Bless Hashem, O my soul. O Hashem my God, You are very great; You are clothed with glory and majesty.
verse value 2615
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 40 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "very" (מְּאֹ֑ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "Hashem" (אֶת־יְ֫הֹוָ֥ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·are·great" (גָּדַ֣לְתָּ), "You·are·clothed" (לָבָֽשְׁתָּ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "my·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'very', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: בָּרְכִ֥י [bless] (232) + נַפְשִׁ֗י [my·soul] (440) + אֶת־יְ֫הֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (427) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱ֭לֹהַי [my·God] (46) + גָּדַ֣לְתָּ [You·are·great] (437) + מְּאֹ֑ד [very] (45) + ה֖וֹד [splendour] (15) + וְהָדָ֣ר [and·majesty] (215) + לָבָֽשְׁתָּ [You·are·clothed] (732) = 2615.
Ibn Ezra
"Bless Hashem, O my soul" — by way of reasoning, this psalm too is [by] David, for its beginning and end are the same as the first one [Psalm 103]. And in this psalm he recounts the account of creation, beginning with light, for it was the first thing to come into being, and afterward the heavens and the earth, the vegetation, the lights, the fish of the sea, and the beasts of the field, [and] man. And the blessing which the soul is to give is a mystery — that it acknowledge and declare [praise] to Hashem, for He is very great, and, in a manner of speaking, exalted above every blessing and praise. And the meaning of "You are clothed with glory and majesty" is: the abundance of Your glory and Your majesty wearies the eyes of the wise soul from seeing Your glory, just as a garment prevents [one] from seeing the very body of the one wearing it.
Radak
"Bless" — this psalm speaks of the account of Creation (Ma'aseh Bereishit), and how everything the blessed God does is with wisdom, for the ordering of His creatures. And it says "Bless, O my soul," for there is no one among the lower beings who knows how to bless, except the intellective soul of man. And it says "You are very great" — from Your works we understand that You are very great. "You are clothed with glory and majesty" — when You first created the spheres, they are a strength and a garment of majesty for You, and from their majesty a person recognizes the greatness of Your might and Your glory — like one who wears royal garb, by which a person who does not know him will recognize that he is a king.
Malbim
"Bless Hashem, O my soul" — after he blessed Hashem for the governance of the soul and the providence apparent therein, he comes to bless Him for the whole of creation: that He created the "great man" (adam ha-gadol) that is the world, and how He ordered everything with wisdom and abundant providence, such that each thing is a purpose for its fellow, up to man, who is the purpose of the whole creation. "Hashem my God, You are very great" — that is, You, in Yourself, as You are in the concealment of Your might, are very great, and we have no comprehension or knowledge whatsoever of this; but within You is contained all of existence from beginning to end, and this is what the name "great" indicates. And when it arose in Your hidden will to bring forth the worlds from Your hidden essence, then "You are clothed in glory and majesty" — this being the revelation of the sefirot and supernal lights, which are the covering of His garment, with which He clothed Himself — like the saying, a snail whose garment is from itself and of itself — in order to bring forth something from nothing. And there is a difference between "glory" (hod) and "majesty" (hadar): hod is more inward than hadar; and so likewise there were lights and vessels — an encompassing light relative to an inward light, a soul, and a soul of a soul.
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretch out the heavens like a curtain;
verse value 1461
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "stretching·out" (נוֹטֶ֥ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "covering·light" (עֹֽטֶה־א֭וֹר, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "covering·light" (עֹֽטֶה־א֭וֹר), "like·the·garment" (כַּשַּׂלְמָ֑ה), "stretching·out" (נוֹטֶ֥ה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "heavens" (root שמים, 71x in Psalms); "stretching·out" (root נטה, 28x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'like·the·garment', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֹֽטֶה־א֭וֹר [covering·light] (291) + כַּשַּׂלְמָ֑ה [like·the·garment] (395) + נוֹטֶ֥ה [stretching·out] (70) + שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם [heavens] (390) + כַּיְרִיעָֽה [like·the·curtain] (315) = 1461.
Rashi
"[You] enwrap Yourself with light" — in the sky like a garment.
Ibn Ezra
"Who cover Yourself" — he mentions that what is visible of His garment is light, and He wraps Himself in it like a robe, in the manner of [the phrase] "he wraps himself with a garment"; and this light is the one mentioned in the account of creation, created on the first day. "Who stretch out [the heavens] like a curtain" — on the second day, in the manner of: "and stretches them out like a tent to dwell in."
Radak
"Who cover Yourself" — with light, for it was created first, after the spheres (galgalim). And the meaning of "cover" (oteh) is as we explained regarding "You are clothed with glory and majesty" [v. 1]; or "cover" (oteh) may be understood as we explained for a verb transitive to a third [object], meaning "a covering" — that is, that He clothed it with light, just as a person wraps himself in a garment. "Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain" — this is said of the firmament (rakia) that divides, which is called "heavens," and this creation took place on the second day. We cannot explain it as referring to the upper heavens, of which it is said that they are nine spheres (galgalim), for these were created before the light, on the first day.
Metzudat David
"Who cover" — Clothing the world in light, like a garment that wraps around a person's body. "Who stretch out the heavens" — around the earth, like a person who stretches out a curtain.
Metzudat Zion
“Who cover Yourself” — a term for wrapping, as in “like a garment that he puts on” (below, Psalm 109). “Like a robe” — like a garment. “Like a curtain” — like a drape.
Malbim
"Who cover Yourself with light" — first he tells of the creation of light: that from the hidden light concerning which it is said, "it is not known and cannot be known," He brought forth another light, through a chain of gradual unfolding — the light of the intellect and the intellects — until it became materialized into perceptible light. And just as one who wears a garment is concealed beneath his garment, so the Supernal Emanator is concealed beneath the garment of light. And just as the light that breaks through a cloak shows only through the tiny holes of its ornamental weave, and is not like light that breaks through a window, so He wrapped and concealed Himself beneath this light, so that from the hidden light we grasp only fine sparks through the weave of the heart. And just as one who is wrapped is more covered than one who wears a garment — for a garment conforms to the size of the body, and the size of the body can be discerned from the size of the garment, but this is not so for one who is wrapped — so too the Emanator is hidden in the utmost concealment. And I have already explained, in my commentary on Ma'aseh Bereishit, that the light created on the first day was not placed into its sheath until the fourth day, when the light-bearers were created; and this is the difference between "light" and "luminary." And this light circled the earth once and was present for twelve hours in every region around the sphere of the earth; and so it says "You cover Yourself with light as with a garment." "Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain" — after the statement "let there be light" comes the statement "let there be a firmament," "and God called the firmament Heaven." And I have already maintained, in my commentary on Ma'aseh Bereishit, in accordance with the view of the commentators, that the term "firmament" is said of the place where the vapors rise within the circuit of respiration, where the clouds and rain form; and there I explained that through the light the firmament was formed — that is, the vapors began to rise, and the region of storms, where they gather into clouds, was established; and this is "You stretch out the heavens like a curtain."
Who lay the beams of Your upper chambers in the waters, who make the clouds Your chariot, who walk upon the wings of the wind;
verse value 2249
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 42 letters. Verse gematria: 2249 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "in·the·waters" (בַמַּ֗יִם, 4 letters) and the longest is "on·wings·of·wind" (עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רֽוּחַ, 9 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "who·lays·beams" (הַ֥מְקָרֶ֥ה), "His·roof-rooms" (עֲֽלִיּ֫וֹתָ֥יו), "who·makes·clouds" (הַשָּׂם־עָבִ֥ים). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who·walks" (root הלך, 68x in Psalms); "in·the·waters" (root מים, 38x in Psalms); "who·makes·clouds" (root שים, 33x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·chariot', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: הַ֥מְקָרֶ֥ה [who·lays·beams] (350) + בַמַּ֗יִם [in·the·waters] (92) + עֲֽלִיּ֫וֹתָ֥יו [His·roof-rooms] (532) + הַשָּׂם־עָבִ֥ים [who·makes·clouds] (467) + רְכוּב֑וֹ [His·chariot] (234) + הַֽ֝מְהַלֵּ֗ךְ [who·walks] (100) + עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רֽוּחַ [on·wings·of·wind] (474) = 2249.
Ibn Ezra
"Who lay the beams" — like [the phrase]: "they laid its beams." "His upper chambers" — they are the clouds, and they are in the sphere of stormy weather. And the meaning of "His chariot" is to make them run. And the meaning of "who walks" is on account of the decrees that come down by means of them, and He sends them to [various] places. And the meaning of "the wings of the wind" is with swift motion.
Radak
"Who lay the beams [of Your upper chambers]" — the clouds are His upper chambers, and they are like a roofing over the earth. And it says "who make the clouds Your chariot" — the verse repeats the same idea in different words. And it says "Your chariot," because by His word and His will the clouds run, like a beast under the control of the rider upon it. Likewise, "who walk upon the wings of the wind" refers to the speed with which the wind drives [the clouds], pushing the clouds toward the horizon, as though He were walking upon its wings.
Metzudat David
"Who lay the beams" — He made the ceiling of His upper chambers with water, this being the upper waters that are above the heavens, which serve as a ceiling for the upper chamber. "His chariot" — to serve as a chariot to carry Him wherever He desires to steer it, like one who rides his chariot. "Who walk" — He drives the clouds swiftly by means of the blowing wind, and it flies like a winged creature.
Metzudat Zion
“Who lay the beams” — a term for roofing/covering a house, as in “they roofed it” (Nehemiah 3). “Your upper chambers” — from the term for an upper story, namely, a room above a room. “Clouds” — that is, ananim (clouds).
Malbim
"Who lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters" — he begins to explain the matter of this firmament and how it came about: that the waters were made into a ceiling-beam, like the roof of a building, and above it is the building's upper story — for from there and upward belongs to the domain of the heavens, since it is no longer fit for the breathing of any living creature. And he also calls them "His upper chambers," alluding to the rising of the vapors. And therefore, there, "the clouds are His chariot" — for the vapors that rise and gather in the region of storms, when the heat disperses from them, become clouds, and it is as if Hashem rides upon this light cloud, as it is written, "Behold, Hashem rides upon a swift cloud." "Who walks" — reclining upon His chariot, for this chariot "walks upon the wings of the wind" — that in place of the horses that draw a chariot, the wings of the wind draw this chariot; that is, the winds carry the clouds from place to place.
Who make winds Your messengers, the flaming fire Your ministers.
verse value 2403
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "fire" (אֵ֣שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "His·messengers" (מַלְאָכָ֣יו, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "winds" (רוּח֑וֹת), "flaming" (לֹהֵֽט). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who·makes" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms); "winds" (root רוח, 31x in Psalms); "fire" (root אש, 20x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'winds', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֹשֶׂ֣ה [who·makes] (375) + מַלְאָכָ֣יו [His·messengers] (107) + רוּח֑וֹת [winds] (620) + מְ֝שָׁרְתָ֗יו [His·ministers] (956) + אֵ֣שׁ [fire] (301) + לֹהֵֽט [flaming] (44) = 2403.
Rashi
"He makes winds His messengers" — lit. He makes His messengers winds. He makes the wind His messengers.
Ibn Ezra
"Who makes" "winds" — they are His messengers, in the manner of [the phrase]: "and the stormy wind, fulfilling His word." "Your ministers" — the burning stone whose odor kills [i.e., sulfurous fire], and the fire that comes down from the heavens — [these are] the lightning bolts.
Radak
"Winds" — the blowing winds are His angels and His messengers, for nothing happens by chance; rather, everything occurs by the intention of the One who intends it. So too "the flaming fire" — this is the fires and racing lightning bolts; all of it is by His word and His command, and all of them are His ministers. Now he has mentioned the things that occur in the air, and afterward he will mention the earth and the water, and he will mention what was done on the third day regarding the appearance of the dry land; and he will first mention the foundations of the earth, how it came to be in the middle of the sphere (galgal).
Metzudat David
"His messengers, the winds" — He makes the winds to be His messengers.
Metzudat Zion
“Flaming” — burning and blazing, as in “and it set him ablaze all around” (Isaiah 42).
Malbim
"Who makes" — the bursting of the clouds and the sending down of rain occurs through two things: first, through the winds; second, through the substance of electricity, which is the fiery substance found in the vapors — for when the fiery substance leaves them, it produces thunder and lightning, and the clouds burst to bring down the rain. Now, a messenger is an emissary who goes from place to place, so he depicts it as "who makes His messengers winds" — that they carry the clouds to their place. And a minister is one who performs his service and does his work, so he depicts "His ministers" as "flaming fire" — that the heat and fire confined within the vapors perform the work of the rain: when the air draws the fire of the vapors outward, they gather together and become rain and pour out upon the earth.
Who did establish the earth upon its foundations, that it should not be moved for ever and ever;
verse value 1309
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "and·ever" (וָעֶֽד, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·its·foundations" (עַל־מְכוֹנֶ֑יהָ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "founded·earth" (יָֽסַד־אֶ֭רֶץ), "upon·its·foundations" (עַל־מְכוֹנֶ֑יהָ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "forever" (root עולם, 144x in Psalms); "and·ever" (root עד, 50x in Psalms); "not·be·moved" (root מוט, 27x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·its·foundations', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: יָֽסַד־אֶ֭רֶץ [founded·earth] (365) + עַל־מְכוֹנֶ֑יהָ [upon·its·foundations] (231) + בַּל־תִּ֝מּ֗וֹט [not·be·moved] (487) + עוֹלָ֥ם [forever] (146) + וָעֶֽד [and·ever] (80) = 1309.
Ibn Ezra
"Who established" — he mentioned the firmament, the clouds, [and] the wind, and now he mentions the earth. And the meaning of "established" is that it is set firm in the heaven of heavens, and fixed according to its nature by the power of Hashem; therefore it shall not be moved, for it has no [independent] motion, since it is altogether small in relation to the heavens, like a point within a circle.
Radak
And it says "did establish" (yasad) — meaning that He set it in the nature of the earth to sink downward, and the lowest point is the middle of the sphere. Thus it stands upon so firm a base that it will not be moved forever and ever, for if it were to shift toward any of the six directions, it would have to rise; and God set it in its nature to descend and not to rise. Likewise, its constitution is such that its base is round like a ball, because it is set within a sphere, and no shape can remain fixed within another shape without inclining toward one of the sides, except the shape of a circle.
Metzudat David
"Upon its foundations" — upon its base and foundation, so that it should never tilt to fall.
Malbim
"Who established" — because of this, "He established the earth upon its foundations" — this is the statement, "let the waters be gathered together and let dry land appear." For I have already explained in Parashat Bereishit that at first the element of water was mixed with the element of air, and therefore it covered the whole sphere of the earth all around; and through the light the firmament came into being — that is, the vapors began to rise to the firmament, which is the circuit of respiration. And since all the water was in the form of vapor mixed with air, it all rose upward to the circuit of respiration, and there it gathered and became clouds and rain, in accordance with the law of rain that forms from vapors now rising in the air, from which the air mixed with them is likewise separated out, and water not mixed with air — like our water — descends below. As it is said in the midrash, by way of a parable: like ten inflated wineskins placed in a hall, when their place was needed, the air was let out of them — so too Hashem let the wind out of the water, and it gathered and contracted and descended into the ocean sea, and the dry land appeared. (And see more on this in my commentary on Job, chapter 26.) And through this "He established the earth" — that is, the dry land, which was then called by the name "earth" — and it was made in such a way "that it should not be moved forever and ever."
You did cover it with the deep as with a vesture; the waters stood above the mountains.
verse value 1880
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "deep" (תְּ֭הוֹם, 4 letters) and the longest is "stood·waters" (יַ֖עַמְדוּ־מָֽיִם, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·covered·it" (כִּסִּית֑וֹ), "above·the·mountains" (עַל־הָ֝רִ֗ים), "stood·waters" (יַ֖עַמְדוּ־מָֽיִם). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "above·the·mountains" (root הר, 43x in Psalms); "stood·waters" (root עמד, 36x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'You·covered·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: תְּ֭הוֹם [deep] (451) + כַּלְּב֣וּשׁ [like·the·garment] (358) + כִּסִּית֑וֹ [You·covered·it] (496) + עַל־הָ֝רִ֗ים [above·the·mountains] (355) + יַ֖עַמְדוּ־מָֽיִם [stood·waters] (220) = 1880.
Rashi
"You covered the deep as [with] a garment" — This is similar to what is said elsewhere (Job 38: 9): “When I made the cloud its raiment, etc.” "the deep" — That is the sea. "the waters stand on the mountains" — The waters of the ocean are higher than the whole world. They stand on the mountains, and so Scripture states (Amos 5:8, 9:6): “He who calls the water of the sea and pours it upon the face of the earth.” Pouring denotes only [pouring] from above downward.
Ibn Ezra
"The deep" — now he mentions the sea. "The deep" — the deepest place in the sea, for when the dry land appeared, [the deep] was the gathering-place of the waters. And the meaning of "the waters stood above the mountains" — this matter is known and evident to the mind, for there are waters of the sea over high mountains, and also over walls that had been built. And the meaning of "You did cover it with the deep as with a vesture" is that the deep is the depth of the earth, and it is covered with water, for half of the earth is exposed. And whoever twists the words of the living God [to claim that] "upon the waters do the mountains stand" has perversity in his heart.
Radak
"The deep" — now he relates how the earth was covered with water at the beginning of creation, for such is the nature of water, to lie upon the earth on every side; but God, may He be blessed, in His power and His wisdom, gathered it to one side, away from the face of the earth, and exposed the face of the earth for the sake of the creatures and the plants. This is the meaning of "You did cover it with the deep as with a vesture" — at first, before the gathering of the waters, the water was a covering for the earth. And the pronominal suffix of "You did cover it" (kesito) refers to "the earth," for that word is also found used in the masculine; and "the deep" (tehom) is likewise used in both the masculine and the feminine. Now the more plausible interpretation of the word "You did cover it" is that the pronoun refers to the earth, meaning that with the deep You did cover the earth, just as a garment covers a person. "The waters stood above the mountains" — for the water stood even upon the high mountains. And the omission of the letter bet in the word "the deep" [that is, it is to be understood as though written "with the deep"] — there are many such cases in Scripture. It is also possible to interpret this verse as referring to the time after the gathering of the waters, meaning: just as a garment covers a person, covering him entirely except for the face, so too the waters, after they were gathered to all sides of the earth, cover it entirely except for the face of the earth, which appears as dry land — the place of the dry land in the earth being exposed, just as the face is exposed. And the meaning of "the waters stood above the mountains" would then be that even after the waters were gathered, in the place of the gathering of the waters, the mountains were covered there.
Metzudat David
"The deep" — You covered the deep so that it should not rise and flood the world, just as one covers something with a garment, over the mountains. There are waters of the sea upon the mountains, yet they do not pour down as water [normally] does.
Malbim
"The deep" — he explains in detail how this came about. At first "the deep" (which is the earth beneath the waters, as it says, "and darkness was upon the face of the deep" [Genesis 1:2]) was entirely "covered" with water "as with a garment" that covers it all around, until "the waters stood above the mountains" — meaning the waters surrounded the whole globe of the earth.
At Your rebuke they fled, at the voice of Your thunder they hasted away—
verse value 1682
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "Your·thunder" (רַ֝עַמְךָ֗, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·Your·rebuke" (מִן־גַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ֣, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "from·Your·rebuke" (מִן־גַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ֣), "fled" (יְנוּס֑וּן), "from·voice·of" (מִן־ק֥וֹל). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·voice·of" (root קול, 55x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'fled', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: מִן־גַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ֣ [from·Your·rebuke] (783) + יְנוּס֑וּן [fled] (182) + מִן־ק֥וֹל [from·voice·of] (226) + רַ֝עַמְךָ֗ [Your·thunder] (330) + יֵחָפֵזֽוּן [hastened] (161) = 1682.
Rashi
"From Your rebuke they fled" — When You said (Gen. 1:9): “Let the waters gather.” And from that voice they hastened away and gathered in the place that You founded for them.
Ibn Ezra
"At Your rebuke" — he describes the waves of the sea when a storm wind comes upon them; thunder, too, produces a great effect upon the sea.
Radak
"They fled" (yenusun); "they hasted away" (veyechafezun) — future [tense] used in place of past, and plural, referring to "they" [the waters]. Meaning: when You said, let the waters be gathered to one place, the waters fled from before You, like a servant who flees from the rebuke of his master, or a person who flees from the rebuke of one stronger than himself. "At the voice of Your thunder" — just as when a person thunders with his voice at his fellow, so that he is terrified and hurries away from him, so did the waters do; Your will was to them like a voice of thunder, and they hurried to go to the place of the gathering.
Metzudat David
"At Your rebuke" — When You said, "Let the waters be gathered," they fled to the place where they now are. "At the voice of Your thunder" — At the time You made Your voice heard to them, which is like the sound of thunder, they then hastened to go to their place.
Metzudat Zion
“They hasted away” — from the term for haste and speed.
Malbim
(7-8) "At Your rebuke" — the clauses are parallel: "at Your rebuke they fled — the mountains rose; at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away — the valleys sank." There is a difference between fleeing (nesiah) and hastening (chipazon): one who flees, flees from a thing by compulsion, while one who hastens, hastens toward a thing because he desires that thing. At first, the rising of the waters up to the firmament was contrary to their prior nature — it was only that Hashem rebuked them, and they fled at Hashem's rebuke and command from the place where they had been, and mountains rose, for rising is contrary to the nature of water. Afterward, "at the voice of Your thunder" — for thunder shatters the clouds and brings the rain down below — "the valleys sank" downward, and this was in accordance with the nature of water, whose nature is to descend from above to below. That is why it says "hastened away" (yechapezun) — they hastened to their natural place below, and gathered "to this place" that "You founded for them," which is the ocean sea.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down— To the place which You had founded for them;
verse value 1947
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "this" (זֶ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·the·place" (אֶל־מְ֝ק֗וֹם, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "valleys" (בְקָע֑וֹת), "to·the·place" (אֶל־מְ֝ק֗וֹם). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·them" (root הם, 69x in Psalms); "mountains" (root הר, 43x in Psalms); "rose" (root עלה, 34x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'valleys', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: יַעֲל֣וּ [rose] (116) + הָ֭רִים [mountains] (255) + יֵרְד֣וּ [went·down] (220) + בְקָע֑וֹת [valleys] (578) + אֶל־מְ֝ק֗וֹם [to·the·place] (217) + זֶ֤ה [this] (12) + יָסַ֬דְתָּ [You·founded] (474) + לָהֶֽם [for·them] (75) = 1947.
Ibn Ezra
"The mountains rose" — and the meaning of "to the place" is what he mentions afterward — "bound" — he mentions "that they should not return" as a sign, for at first the earth was covered with water, and by the will of Hashem the wind pressed upon the waters, and the dry land appeared after the light had been created, which was the primary thing, as I explained in the account of creation.
Radak
"They rose" (ya'alu) — when they [the waters] fled from before You, the mountains rose and the valleys sank down, until they reached this place that You had founded for them. And "they rose" and "[they] sank down" are future [tense] used in place of past, and plural, referring to them.
Metzudat David
"The mountains rose" — When they [the waters] traveled, they went in their course over the mountains, contrary to the nature of water, and from there descended into the valleys; and they did not remain there as is the nature of water, but rather went to this place which You had established for them.
You did set a bound which they should not pass over, That they might not return to cover the earth.
verse value 2363
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "the·earth" (הָאָֽרֶץ, 4 letters) and the longest is "not·pass·over" (בַּל־יַעֲבֹר֑וּן, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "border·You·set" (גְּֽבוּל־שַׂ֭מְתָּ), "not·pass·over" (בַּל־יַעֲבֹר֑וּן), "not·return" (בַּל־יְ֝שֻׁב֗וּן). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "not·return" (root שוב, 72x in Psalms); "not·pass·over" (root עבר, 34x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'not·pass·over', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: גְּֽבוּל־שַׂ֭מְתָּ [border·You·set] (781) + בַּל־יַעֲבֹר֑וּן [not·pass·over] (370) + בַּל־יְ֝שֻׁב֗וּן [not·return] (400) + לְכַסּ֥וֹת [to·cover] (516) + הָאָֽרֶץ [the·earth] (296) = 2363.
Rashi
"You set a boundary" — for them, viz. the sand that is around its shore.
Ibn Ezra
["The mountains rose" — and the meaning of "to the place" is what he mentions afterward —] "bound" — he mentions "that they should not return" as a sign, for at first the earth was covered with water, and by the will of Hashem the wind pressed upon the waters, and the dry land appeared after the light had been created, which was the primary thing, as I explained in the account of creation.
Radak
"A bound" — after You gathered the waters, You set the sand as a boundary for them, so that they would not pass over it and destroy the creatures upon the dry land. "That they might not return to cover the earth" — for when the waters were gathered into one place, the waters in truth rose up mightily above the earth and stood as a single heap; and by nature water flows from high to low. But He, may He be blessed, restrained them, contrary to their nature, in this matter, so that the waves of the sea reach the shore of the sea and do not pass the boundary, which is the sand upon the seashore. And that which is called "those who go down to the sea" [alludes] to the shore, meaning that the land is higher than the sea.
Metzudat David
"A bound You did set" — The sand of the sea You set for them as a boundary, so that they should not cross that boundary, so that they should not return to their [former] place to cover the earth as at first.
Malbim
"A bound You did set" — then Hashem set a boundary around the sea, "that they should not pass over" this boundary, "that they might not return to cover the earth" as had been the case at the beginning of creation.
Who send forth springs into the valleys; They run between the mountains;
verse value 1181
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "between" (בֵּ֥ין, 3 letters) and the longest is "springs" (מַ֭עְיָנִים, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "who·sends" (הַֽמְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ), "springs" (מַ֭עְיָנִים), "in·the·valleys" (בַּנְּחָלִ֑ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "go" (root הלך, 68x in Psalms); "mountains" (root הר, 43x in Psalms); "who·sends" (root שלח, 33x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·valleys', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַֽמְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ [who·sends] (383) + מַ֭עְיָנִים [springs] (220) + בַּנְּחָלִ֑ים [in·the·valleys] (140) + בֵּ֥ין [between] (62) + הָ֝רִ֗ים [mountains] (255) + יְהַלֵּכֽוּן [go] (121) = 1181.
Ibn Ezra
"Who sends forth" — after he mentioned the sea, since it is known that vapor rises from the sea, and this is the cause of rain. And so it is written, "Who calls for the waters of the sea" (Amos 5:8) — that is, from the waters of the rain come the springs, and from them the streams.
Radak
"Who send forth" — this too is part of the order that God established for the benefit of the creatures. For when the waters were gathered, He left in the earth sweet waters and absorbed them within it, and sent forth from them, in [various] places, springs, so that water would flow from them for the need of the creatures — for the plants to drink from them, to cool the air, to give moisture to the bodies of living creatures, to moisten the dryness of the air, and to water, in their course, the trees and the mills. Therefore the sweet waters flow and run along. And for the benefit of the creatures, He did not send the springs to scatter through the valleys, lest they damage the plants, but sent them into the valleys that lie between the mountains. And as for those [streams] that flow through inhabited places, their benefit to people is well known; and those that flow through the deserts are for the need of those who travel the deserts, and for the need of the other living creatures, so that they find water to drink. And this is what it says:
Metzudat David
"Into the valleys" — so that their waters should not cease, and they flow and go between the mountains to water them.
Malbim
"Who sends forth" — now he tells of the benefits that come from these statutes, and how Hashem arranged everything with wisdom for the needs of His creatures. For when the waters rise as vapor and descend upon the mountains, they seep into the ground and springs form from them, and these flow down from the mountains into streams of water that gather between the mountains. That is to say, "He sends forth springs into streams of water," which "flow between the mountains."
They give drink to every beast of the field, The wild asses quench their thirst. .
verse value 2224
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "field" (שָׂדָ֑י, 3 letters) and the longest is "every·beast·of" (כׇּל־חַיְת֣וֹ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "give·drink" (יַ֭שְׁקוּ), "every·beast·of" (כׇּל־חַיְת֣וֹ), "wild-asses" (פְרָאִ֣ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "every·beast·of" (root כל, 82x in Psalms); "break" (root שבר, 26x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'field', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יַ֭שְׁקוּ [give·drink] (416) + כׇּל־חַיְת֣וֹ [every·beast·of] (474) + שָׂדָ֑י [field] (314) + יִשְׁבְּר֖וּ [break] (518) + פְרָאִ֣ים [wild-asses] (331) + צְמָאָֽם [their·thirst] (171) = 2224.
Ibn Ezra
"They give drink" — [namely] the springs and the streams. And he mentioned "wild asses" by way of illustration, [as in] "the wilderness of Kadesh"; and the word "in them" is elided — [meaning] "wild asses quench their thirst [in them]."
Radak
"They give drink" — the waters give drink to the beasts of the field, and the wild asses quench their thirst. He mentions the wild asses in particular because they are accustomed to the desert and do not come into inhabited places.
Metzudat David
"They give drink" — Those streams give drink to the beasts of the field that are found among the mountains, and the wild asses quench their thirst with their waters — that is, they eliminate their thirst by drinking the water.
Malbim
"They give drink" — and this is for the benefit of the living creatures that were destined to be created, for "the streams give drink to every beast of the field," and also the wild creatures "quench" their "thirst" from them.
Beside them dwell the fowl of the heaven, From among the branches they sing.
verse value 1997
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "from·between" (מִבֵּ֥ין, 4 letters) and the longest is "birds·of·the·heavens" (עוֹף־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "birds·of·the·heavens" (עוֹף־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם), "dwell" (יִשְׁכּ֑וֹן), "branches" (עֳ֝פָאיִ֗ם). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·them" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "give·voice" (root נתן, 95x in Psalms); "birds·of·the·heavens" (root שמים, 71x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'dwell', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֲ֭לֵיהֶם [upon·them] (155) + עוֹף־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם [birds·of·the·heavens] (551) + יִשְׁכּ֑וֹן [dwell] (386) + מִבֵּ֥ין [from·between] (102) + עֳ֝פָאיִ֗ם [branches] (201) + יִתְּנוּ־קֽוֹל [give·voice] (602) = 1997.
Rashi
"Beside them the fowl of the heavens dwell" — Beside the springs. "from between the branches" — Heb. עפאים, the branches of the trees, and so (Dan. 4:11): “its branches were (עפיה) beautiful.”
Ibn Ezra
"Beside them" — because of the springs. "Dwell" — every bird, for [otherwise] the place is a wasteland in which nothing lives. "Branches" (afa'im) — some say it means "boughs" (se'ifim). But what seems correct to me is that it is like "leaves," as in "and its foliage was fair" (Daniel 4). "They give voice" — like "melody."
Radak
"Beside them" — furthermore, they [the springs] are of benefit to the birds, for most birds dwell near water. And the meaning of "beside them" (aleihem) is "near them." There are also birds that are raised upon the water, for birds derive their origin from the water. "From among the branches" (afa'im) — the alef is quiescent, and the hirik stands in place of the yod; these are the leaves of the tree. So too in Aramaic, "ve-'ofyah shappir" ["and its foliage was fair"]. And it says "from among the branches" without mentioning the trees [explicitly], because trees mostly grow on the banks of rivers. "They sing" — meaning that they chirp and trill.
Metzudat David
"Beside them" — Near those streams the birds dwell. "From among the branches" — From among the leaves of the trees that are found near the streams, from there they give forth the sound of song.
Metzudat Zion
“Branches” — leaves, as in “its foliage was fair” (Daniel 4).
Malbim
"Beside them" — meaning, upon the mountains "the fowl of the heaven dwell," near the water (this too is included in the word "beside them," namely upon the mountains and the streams), and there "they give voice from among the branches." Thus this served as a preparation for the dwelling-place of the creatures of dry land and of the fowl of the heaven.
Who water the mountains from Your upper chambers; The earth is full of the fruit of Your works.
verse value 3110
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "who·waters" (מַשְׁקֶ֣ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·His·roof-rooms" (מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָ֑יו, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "who·waters" (מַשְׁקֶ֣ה), "from·His·roof-rooms" (מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָ֑יו). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "mountains" (root הר, 43x in Psalms); "is·sated" (root שבע, 40x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·His·roof-rooms', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: מַשְׁקֶ֣ה [who·waters] (445) + הָ֭רִים [mountains] (255) + מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָ֑יו [from·His·roof-rooms] (572) + מִפְּרִ֥י [from·fruit·of] (330) + מַ֝עֲשֶׂ֗יךָ [Your·works] (440) + תִּשְׂבַּ֥ע [is·sated] (772) + הָאָֽרֶץ [the·earth] (296) = 3110.
Ibn Ezra
"Watering" — the rain that the clouds pour down. "From the fruit of Your works" — these are the trees.
Radak
"Who water" — after mentioning the gathering of the waters, which took place on the third day, and mentioning together with this the benefit of the waters that are upon the dry land, he now mentions the plants, which were also created on the third day, and how a mist rose from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground, and afterward, "and Hashem God caused [vegetation] to grow from the ground." This is the meaning of "who water the mountains from Your upper chambers" — these are the clouds. He mentions the mountains because they need rain more than the valleys and the plain, for there is found in the latter more moisture than is found in the mountains; and furthermore, a person is able to water the valleys and the plain from the waters of the rivers, but not so the mountains. The verse repeats the same idea in different words, for the fruit of the clouds is the rain. And it says "Your works," because the matter of rain is a work of wisdom and a great wonder from God, may He be blessed.
Metzudat David
"From His upper chambers" — These are the clouds, which are toward the heavens. "With the fruit of Your works" — This is the fruit of the clouds, namely the rain; and the matter is repeated in different words.
Metzudat Zion
“From Your upper chambers” — from the term for an upper story.
Malbim
"Who waters the mountains from His upper chambers" — likewise, from the upper chambers of the vapors that rise on high, He waters the mountains, so that rain falls upon them; "and from the fruit of these works the earth is satisfied," for the mountains are watered from the vapors that rise on high, and the earth is satisfied from the general rain and from the streams that form from it.
Who causes the grass to spring up for the cattle, And herb for the service of man; To bring forth bread out of the earth,
verse value 2118
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "bread" (לֶ֝֗חֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·bring·forth" (לְה֥וֹצִיא, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "who·causes·to·sprout" (מַצְמִ֤יחַ), "and·herb" (וְ֭עֵשֶׂב), "for·service·of" (לַעֲבֹדַ֣ת). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "the·man" (root אדם, 67x in Psalms); "to·bring·forth" (root יצא, 35x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·man', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: מַצְמִ֤יחַ [who·causes·to·sprout] (188) + חָצִ֨יר [grass] (308) + לַבְּהֵמָ֗ה [for·the·cattle] (82) + וְ֭עֵשֶׂב [and·herb] (378) + לַעֲבֹדַ֣ת [for·service·of] (506) + הָאָדָ֑ם [the·man] (50) + לְה֥וֹצִיא [to·bring·forth] (142) + לֶ֝֗חֶם [bread] (78) + מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ [from·the·earth] (386) = 2118.
Ibn Ezra
"Causes to grow," and "herb" — that which is fit for making bread from. And the sense of "for the service of man" is: that when the ground is worked, it brings forth choice produce.
Radak
"Causes to spring up" — With the rain He causes the grass to spring up for the food of the cattle, and He also causes the trees to spring up with the rain, as it says, "the trees of Hashem have their fill." But first he mentions the benefit of the grass and herbage for man and beast, and among them he mentions food in general, and in particular those foods by which man is sustained most, which are grain, wine, and oil. And the meaning of "and herb for the service of man" — it is herbage that is food for man, for its growth comes about through man's labor, as was decreed upon Adam, the first man: "By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread"; but the food of cattle, the earth brings forth without man's labor. And it says "to bring forth bread from the earth" — for man's labor in the ground is for himself and for the needs of the cattle with which he works the ground, such as the oxen and the donkeys; and the choicest of it will be for himself, such as the wheat, and for the cattle the barley and the straw. And "bread" is a general term for all food, but it is used most often for bread specifically, which is the staple food for man; and of it he says, "and bread that stays man's heart."
Metzudat David
"For the cattle" — for the food of cattle. "For the service of man" — He causes herb to grow for the work of man, such as kinds of dyes and the like. "To bring forth" — He causes [it] to grow, to bring forth bread, etc.
Malbim
"Who causes to spring up" — now he tells of what was created on the third day, of which it is said, "Let the earth put forth grass" (Genesis 1:11). (For until now he explained that what was created earlier was a preparation for what was created afterward — the firmament, the vapors, and the rain being a preparation for what was created from the third day onward.) After this preparation, it says, "Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit" (Genesis 1:11) — these being three kinds: 1. "Grass" is the earth clothing itself in plants, most of which are food for cattle, and so it says "Who causes grass to spring up for the cattle." 2. "Herb yielding seed" — these are herbs sown by the hand of man, the most important of which are the five species of grain from which bread is made, over which one recites, on account of their importance, the blessing "Who brings forth [bread from the earth]" and the Grace after Meals. This herb does not become bread at once, but only after much labor and toil — it must be threshed, ground, kneaded, and baked, and only then does it become bread. This is the meaning of "and herb for the service of man, to bring forth bread" — that through man's labor he brings forth bread from it, that through his labor with the herb he brings forth bread from the earth.
And wine that makes glad the heart of man, Making the face brighter than oil, And bread that stays man's heart.
verse value 2224
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "and·wine" (וְיַ֤יִן, 4 letters) and the longest is "heart·of·man" (לְֽבַב־אֱנ֗וֹשׁ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 391: heart·of·man, heart·of·man. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "to·brighten" (לְהַצְהִ֣יל), "face" (פָּנִ֣ים), "sustains" (יִסְעָֽד). The root אנוש appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "face" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "gladdens" (root שמח, 55x in Psalms); "and·bread" (root לחם, 23x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'than·oil', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְיַ֤יִן [and·wine] (76) + יְשַׂמַּ֬ח [gladdens] (358) + לְֽבַב־אֱנ֗וֹשׁ [heart·of·man] (391) + לְהַצְהִ֣יל [to·brighten] (170) + פָּנִ֣ים [face] (180) + מִשָּׁ֑מֶן [than·oil] (430) + וְ֝לֶ֗חֶם [and·bread] (84) + לְֽבַב־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ [heart·of·man] (391) + יִסְעָֽד [sustains] (144) = 2224.
Rashi
"And wine" — which cheers man’s heart, that too He brings forth from the earth, and oil to cause the face to radiate. "and bread" — which sustains man’s heart.
Ibn Ezra
"And wine" — he mentioned bread and wine, for both are the sustenance of man's life; and since he mentioned the making of wine, he [also] mentioned the making of bread. "To make [the face] shine" — to improve, to brighten.
Radak
"And wine" — He also brings it forth from the earth, for it too is for man's benefit, to gladden his heart; and if he drinks it in moderation, it will improve his intellect, for with gladness of heart the intellect improves, and the prophets attest to this. And He also brings forth "oil" — which man eats, and it brightens and lights up his face, and he also kindles [lamps] with it at night; but he mentions its primary benefit, which is that it brightens the face. And the meaning of "than oil" is: to brighten a person's face — that comes from the oil. Or it is possible that in saying "than oil" he alludes to the kindling of the lamp with it at night — that is, part of its benefit is to brighten [the face], and this shows that it has other benefits for man's needs, to light with it and to anoint with it. And since he mentioned the benefit of wine and oil, he also mentioned the benefit of bread, even though its benefit is obvious. And it says "stays man's heart" — for no food sustains the heart as bread does; and so it says, "and I will take a morsel of bread, and stay your heart," and it says, "stay your heart with a morsel of bread."
Metzudat David
"And wine" — He causes wine to grow, which gladdens the heart of the one who drinks it. "To make [the face] brighter" — He causes oil to grow to brighten a person's face, through eating much of it and anointing oneself with it. "And bread" — He causes bread to grow to sustain the heart of man from his weakness.
Metzudat Zion
“To make bright” — a term for shining, as in “exultation and gladness” (Esther 1). “Stays” — sustains, supports.
Malbim
"And wine" — 3. He created fruit trees and barren trees, and the most important of the fruit trees are the vine, from which he produces "wine that makes glad the heart of man," and the olive, which serves "to make the face brighter than oil." These were created for additional refinement and pleasure, but they are of no benefit without the bread that sustains the heart. That is, the wine gladdens and the oil brightens the face only in conjunction with "the bread that sustains man's heart," for without bread, strong drink is bitter to those who drink it and does not brighten the face.
The trees of Hashem have their fill, The cedars of Lebanon, which He has planted;
verse value 1570
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "trees·of" (עֲצֵ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "are·sated" (יִ֭שְׂבְּעוּ, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "trees·of" (עֲצֵ֣י), "cedars·of" (אַֽרְזֵ֥י), "He·planted" (נָטָֽע). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "which" (root אשר, 101x in Psalms); "are·sated" (root שבע, 40x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: יִ֭שְׂבְּעוּ [are·sated] (388) + עֲצֵ֣י [trees·of] (170) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + אַֽרְזֵ֥י [cedars·of] (218) + לְ֝בָנ֗וֹן [Lebanon] (138) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [which] (501) + נָטָֽע [He·planted] (129) = 1570.
Rashi
"The Lord’s trees" — in the Garden of Eden.
Ibn Ezra
"Are satisfied" — because he began the matter of rain with "watering the mountains." "The trees of Hashem are satisfied" — these are the ones that yield fruit; "are satisfied" is stated a second time. "The cedars of Lebanon" — for they are great.
Radak
"Have their fill" — from the rain that he mentioned above, "Who waters the mountains from His upper chambers," etc. And these trees that he mentions are the trees of the forest. And he attributes the trees to Hashem's name because his intent is the tall, lofty trees, since their sprouting and growth involve no human hand at all — for he already mentioned above the grass and trees that grow through man's labor; therefore he now mentions these, in which there is no labor of man, but only the will of God, blessed be He, alone, who placed it in the nature of the earth to bring them forth. Therefore it says "the trees of Hashem." And so it says, "the cedars of Lebanon, which He has planted." He mentions the cedars in particular because the cedar is the tallest of all the trees of the forest. And the meaning of "which He has planted" is to say that man does not plant them as he plants fruit trees for his own need; rather, He waters them from His upper chambers and they have their fill, and they do not need man to water them. And also among them, in places in the forest, there are fruit trees that grow without man's labor, such as apple trees and oaks.
Metzudat David
"Have their fill" — From the rain the trees of Hashem have their fill; and it goes on to explain: the cedars of Lebanon which He planted — these are non-fruit-bearing trees, which it is not the way of man to plant; they grow by themselves, and they are the work of Hashem.
Malbim
"Have their fill" — likewise, the rain was prepared also for the need of the barren trees, for from the rain "the trees of Hashem have their fill," and also "the cedars of Lebanon," the tall and lofty ones "which He planted." These too provide benefit for the needs of the living creatures created after them, since "there the birds make their nests" — for birds customarily nest in a nest upon the tall cedars — "and the stork," whose custom is to dwell in a nest like a shelter from storm and rain, chooses "her home in the fir trees," whose branches are broad and protect against the rain.
In them the birds make their nests; As for the stork, the fir-trees are her house.
verse value 2539
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "her·house" (בֵּיתָֽהּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "cypresses" (בְּרוֹשִׁ֥ים, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "birds" (צִפֳּרִ֣ים), "make·nests" (יְקַנֵּ֑נוּ), "stork" (חֲ֝סִידָ֗ה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "where" (root שם, 119x in Psalms); "her·house" (root בית, 48x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'make·nests', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֭ם [where] (841) + צִפֳּרִ֣ים [birds] (420) + יְקַנֵּ֑נוּ [make·nests] (216) + חֲ֝סִידָ֗ה [stork] (87) + בְּרוֹשִׁ֥ים [cypresses] (558) + בֵּיתָֽהּ [her·house] (417) = 2539.
Rashi
"birds nest" — Israel will dwell there. יְקַנֵנוּ is an expression of a bird’s nest (קן צפור).
Ibn Ezra
"Where" — he mentioned that the tall trees are like a dwelling-place for the birds.
Radak
"In which" — Now he mentions their virtue while they are still growing, for when they are cut down there is benefit in them for man, to roof houses with them and for other purposes, and to make ships from them. Even that wood which has no use for building — namely the twigs found among the trees of the forest — is useful for kindling fire, since they are thin wood, good for kindling. And while they are still in the ground, even though they do not bear fruit, they are of benefit to the birds, to perch upon them and to nest in them. And God, blessed be He, created the lesser things for the benefit of those greater than them, for among the creatures here below, man is the most honored, and beneath him are the other kinds of living creatures, and beneath them the plants, and beneath them the inanimate things that have no soul or movement at all. And indeed the trees that are found to be taller are better for the birds to rest upon and to nest in. "And birds" — this is a general term for all fowl. And he mentions in particular "the stork," because it is a large bird, and its way is to nest in a tall tree, and its custom is to nest in cedars. And the meaning of "her house" is: her nest.
Metzudat David
"Wherein" — Upon the cedars of Lebanon the birds make for themselves a nest and a dwelling place, as if the cedars were created for the benefit of the birds. "The fir-trees are her house" — the place of her dwelling is upon the fir-trees, as if they were created for their benefit.
Metzudat Zion
“Birds” — a general term for all fowl. “Make their nests” — from the term for a nest and dwelling place. “Stork” — the name of a bird. “Fir-trees” — a type of non-fruit-bearing tree.
The high mountains are for the wild goats; The rocks are a refuge for the conies.
verse value 1343
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "mountains" (הָרִ֣ים, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·high" (הַ֭גְּבֹהִים, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "the·high" (הַ֭גְּבֹהִים), "for·the·mountain-goats" (לַיְּעֵלִ֑ים), "crags" (סְ֝לָעִ֗ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "mountains" (root הר, 43x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·the·mountain-goats', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הָרִ֣ים [mountains] (255) + הַ֭גְּבֹהִים [the·high] (65) + לַיְּעֵלִ֑ים [for·the·mountain-goats] (190) + סְ֝לָעִ֗ים [crags] (210) + מַחְסֶ֥ה [refuge] (113) + לַֽשְׁפַנִּֽים [for·the·rock-badgers] (510) = 1343.
Rashi
"The lofty mountains" — He created for the ibexes. "shelter" — Every expression of מַחְסֶה is an expression of a shadow and a hiding place, where a person covers himself from flood and rain.
Ibn Ezra
"Mountains" — just as the mountains are a dwelling-place for the wild goats, so the rocks are like a refuge [for the conies].
Radak
"The mountains" — Since he mentioned the dwelling-place of the birds, which is the tall trees, he also says that the high mountains are the dwelling-place of the beasts of the field, and he mentions in particular the wild goats, for they seek out the high mountains and dwell there. "The rocks" — They too have a benefit for the animals, for they contain caves and crevices in which the animals take shelter. And behold, every created thing exists for a purpose and a benefit, and there is nothing so slight and small in rank that it was not created for the benefit of something greater than it, and all of it is for the benefit of man, for he is supreme over all of them. Now he has mentioned the creatures of the third day and their benefit; and even though the mountains and the rocks, which he mentions among them, belong to the earth that was created on the first day, he mentions them here by way of mentioning the benefit of the trees for the birds — and so he says that the mountains and the rocks, too, are of benefit to the animals.
Metzudat David
"For the wild goats" — [The high mountains are] a dwelling place for the wild goats, and likewise the rocks are a refuge for the conies; meaning, He watches over all, to give to each one according to its nature and custom.
Metzudat Zion
“For the wild goats” — the name of an animal, the ya'el. “For the conies” — the name of an animal, the shafan.
Malbim
"The mountains" — and likewise He provided a dwelling also for the creatures of dry land who need to take refuge in a high place from predators. He designated "the high mountains" to be a dwelling-place "for the wild goats," and "the conies," who need "refuge" because of their weakness, He designated to dwell "among the rocks" — in such a way that by His wondrous providence He assigned to every living creature its dwelling and place in the most perfect and fitting manner.
Who appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows his going down.
verse value 1572
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "made" (עָשָׂ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·appointed-times" (לְמוֹעֲדִ֑ים, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "for·appointed-times" (לְמוֹעֲדִ֑ים), "its·entrance" (מְבוֹאֽוֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "made" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms); "knows" (root ידע, 95x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·appointed-times', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עָשָׂ֣ה [made] (375) + יָ֭רֵחַ [moon] (218) + לְמוֹעֲדִ֑ים [for·appointed-times] (200) + שֶׁ֝֗מֶשׁ [sun] (640) + יָדַ֥ע [knows] (84) + מְבוֹאֽוֹ [its·entrance] (55) = 1572.
Rashi
"He made the moon for the appointed seasons" — To count with it the times and the festivals. "the sun knows its setting" — But the moon does not know its setting, because sometimes it comes through a long way and sometimes it comes through a short way.
Ibn Ezra
"He made" — many commentators have said that Hashem made the moon for the fixing of Hashem's appointed times, but this is not the intent of the psalm; rather, it simply recounts the work of creation. And he mentioned the sun and the moon but not the stars, because these two are the [celestial] rulers; and the reason for mentioning them here is that they are the cause of the rains, according to their movement, and the aspect of the attendants [the planets] over them, and according to the nature of the constellations that they are in. And the explanation of "He made the moon for appointed times" is: that after its conjunction with the sun, at set times, at the end of every month the moon is renewed — but not so the stars; and according to the increase and decrease of its light, things are renewed in metals, in plants, and in living creatures; and according to the sun's inclination to the north or to the south, changes occur in all the inhabited regions. Some say that Hashem alone knows the setting of the sun, but this is not correct, for its setting is known through conclusive proofs; rather, he recounted that the moon has many changes in its light and its movements, whereas the sun has but one manner — to rise and to set; and the time of its setting is when it becomes dark. And this is —
Radak
"Made" — Now he mentions the creations of the fourth day, which are the luminaries, and he begins with the moon, even though it is the lesser luminary, because night precedes day; and on the fourth night, the moon and the stars served, and in its morning the sun shone. "He appointed the moon for seasons" — As it is written, "and let them be for signs and for seasons." And here he mentions "for seasons" regarding the moon, and the same rule applies to the sun; and likewise, in mentioning the moon, the same rule applies to the stars, which rule together with the moon. And he says "He appointed the moon" thus, because it is alternately waning and full, so that the seasons may be known — that is, to divide by it the times of the year, which are twelve, for in each and every month its light is renewed, and by this we know the times of the year. We have from it the benefit of light, and other benefits as well. "The sun knows his going down" — Behold, all the sages have agreed that the moon is a dark body that has no light of its own except from the sun, according to its nearness to or its distance from the sun; the moon, in its entirety, has no light of its own but only from another, and this is its "coming" for the seasons. But it is not so with the sun, for its light is from itself, and hence it "knows" its own light. And the word "mevo" (his going) includes both the rising and the setting; for when the sun rises, it comes upon the earth, and when it sets, it comes beneath the earth. And it is also possible to explain "his going down" as referring to the moon: he says that the sun knew the coming of the moon at its own rising on the fourth day, and at the time of its rising, the coming and setting of the moon occurred, as if it knew the time of its coming.
Metzudat David
"For seasons" — to count by it the appointed times of Hashem, according to the time of its renewal. "Knows his going down" — He [the sun] knows the manner of his setting and has not changed the order of his course; but not so the moon, for sometimes it comes by a long [path] and sometimes by a short one, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said.
Malbim
"He made" — now he returns to the work of the fourth day. For besides the sun, whose benefit is well known on account of light — he already mentioned its benefit in connection with the creation of the original light — "He made" also "the moon" to serve "for appointed seasons," and "the sun knows its going down." For the moon receives its light from the sun, and when the sun sets, the moon becomes visible. Likewise, the half of its sphere that faces the sun is always illuminated, while the other side, which does not face the sun, is dark.
You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
verse value 3236
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "and·it·becomes" (וִ֣יהִי, 4 letters) and the longest is "every·beast·of·forest" (כׇּל־חַיְתוֹ־יָֽעַר, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·set·darkness" (תָּֽשֶׁת־חֹ֭שֶׁךְ), "in·it·creeps" (בּוֹ־תִ֝רְמֹ֗שׂ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·becomes" (root היה, 97x in Psalms); "You·set·darkness" (root שית, 32x in Psalms); "night" (root ליל, 27x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'night', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: תָּֽשֶׁת־חֹ֭שֶׁךְ [You·set·darkness] (1428) + וִ֣יהִי [and·it·becomes] (31) + לָ֑יְלָה [night] (75) + בּוֹ־תִ֝רְמֹ֗שׂ [in·it·creeps] (948) + כׇּל־חַיְתוֹ־יָֽעַר [every·beast·of·forest] (754) = 3236.
Rashi
"You make darkness and it is night" — Every day You darken and block out the sun and it becomes night, when all the beasts of the forest move about.
Ibn Ezra
[Some say that Hashem alone knows the setting of the sun, but this is not correct, for its setting is known through conclusive proofs; rather, he recounted that the moon has many changes in its light and its movements, whereas the sun has but one manner — to rise and to set; and the time of its setting is when it becomes dark. And this is —] "You make darkness" — the vav of "chayeto" (חַיְתוֹ, "beast of") is superfluous.
Radak
"You make" — Now he mentions the benefit of the night, and the setting of darkness is the sinking of the light. He says: when You set darkness in the world and it becomes night, there is in it a benefit for some of the living creatures, namely the lions and the beasts of the forest, which eat flesh and prey upon the other animals over which they have power; and by day You have not given them permission to go beyond their bounds, so that they should not harm man. And out of fear of man they refrain from going about by day, and they go about by night and seek their prey. And the meaning of "creep forth" is: go. And the vav of "chito" (its beasts) is extra, like the vav in "beno" and "be'or," and elsewhere. And behold, from his mentioning the benefit of the predatory animals at night, we learn the benefit that man has — that he sleeps and rests from his labor, and likewise the cattle that grow up with him.
Metzudat David
"You appoint" — You set the darkness and made its boundary to be at night. "In it" — At the time of night the beasts of the forest go about, because at night people are not about as they are by day.
Metzudat Zion
“Do creep forth” — a term for moving and shifting from place to place, as in “and over every creeping thing that creeps” (Genesis 1:28).
Malbim
"You make" — and by means of this, "You make darkness, and it is night," and this too is for a general benefit, "for in it" — that is, at night — "all the beasts of the forest creep forth."
The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God.
verse value 1638
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Verse gematria: 1638 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "from·God" (מֵאֵ֣ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·young-lions" (הַ֭כְּפִירִים, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "the·young-lions" (הַ֭כְּפִירִים), "roar" (שֹׁאֲגִ֣ים), "and·to·seek" (וּלְבַקֵּ֖שׁ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·God" (root אל, 112x in Psalms); "their·food" (root אכל, 35x in Psalms); "and·to·seek" (root בקש, 27x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·the·prey', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַ֭כְּפִירִים [the·young-lions] (365) + שֹׁאֲגִ֣ים [roar] (354) + לַטָּ֑רֶף [for·the·prey] (319) + וּלְבַקֵּ֖שׁ [and·to·seek] (438) + מֵאֵ֣ל [from·God] (71) + אׇכְלָֽם [their·food] (91) = 1638.
Ibn Ezra
"The young lions" — he attributed might to a beast.
Radak
"The young lions" (ha-kefirim) — these are the young ones among the lions and among the predatory beasts; and a kefir (young lion) is bigger than a gur (cub). "and seek their food from God" — for He gives bread to all flesh through the chain of causes, and it is as if they are seeking their food from Him when they seek their prey.
Metzudat David
"The young lions" — then the young lions roar to find prey. "And to seek" — They roar to seek their food from God.
Malbim
"The young lions" — the young lions, who do not go out from their dens by day, at night "roar after their prey," and prey upon the other creatures that also go out at night, "and to seek" — meaning they go out to seek and "to seek" at night "their food," which is given to them "from God" — that is, they seek out the small creatures that Hashem designated for their food.
The sun arises, they slink away, And couch in their dens.
verse value 2468
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "rises" (תִּזְרַ֣ח, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·to·their·dens" (וְאֶל־מְ֝עוֹנֹתָ֗ם, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "rises" (תִּזְרַ֣ח), "are·gathered" (יֵאָסֵפ֑וּן), "and·to·their·dens" (וְאֶל־מְ֝עוֹנֹתָ֗ם). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "are·gathered" (root אסף, 22x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'are·gathered', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: תִּזְרַ֣ח [rises] (615) + הַ֭שֶּׁמֶשׁ [the·sun] (645) + יֵאָסֵפ֑וּן [are·gathered] (207) + וְאֶל־מְ֝עוֹנֹתָ֗ם [and·to·their·dens] (643) + יִרְבָּצֽוּן [lie·down] (358) = 2468.
Rashi
"When the sun rises they gather in" — into the secret places and hide there from the sons of men; then every man goes forth to his work.
Ibn Ezra
"It rises," "they slink away" — after they had dispersed [in the night], and now they sleep.
Radak
"they slink away" — because of man, who goes out to the work of the field. "and to their dens" (ve'el me'onatam) — [used here] like "and in their dens" (u-vi-me'onatam).
Metzudat David
"They gather themselves" — They gather themselves to go to the place of their hiding. "And into their dens" — They lie down in the place of their dwelling and do not go outside during the day.
Metzudat Zion
“And [go] to their dens” — equivalent to “in their dens”; and likewise “and to the ark you shall put” (Exodus 21), whose meaning is “and in the ark.” “Couch” — lying down to rest.
Malbim
'It rises' — but 'when the sun rises,' then 'they gather and crouch in their dens,' so that then 'man goes out to his work and his labor until evening,' and he need not fear the wild animals, because they hide during the day — in such a way that He fixed for each one its own boundary and its own time: man rests at night, and darkness is good for him then, while the animals rest during the day because of man.
Man goes forth to his work And to his labor until the evening.
verse value 1236
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "goes·forth" (יֵצֵ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·his·labor" (וְֽלַעֲבֹ֖דָת֣וֹ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "to·his·work" (לְפׇעֳל֑וֹ), "and·to·his·labor" (וְֽלַעֲבֹ֖דָת֣וֹ), "until·evening" (עֲדֵי־עָֽרֶב). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root אדם, 67x in Psalms); "to·his·work" (root פעל, 38x in Psalms); "goes·forth" (root יצא, 35x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·his·work', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: יֵצֵ֣א [goes·forth] (101) + אָדָ֣ם [man] (45) + לְפׇעֳל֑וֹ [to·his·work] (216) + וְֽלַעֲבֹ֖דָת֣וֹ [and·to·his·labor] (518) + עֲדֵי־עָֽרֶב [until·evening] (356) = 1236.
Ibn Ezra
"Man goes forth" — the reverse [of the lions]; for at night he sleeps.
Radak
"Man goes forth to his work and to his labor" — in the field, until evening, when he gathers back to the city; and the beasts roam about seeking their food. And all of these creatures [act] by the design of a Designer and the wisdom of a Wise One.
Metzudat David
"Goes forth" — Then, when the sun rises, at the time the beasts return to their place, man goes forth to the field to do his work, and remains there until evening, the time the beasts go out again.
How manifold are Your works, O Hashem! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your creatures.
verse value 2266
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְֽהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "all·of·them" (כֻּ֭לָּם, 3 letters) and the longest is "how·many-are" (מָה־רַבּ֬וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "in·wisdom" (בְּחׇכְמָ֣ה), "Your·possession" (קִנְיָנֶֽךָ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "You·made" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'You·made', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: מָה־רַבּ֬וּ [how·many-are] (253) + מַעֲשֶׂ֨יךָ [Your·works] (440) + יְֽהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + כֻּ֭לָּם [all·of·them] (90) + בְּחׇכְמָ֣ה [in·wisdom] (75) + עָשִׂ֑יתָ [You·made] (780) + מָלְאָ֥ה [is·full] (76) + הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ [the·earth] (296) + קִנְיָנֶֽךָ [Your·possession] (230) = 2266.
Rashi
"Your possessions" — Heb. קנינך, the acquisition that you have acquired, like (Gen. 14:19): “Owner (קנה) of heaven and earth.” All is acquired by You.
Ibn Ezra
"How manifold" — according to its plain sense, "many"; or from the same grammatical pattern as "all the officers of his house" (Esther 1:8); and all of them are a sign of Your wisdom. And the sense of "the earth is full of Your possessions" is: for there is no place on earth apart from this; after he mentioned the creatures on the land, he mentioned the creatures in the sea. And the sense of "this" is: behold, it [the sea] is known, and it appears great in length. "And wide" — its extent is broad.
Radak
"How manifold" — [meaning] how great they are; or its interpretation is: they are numerous in number. "The earth is full of Your creatures" — when he [the psalmist] finished recounting the creatures of the dry land — whose mention was bound up together with the mention of the plants and the heavenly lights, these being more revealed to man's wisdom than the creatures of the sea — he therefore concluded [that section] with them in this verse, and said: we know and recognize that the works of God are great, and all of them are made with wisdom. "The earth is full of Your creatures" — [meaning] the whole earth is full of Your creatures, and Your works — nothing is by chance. And he says "full" because there is no place on earth in which the work of God is not seen. And the interpretation of "Your creatures" (kinyanekha) is like "Maker (koneh) of heaven and earth."
Metzudat David
"How manifold" — How very numerous [they are]. "All of them" — All Your works You made with wisdom. "Your creatures" — All the things that fill Your world are Yours, and are Your possessions.
Metzudat Zion
“How manifold” — the word “mah” (how) is used to intensify the matter, as in “how great is Your goodness” (above, Psalm 31). “Manifold” — that is, they are great.
Malbim
'How many' — accordingly, he concludes with wonder at the wisdom of Hashem: that although 'Your works are many' among the various creatures, nevertheless 'You have made them all in wisdom' — for You prepared for each one the means by which it survives, so that one does not swallow up its fellow; and for the weak creatures You prepared a dwelling and a stronghold against the strong ones, in such a way that 'the earth is full of Your creatures' — all of them have continued existence, and the species do not perish, while the individuals multiply as needed until they fill the earth. Up to here he has spoken of the creatures of the dry land; therefore he says, 'the earth is full.'
Yonder sea, great and wide, In it are creeping things innumerable, Living creatures, both small and great.
verse value 3259
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "this" (זֶ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "with·great" (עִם־גְּדֹלֽוֹת, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "hands" (יָ֫דָ֥יִם), "there·are·creeping·things" (שָֽׁם־רֶ֭מֶשׂ), "living-creatures" (חַיּ֥וֹת). The root גדול appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "hands" (root יד, 78x in Psalms); "and·without" (root אין, 67x in Psalms); "living-creatures" (root חיה, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'number', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: זֶ֤ה [this] (12) + הַיָּ֥ם [the·sea] (55) + גָּדוֹל֮ [great] (43) + וּרְחַ֢ב [and·wide·of] (216) + יָ֫דָ֥יִם [hands] (64) + שָֽׁם־רֶ֭מֶשׂ [there·are·creeping·things] (880) + וְאֵ֣ין [and·without] (67) + מִסְפָּ֑ר [number] (380) + חַיּ֥וֹת [living-creatures] (424) + קְ֝טַנּ֗וֹת [small] (565) + עִם־גְּדֹלֽוֹת [with·great] (553) = 3259.
Rashi
"and wide" — Heb. ורחב ידים. Wide of place, large in French, broad.
Radak
"This" — now he speaks of the creatures [made] on the fifth day, namely the fish, whose dwelling place is the sea, which is great and spacious (lit. "wide of hands"), great in length and breadth of area. And he says "this" because it [the sea] is a created thing known to all; and the birds, which were also created on the fifth day, he has already mentioned above by association. He says of the fish "innumerable," because they multiply and increase more than the beasts of the field, and moreover because they reproduce at every season of the year; therefore their number is greater than that of the creatures of the dry land.
Metzudat David
"Yonder sea" — This well-known, visible sea is great, in length and in breadth of area. "There are creeping things" — There are creeping things and moving creatures, and they are without number. "Living creatures, etc." — For everything that exists on dry land exists also in the sea.
Metzudat Zion
“Sides” — that is, space. “Creeping things” — a term for movement.
Malbim
'This is the sea' — now he speaks of the creatures that are in the sea. Behold, 'the sea is great and wide,' and it too You did not leave empty of creatures and the wonders of Your works: 'there are creeping things without number.' For although with regard to the creatures of the sea You did not prepare a special dwelling for each one, and the larger one swallows its fellow, nevertheless, 'there are creeping things without number' there — for the fruitfulness of the fish is without limit, since in the belly of a single fish are found how many millions of eggs. This is why 'small creatures together with great ones' — the small ones dwell together with the great ones; and although the great ones swallow, every single day, many tens of thousands of the small ones, nevertheless their species do not come to an end. For the great fish (the whale) — its food is the small fish (the herring) — but they multiply in number so greatly that the place became too narrow for them in the Icy Sea, and they went out to distant islands in a great and mighty number, as is known.
There go the ships; There is leviathan, whom You have formed to sport in it.
verse value 2582
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֭ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "go" (יְהַלֵּכ֑וּן, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "this·You·formed" (זֶֽה־יָצַ֥רְתָּ), "to·play·in·it" (לְשַֽׂחֶק־בּֽוֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "there" (root שם, 119x in Psalms); "go" (root הלך, 68x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'go', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: שָׁ֭ם [there] (340) + אֳנִיּ֣וֹת [ships] (467) + יְהַלֵּכ֑וּן [go] (121) + לִ֝וְיָתָ֗ן [leviathan] (496) + זֶֽה־יָצַ֥רְתָּ [this·You·formed] (712) + לְשַֽׂחֶק־בּֽוֹ [to·play·in·it] (446) = 2582.
Rashi
"with which to sport" — three hours during the day. So did our Sages say in tractate Avodah Zarah (3b), and so it is written explicitly in the Book of Job (40:29): “Will you play with him like a bird?”
Ibn Ezra
"There" — for sailors tell us of great creatures that they saw within the sea. "Leviathan" — a name for every great fish like it; or it is a name for one particular known species, and [the verse] then returns to speak of the sea, for all the fish are food for it, but it itself is not food [for others].
Radak
"There" — he says that even the sea, which is not a dwelling place for the creatures of the dry land, You have given wisdom to man to travel upon it in ships from place to place, and to hunt the fish of the sea for food; and by means of ships he has dominion over the fish. "Leviathan, whom You have formed to sport in it" — this is the great sea-creature whose might and strength are recounted in the Book of Job. And he says "this" even though no man has seen it, because it is known through the account of Scripture. And he says "to sport in it" — meaning: in the sea, that is, among all the creatures of the sea it plays, for they all come under its power, and it eats of them whichever it wishes; for anything that comes under a man's power, he plays with it and mocks it. And with this he has now explained/set forth all the creatures. And the creatures of the sixth day — the beasts, the cattle, and man — have already been mentioned above by association.
Metzudat David
"There the ships go" — This is among the wonders of Hashem, that He put wisdom in the hearts of those who guide the ship, to steer it to the place it wishes to reach. "This leviathan" — This well-known leviathan, [known] for its great size — You formed it to play and roam about in that sea, and it is not frightened by any of the creatures, and they serve as its food.
Malbim
'There' — and also, 'there ships go' to hunt the fish, and among them ships go to the Icy Sea to hunt the leviathan, which is the fish (the whale). The ships go 'to sport with the leviathan whom You have formed' — and the stratagems of men are cunning enough to hunt this leviathan, and they divide it among the merchants.
All of them wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season.
verse value 2118
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "all·of·them" (כֻּ֭לָּם, 3 letters) and the longest is "wait" (יְשַׂבֵּר֑וּן, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "wait" (יְשַׂבֵּר֑וּן). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·You" (root אל, 112x in Psalms); "to·give" (root נתן, 95x in Psalms); "all·of·them" (root כל, 82x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wait', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כֻּ֭לָּם [all·of·them] (90) + אֵלֶ֣יךָ [to·You] (61) + יְשַׂבֵּר֑וּן [wait] (568) + לָתֵ֖ת [to·give] (830) + אׇכְלָ֣ם [their·food] (91) + בְּעִתּֽוֹ [in·its·time] (478) = 2118.
Ibn Ezra
"All of them" — refers back to the creatures of the land, and also the sea, since he mentioned that leviathan plays in it, for its food is ready. He said that they all wait — [directed] toward Hashem, or each one individually, because it is in need, or because that is its habit.
Radak
"All of them" — he speaks of the creatures below, the living beings: You created them and You created their food; nevertheless, every single day they wait upon You to give them their food in its season, and this happens through the chain of causes, and it is in His power to give to them or to withhold from them. And he says "in its season" (be'itto) in the singular, because each and every species has its own known season in which its food comes to it; or "in its season" means [that its food] is suited to the eater. And he says "they wait upon You" — and although they have no knowledge of who gives and prepares [their food], according to the nature placed within them they wait upon their fixed order and their appointed custom. But we [who have understanding] know that they wait upon You.
Metzudat David
"All of them" — All the creatures of the world hope to You, to give each one its food at the time it needs it.
Metzudat Zion
“Wait” — a term for hope, as in “his hope is in Hashem” (below, Psalm 146).
Malbim
'All of them' — after speaking of the matter of their dwelling place, he now speaks of the matter of their food. Behold, in this, 'all of them wait upon You' to give them their food, and You also give it 'to them in its due season' — to each one at the time it is needed. And in this there are three variations: sometimes 'You give to them' their food sparingly, so that they only 'gather' — like one who gathers crumbs little by little, meaning that You give only what suffices for their essential need. And sometimes 'You open Your hand' to give to them in great abundance, with an open hand, until 'they are satisfied with good' — with a fullness that is sufficient and more. And sometimes 'You hide Your face,' and You give them nothing at all, and then 'they are dismayed'; and also 'You gather in their spirit' — for the end of life is death, and then You gather in the breath that You breathed into them, and then 'they perish and return to their dust.' But nevertheless the species do not come to an end, even though the individuals perish, for 'You send forth Your spirit' to the newly born, and then 'they are created,' and thereby 'You renew the face of the earth' — to settle upon it new creatures, young in days, their bones full of youthful vigor.
You give it to them, they gather it; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.
verse value 2507
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "You·give" (תִּתֵּ֣ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "they·gather" (יִלְקֹט֑וּן, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "they·gather" (יִלְקֹט֑וּן), "they·are·satisfied" (יִשְׂבְּע֥וּן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "You·give" (root נתן, 95x in Psalms); "Your·hand" (root יד, 78x in Psalms); "to·them" (root הם, 69x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·gather', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: תִּתֵּ֣ן [You·give] (850) + לָ֭הֶם [to·them] (75) + יִלְקֹט֑וּן [they·gather] (205) + תִּפְתַּ֥ח [You·open] (888) + יָ֝דְךָ֗ [Your·hand] (34) + יִשְׂבְּע֥וּן [they·are·satisfied] (438) + טֽוֹב [good] (17) = 2507.
Ibn Ezra
"You give," "You open Your hand" — You alone.
Radak
"You give" — the verse repeats the same matter in different words. And my father, of blessed memory, explained: "they gather" — in a time of drought/famine they gather a little here and a little there; but in a time of plenty, "You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good."
Metzudat David
"You give" — You give them their food, which they gather; and You open Your hand, and they are satisfied with good. That is to say: sometimes sparingly, so that they gather it little by little, and sometimes abundantly, so that they are satisfied with good.
You hide Your face, they vanish; You withdraw their breath, they perish, And return to their dust.
verse value 3073
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "You·withdraw" (תֹּסֵ֣ף, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·their·dust" (וְֽאֶל־עֲפָרָ֥ם, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "are·terrified" (יִֽבָּהֵ֫ל֥וּן), "You·withdraw" (תֹּסֵ֣ף), "their·breath" (ר֭וּחָם). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Your·face" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "return" (root שוב, 72x in Psalms); "You·hide" (root סתר, 33x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'perish', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: תַּסְתִּ֥יר [You·hide] (1070) + פָּנֶיךָ֮ [Your·face] (160) + יִֽבָּהֵ֫ל֥וּן [are·terrified] (103) + תֹּסֵ֣ף [You·withdraw] (540) + ר֭וּחָם [their·breath] (254) + יִגְוָע֑וּן [perish] (145) + וְֽאֶל־עֲפָרָ֥ם [and·to·their·dust] (427) + יְשׁוּבֽוּן [return] (374) = 3073.
Rashi
"You gather in their spirit" — Heb. תסף, an expression of destruction, as (above 73:19): “They were completely consumed (ספו).”
Ibn Ezra
"You hide [Your face]" — the sense is: when You do not open Your hand, it is as though You had forgotten them or do not see them — [hence] "they are dismayed." "You take away" (tosef) — like "You gather" (te'esof), in the manner of "His spirit and His breath, He gathers to Himself" (Job 34:14). "And they return to their dust" — for the bones are among the creatures of the land, and in them [is the dust].
Radak
"You hide" — when You hide Your face, that is, when You withhold their food. "they vanish" — for they have no ability to seek help from anyone besides You. "You withdraw" (tosef) — [related to] "You gather" (te'esof). "and return to their dust" — when the breath departs from the living, the body returns to the dust.
Metzudat David
"You hide Your face" — But when You hide Your face from them completely, then terror and fear seize them. "You gather in" — When You gather in their spirit to the place where it is stored away, they expire and return to their dust, from which they were created.
Metzudat Zion
“You withdraw” — [understood] like “ta'asef” (is gathered in); it is a term for death, namely, the taking in of the spirit to the place of its keeping. “They perish” — a term for death.
You send forth Your spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.
verse value 2149
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "face·of" (פְּנֵ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "are·created" (יִבָּרֵא֑וּן, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "are·created" (יִבָּרֵא֑וּן), "and·You·renew" (וּ֝תְחַדֵּ֗שׁ), "ground" (אֲדָמָֽה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "face·of" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "ground" (root אדם, 67x in Psalms); "You·send" (root שלח, 33x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'are·created', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: תְּשַׁלַּ֣ח [You·send] (738) + ר֭וּחֲךָ [Your·spirit] (234) + יִבָּרֵא֑וּן [are·created] (269) + וּ֝תְחַדֵּ֗שׁ [and·You·renew] (718) + פְּנֵ֣י [face·of] (140) + אֲדָמָֽה [ground] (50) = 2149.
Rashi
"You will send forth Your spirit" — with the resurrection of the dead.
Ibn Ezra
"You send forth" — the rationalist philosophers say that every living thing, after its death, will rise again. And the sages of true wisdom say that the universal species are preserved while the individual particulars perish. And the sense of "they are created" is: others [i.e., different individuals]; and he who understands this will understand the way of truth.
Radak
"You send forth" — according to our belief, we the seed of Israel who hold fast to our faith, [teach that] the souls will return to the original matter from which they came, at the time of the resurrection of the dead, which God, may He be blessed, has promised us; and this will occur by way of a sign and a wonder, and not according to nature. And concerning this he says, "You send forth Your spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth" — and even though the verse before this one speaks of all living beings and not of man alone, he says this [verse] concerning man, who is the chief among the creatures below. It is also possible to interpret this verse as referring to all living beings and not to man alone: that "they are created" afterward [means] that these will die and others will be born in their place; and so it is written, "One generation goes, and another generation comes" — the general kinds endure, but the individuals perish. And he says "and You renew" the face of the earth, referring to those who are born, who come as new [beings] into the world.
Metzudat David
"You send forth" — And when You send forth the vital spirit into the corpses of the dead, at the time of the resurrection, then they are created anew as at first, and You renew through them the face of the earth. (And although at the beginning [the psalm] speaks of all living things, now it speaks of man alone, who is the choicest of the creatures.)
May the glory of Hashem endure for ever; let Hashem rejoice in His works!
verse value 1071
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "let·it·be" (יְהִ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·His·works" (בְּמַעֲשָֽׂיו, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "in·His·works" (בְּמַעֲשָֽׂיו). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "for·ever" (root עולם, 144x in Psalms); "let·it·be" (root היה, 97x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·ever', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יְהִ֤י [let·it·be] (25) + כְב֣וֹד [glory·of] (32) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + לְעוֹלָ֑ם [for·ever] (176) + יִשְׂמַ֖ח [let·Him·rejoice] (358) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + בְּמַעֲשָֽׂיו [in·His·works] (428) = 1071.
Ibn Ezra
"May the glory of Hashem be" — these are the created things, for they were made by His word. And the sense of "let Him rejoice" is: concerning the endurance of the universal order.
Radak
"May it be" — when he [the psalmist] finished [describing] the whole work of creation, he says: all of it is His work, and these are His glory, and He rejoices in them; and if He wishes, He can destroy it all, and it will return to chaos and void (tohu va-vohu) — and this is [the meaning of] what he says, "who looks on the earth and it trembles." Or its interpretation: "May the glory of Hashem endure" refers to the time of our redemption. He says: behold, all these are His works, and He rejoices in them, just as a man rejoices when he does the will of God — for everything was created for His sake, and then He rejoices. But in this world He is sometimes grieved, as in the generation of the Flood, "He was grieved to His heart," and with other wicked people besides them. But in the days of our Messiah — and this will be after the wicked have perished from the world — then "may the glory of Hashem endure forever; let Hashem rejoice in His works" [will be fulfilled]. And this is [the meaning of] what he says, "who looks on the earth and it trembles." The joy and grief attributed to Him, may He be blessed, are stated by way of a figure of speech (mashal), for He has no [literal] joy or grief, and He does not change from one state to another; rather, just as a person rejoices in the success of his deeds and grieves at the opposite, so the matter is spoken of God, may He be blessed, by way of a figure of speech, so that listeners may understand. "and it trembles" — a figure of speech for the destruction of the wicked, as if the earth trembles, and as if the mountains burned with fire because of [His] burning anger — meaning that the strong horn (power) of the wicked will be brought to an end. And he says —
Metzudat David
"May the glory of Hashem endure" — May His glory continue all the days of the world, because the wonders of His creatures and His providence over all are seen. "Let Hashem rejoice in His works" — For a mortal sometimes comes to feel sorrow over the work of his own hands, when it turns out for his harm; but it is not so with the Omnipresent, blessed be He.
Malbim
'May it be' — and by this, 'the glory of Hashem will endure forever,' in that creation stands continually in its renewal, like the glory that was seen in it at the time of creation. And also, 'Hashem will rejoice in His works' — for if the individuals were to exist forever, His glory would not be recognized as coming from His being a Renewer and Creator, and they would rebel against His glory, thinking that they were eternal and self-existent. But through death, all recognize their Maker and honor Him, and Hashem rejoices in His works — for one generation goes and another generation comes, and the work of Hashem endures forever.
Who looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
verse value 1849
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Verse gematria: 1849 = 43². The shortest word is "He·touches" (יִגַּ֖ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·smoke" (וְֽיֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "who·looks" (הַמַּבִּ֣יט), "and·it·trembles" (וַתִּרְעָ֑ד), "He·touches" (יִגַּ֖ע). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "in·the·mountains" (root הר, 43x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·it·trembles', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַמַּבִּ֣יט [who·looks] (66) + לָ֭אָרֶץ [to·the·earth] (321) + וַתִּרְעָ֑ד [and·it·trembles] (680) + יִגַּ֖ע [He·touches] (83) + בֶּהָרִ֣ים [in·the·mountains] (257) + וְֽיֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ [and·they·smoke] (442) = 1849.
Rashi
"He touches the mountains and they emit smoke" — as is depicted of Sinai (Exod. 19:18): “And Mount Sinai was all in smoke.”
Ibn Ezra
"Who looks" — the sense is that He suspends the earth and bears it by His power; and he mentioned that it will never be moved — yet if He wished, it would tremble and the mountains would be scorched. And some say that the sense of "and it trembles" [refers to] all the inhabitants of the earth.
Radak
"who looks" — and it also says "touches" — to inform us that His touching is [the same as] His looking and His providential care.
Metzudat David
"And it trembles" — Unlike a mortal, who sometimes trembles because of the work of his own hands. "And they smoke" — They shall be burned and give off smoke.
Metzudat Zion
“It trembles” — from the term for trembling and quaking.
Malbim
'Who looks' — but even at the time when it arises in His will to destroy the world, and He 'looks upon the earth and it trembles' from fear of His punishment, and also He already 'touches the mountains and they smoke,' through an earthquake, through the elemental fire, to destroy cities and countries — nevertheless, even then, the eye of Hashem is upon those who fear Him, and then He looks only to destroy and punish the wicked. And then, 'I will sing to Hashem in my life,' for then I will understand that I was saved and remained alive through the providence of Hashem; and also, 'I will sing praises to my God' for 'the continuance' — the extra measure and advantage that He gave me, granting me all good.
I will sing to Hashem as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
verse value 1023
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "in·my·life" (בְּחַיָּ֑י, 4 letters) and the longest is "I·will·sing" (אָשִׁ֣ירָה, 5 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "to·my·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "I·will·sing" (root שיר, 68x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·my·life', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אָשִׁ֣ירָה [I·will·sing] (516) + לַיהֹוָ֣ה [to·Hashem] (56) + בְּחַיָּ֑י [in·my·life] (30) + אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה [I·will·sing·praise] (253) + לֵאלֹהַ֣י [to·my·God] (76) + בְּעוֹדִֽי [while·I·exist] (92) = 1023.
Rashi
"as long as I exist" — Heb. בעדי, like (Deut. 31:27): “When I am still (בעודני) alive.”
Ibn Ezra
"I will sing" — I am obligated to give thanks to Hashem, who performs all these mighty acts, as long as I live.
Radak
"Let it be sweet" — and let my meditation be sweet to God, that is, the song, the thanksgiving, and the praise. "and I will rejoice in Hashem" — corresponding to "let Hashem rejoice in His works" — as if He rejoices in us and we rejoice in Him; that is, we will be a people to Him, and He will be a God to us.
Metzudat David
"As long as I live" — While I am alive. "While I have any being" — While I continue to exist; the matter is repeated in different words.
Let my musing be sweet to Him; as for me, I will rejoice in Hashem.
verse value 1184
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "let·it·be·pleasing" (יֶעֱרַ֣ב, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·Hashem" (בַּיהֹוָֽה, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "let·it·be·pleasing" (יֶעֱרַ֣ב), "I·will·rejoice" (אֶשְׂמַ֥ח). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "upon·Him" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "I·will·rejoice" (root שמח, 55x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·musