָׁ֥ע [wicked] (570) + אֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (86) + אָמַ֥ר [says] (241) + בְּ֝לִבּ֗וֹ [in·his·heart] (40) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תִדְרֹֽשׁ [You·will·inquire] (904) = 2158.
Rashi
"Why did a wicked man blaspheme" — the Holy One, blessed be He? Because he said in his heart that You do not seek.
Ibn Ezra
"Why" [al meh] — an expression of astonishment, like 'why do You show me iniquity?' (Habakkuk 1:3).
Radak
'Why does the wicked man contemn God, saying in his heart: You will not require?' — For why does he 'contemn' You? It is only because 'he has said in his heart' that 'You will not require' [it] and pay no attention to what he says and does.
Metzudat David
"Why" — For what reason has the wicked man's heart become full [with the resolve] to spurn God? Because he thinks in his heart that You do not scrutinize his deeds.
Malbim
"Why does the wicked contemn God" — why should he say that You have no power, or why should he "say in his heart, You will not require it," denying that You know and watch over him — when in truth You do watch, and the power is also in Your hand? For "You have seen" — indeed You watch and see the deeds of the wicked; "for You behold mischief and vexation" — that You not only see the wicked man's deeds but also observe his thoughts: both the "mischief," which is his evil intent, and the "vexation," what he means by it to vex You. And You also have the power, for "to give it into Your hand" — the power is in Your hand to give him his recompense, and You should not say that You leave his punishment to Your agent, that is, to nature, to punish him, as most divine punishments come by way of natural intermediaries. For "the helpless commits himself unto You; You are the helper of the fatherless" — the orphan whom You have always helped with a special providence above nature commits himself, helpless, unto You, meaning that You Yourself help him, not through Your host [He likens Israel to an orphan raised by the king, whose needs the king provides himself, so that the king's army and servants do not concern themselves with his needs, since they know that the king himself attends to his affairs]. Therefore "break the arm of the wicked" — You Yourself — "and seek out his wickedness" of the evildoer, so that "it be found no more": the goal of Your inquiry, to investigate the deeds of the wicked in order to punish him, will be so that evil will be found no more, so that sinners may cease and the wicked may return in repentance.
You have seen; for You behold trouble and vexation, to requite them with Your hand; To You the helpless commits himself; You have been the helper of the fatherless.
verse value 4477
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "in·Your·hand" (בְּיָ֫דֶ֥ךָ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "toil" (עָ֘מָ֤ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·You" (כִּי־אַתָּ֤ה, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "hapless" (חֵלֵ֑כָה). The root אתה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·You" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "for·You" (root אתה, 115x in Psalms); "You·have·seen" (root ראה, 100x in Psalms). First appearance of the root נבט ("You·behold") in Psalms. First appearance of the root יתום ("the·orphan") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hapless', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: רָאִ֡תָה [You·have·seen] (606) + כִּי־אַתָּ֤ה [for·You] (436) + עָ֘מָ֤ל [toil] (140) + וָכַ֨עַס [and·vexation] (156) + תַּבִּיט֮ [You·behold] (421) + לָתֵ֢ת [to·give] (830) + בְּיָ֫דֶ֥ךָ [in·Your·hand] (36) + עָ֭לֶיךָ [upon·You] (130) + יַעֲזֹ֣ב [commits·himself] (89) + חֵלֵ֑כָה [hapless] (63) + יָ֝ת֗וֹם [the·orphan] (456) + אַתָּ֤ה [You] (406) + הָיִ֬יתָ [have·been] (425) + עוֹזֵֽר [helper] (283) = 4477.
Rashi
"You saw" — what he does, and You remain silent. "for You" — So is Your custom, that You look at mischief and provocation. "to give with Your power" — With Your power, You lend a hand to the wicked to prosper with their wickedness. "upon You Your army leaves" — Your people Israel, who are Your army, leave the burden upon You that You should execute justice upon the wicked. Menachem (p. 132) interprets יעזב as an expression of help, as (in Exod. 23:5): “you shall help (עזב תעזב) with him.” He interprets חלכה as an expression of “poor and weak (חלך),” the “chaf” being a radical. "You would help the orphan" — in the early days.
Ibn Ezra
"You have seen" [ra'itah] — in Your wisdom, for You surely observe the trouble and vexation that the wicked man causes, since it is in Your power to give him his recompense whenever You wish. "To You the helpless commits himself" [alekha ya'azov chelekhah] — 'chelekhah' here is like 'lechelekhah' [in verse 8], referring to this vexation, for he has seen that many times You have helped the orphan who has no other helper. And Rabbi Yehudah ibn Balaam said: because You observe the trouble and vexation, You grant the wicked man all his desire; therefore the poor man gives up relying [on Hashem] — but the end of the verse refutes this.
Radak
'You have seen' — the yod is missing, [the yod] which stands in place of the third root letter, from the written form. The wicked man says that You do not see; but 'You have seen' everything. 'For You' — certainly. 'Trouble and vexation You behold' — the trouble and vexation that the wicked man inflicts on the poor, 'You behold it.' 'To requite with Your hand' — when You wish to exact judgment for the poor from the wicked man. For 'To You the helpless commits' — the helpless man, that is, the poor man, [commits] his cause; for many times he has seen [this], 'You have been the helper of the fatherless' — that You have been 'the helper' of 'the fatherless' and of one who has no strength; therefore he hopes in You and commits his cause 'to You.' And in חלכה the ה is an added letter, as we explained above (chapter 8).
Metzudat David
"You have seen" — But in truth You have seen his deeds, for You always see the trouble and vexation that the wicked man causes. "To requite with Your hand" — It is in Your power to repay each man according to his ways; therefore let the poor man abandon his trust in every [other] person and rely upon You, for You have always helped the orphan whose [other] help has failed.
Break the arm of the wicked; And as for the evil man, search out his wickedness, till none is found.
verse value 3680
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "break" (שְׁ֭בֹר, 3 letters) and the longest is "seek·out·his·wickedness" (תִּֽדְרוֹשׁ־רִשְׁע֥וֹ, 9 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "seek·out·his·wickedness" (תִּֽדְרוֹשׁ־רִשְׁע֥וֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 87x in Psalms); "and·the·evil" (root רע, 53x in Psalms); "break" (root שבר, 26x in Psalms). First appearance of the root זרוע ("the·arm·of") in Psalms. First appearance of the root מצא ("not·You·shall·find") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wicked', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: שְׁ֭בֹר [break] (502) + זְר֣וֹעַ [the·arm·of] (283) + רָשָׁ֑ע [wicked] (570) + וָ֝רָ֗ע [and·the·evil] (276) + תִּֽדְרוֹשׁ־רִשְׁע֥וֹ [seek·out·his·wickedness] (1486) + בַל־תִּמְצָֽא [not·You·shall·find] (563) = 3680.
Rashi
"Break the arm" — of the wicked Esau. "but as for the evil one—You will seek his wickedness and not find [it]" — As for the wicked of Israel, when they see the wicked [of the nations] prospering, their heart inspires them to deal wickedly, but when You break the arm of the wicked, if You were to come [then] to seek the wickedness of the wicked of Israel, You would not find it.
Ibn Ezra
"Break" — the tav of 'tidrosh' (You shall seek out) is second person, addressed to Him: 'Hashem, You were like a person who investigates — You would not find the wicked man, so that he might perish.' And some say: that the tav is a marker for 'the arm' [mentioned earlier in the verse], meaning that the arm will seek to do evil and will not be found [successful], in the manner of 'Your hand shall find out [all Your enemies]' (Psalm 21:9). Then it will become clear that Hashem alone is King, and the proof is 'the nations have perished from His land' (verse 16).
Radak
'Break the arm of the wicked man' — 'break his arm' and his strength. 'And as for the evil man — search out his wickedness till none is found' — Since he says that 'You will not require it,' as was said above (verse 13), show him that You do require it; and if You do so, no wicked man will be found in the land, for if You break his arm, those who remain will hear and be afraid. 'The wicked' and 'the evil man' is a doubling of expression.
Metzudat David
"Break" — Therefore, break the strength of the wicked man, so that he will understand that there is a God who judges. "And the evil man" — And then, even one who is accustomed to doing evil — when You search out his wickedness, You will find none, for he will turn back to good, once he sees that You execute judgment upon the wicked.
Hashem is King for ever and ever; The nations have perished out of His land.
verse value 751
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "king" (מֶ֭לֶךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·His·land" (מֵאַרְצֽוֹ, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "from·His·land" (מֵאַרְצֽוֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "from·His·land" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "eternity" (root עולם, 144x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·perpetuity', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + מֶ֭לֶךְ [king] (90) + עוֹלָ֣ם [eternity] (146) + וָעֶ֑ד [and·perpetuity] (80) + אָבְד֥וּ [have·perished] (13) + ג֝וֹיִ֗ם [nations] (59) + מֵאַרְצֽוֹ [from·His·land] (337) = 751.
Rashi
"The Lord is King forever and ever" — after the nations perish from His land.
Radak
'Hashem is King forever and ever' — when You execute judgment against the wicked who oppress Israel in exile, then You will be 'King forever and ever,' with none defying Your command, as it says (Zechariah 14:9): 'And Hashem shall be King over all the earth'; and then 'The nations have perished out of His land' — and the kingship will return to Israel.
Metzudat David
"Hashem is King, etc." — Is not Your kingship forever, and is Your strength now not the same as it was then? And did not nations perish from His land because of their evil deeds? Therefore, do so now as well, to destroy the wicked.
Malbim
"Hashem is King" — that is, Hashem is not like a mortal king, for if all the people of a kingdom sinned against him, it would be impossible for him to kill them all, since then he would no longer be king, for there is no king without a people. But Hashem's kingship does not depend on the people, for "Hashem is King forever" — His kingship is eternal and does not change, even if "the nations have perished out of His land," because His kingship does not derive from the people, since it depends on Him alone.
Hashem, You have heard the desire of the humble: You will direct their heart, You will cause Your ear to attend;
verse value 3261
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 33 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "their·heart" (לִ֝בָּ֗ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "humble" (עֲנָוִ֣ים, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·will·incline" (תַּקְשִׁ֥יב). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "You·have·heard" (root שמע, 76x in Psalms); "their·heart" (root לב, 74x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: תַּאֲוַ֬ת [the·desire·of] (807) + עֲנָוִ֣ים [humble] (176) + שָׁמַ֣עְתָּ [You·have·heard] (810) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + תָּכִ֥ין [You·will·direct] (480) + לִ֝בָּ֗ם [their·heart] (72) + תַּקְשִׁ֥יב [You·will·incline] (812) + אׇזְנֶֽךָ [Your·ear] (78) = 3261.
Ibn Ezra
"Their heart" [libbam] — You heard before they [even] spoke, in the manner of 'there is not a word on my tongue [but You, Hashem, know it entirely]' (Psalm 139:4); and all their desire is that You establish their heart, meaning to help them. And the tav of 'takshiv oznekha' (You will cause Your ear to attend) is a marker of the feminine [gender, since 'ozen' (ear) is feminine], and this is the doubled sense [of the verse].
Radak
'Hashem, You have heard the desire of the humble' — 'You have heard' [שמעת] is like 'You will hear,' and its meaning is: You have heard their prayer according to their desire. Or its meaning is: You have heard their desire before they utter it from their mouths, as it says (Isaiah 65:24): 'And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will do it,' etc. 'You will direct their heart' — You will remove from their heart the distraction of [worldly] affairs, for 'their heart' is preoccupied with their poverty and their afflictions, and You will help them 'direct their heart' toward You with proper intent. And then 'You will cause Your ear to attend' — to their prayer. And the meaning of 'You will cause Your ear to attend' is: You will set, and Your ears will be attentive.
Metzudat David
"The desire" — Have You not always heard, so as to fulfill the desire of the humble? Therefore now too, when their heart is steadfast to pray with true intent, hear them and fulfill their desire.
Malbim
"The desire" — In light of this he concludes his petition "that Hashem hear the desire of the humble," and not only that He hear it at the time they speak it with their mouths, but also "You will direct their heart" — at the time the desire forms in their heart, and images of this desire arise upon the heart, so that their heart begins to think and to desire this even though they have not yet uttered it with their lips; "You will cause Your ear to attend," to fulfill their desire. And what is this desire? "To judge the fatherless and the oppressed" — that You execute justice for the orphan and the poor from the hand of the tyrants who oppress him. This is a second [request]: "that man may no more terrify" and grow strong "from the earth" — that there no longer be found a man who grows strong through tyranny over the whole earth, to rule and conquer the whole earth, but rather that judgment be carried out by the Holy One Himself, until all recognize His providence. "For the leader" — in this psalm he argues with the people of his generation who challenged the belief in providence, on the grounds that the wicked crowns himself over the righteous and Hashem does not execute justice; and his answer is that through this He tests mankind, for if He punished the wicked immediately there would be no room for free choice or for reward and punishment, and everyone would serve Hashem out of fear of punishment. But by concealing His providence, the righteous who serve Hashem in truth are thereby tested, and thereby their reward is increased. "In Hashem I take refuge" — I take refuge in Hashem, in His individual providence, and how can you say to my soul that "my wandering is to your mountain"? Meaning: my wandering — in that I am restless and wander about your mountain, pursued by my enemies — is comparable to ["the wandering of a bird"], which is a matter of chance and not of providence, so that my own wandering, too, is by chance and not by providence — and from this you bring proof that Hashem does not watch over His creatures.
To right the fatherless and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more.
verse value 2316
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "and·the·oppressed" (וָ֫דָ֥ךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·he·will·continue" (בַּל־יוֹסִ֥יף, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·the·oppressed" (וָ֫דָ֥ךְ), "not·he·will·continue" (בַּל־יוֹסִ֥יף), "to·tremble" (לַעֲרֹ֥ץ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "to·judge" (root שפט, 32x in Psalms); "again" (root עוד, 24x in Psalms). First appearance of the root יסף ("not·he·will·continue") in Psalms. First appearance of the root עוד ("again") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'again', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: לִשְׁפֹּ֥ט [to·judge] (419) + יָת֗וֹם [the·orphan] (456) + וָ֫דָ֥ךְ [and·the·oppressed] (30) + בַּל־יוֹסִ֥יף [not·he·will·continue] (198) + ע֑וֹד [again] (80) + לַעֲרֹ֥ץ [to·tremble] (390) + אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ [man] (357) + מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ [from·the·earth] (386) = 2316.
Rashi
"To judge the orphan" — To perform judgments for Israel, the orphans, and crushed people. "that he no longer continue" — Ishmael and Esau. "to break the weak" — To crush and break the weak and sick.
Ibn Ezra
"To right" [lishpot] — to take up the cause of the orphan and the oppressed. And the word 'arotz' [in la'arotz] is like 'al ta'aritzu' (do not be in dread) (Isaiah 8:12), that is, like 'do not fear'; and 'aritz' (dreaded) is like 'nora' (fearsome). So the sense of 'la'arotz enosh' is 'lira enosh' (that man be feared). For we find the word 'yir'ah' (fear) used with a mem, as in 'they shall fear because of Hashem,' and without a mem, as in 'they shall fear You as long as the sun endures' (Psalm 72:5). Or, the phrase 'min ha-aretz' (of the earth) may be drawn backward [to modify an earlier word], like 'odem, pitdah, u-vareket' (Exodus 28:17), [where a word is to be understood out of its immediate order].
Radak
'To judge the fatherless and the oppressed' — and what was their prayer? 'To judge the fatherless and the oppressed.' Its meaning is: to take up their cause from the hand of their oppressors. 'That he may terrify no more' — them, and frighten them no more '— that man, who is of the earth' — and they will not fear anyone but You. 'Le'aretz' [to terrify] is a transitive verb, and similarly transitive is [the same verb in]: 'when he arises to terrify the earth' (Isaiah 2:19); 'will You frighten a driven leaf' (Job 13:25).
Metzudat David
"To right" — to exact judgment from the hand of their oppressors. "Shall be terrible no more" — and the oppressor will no longer terrorize and harm people, once he sees that You repay in full.
Metzudat Zion
'Vedach' — feeble and afflicted. 'Le'arotz' — meaning, to break, as in 'do not be terrified' (Joshua 1).
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim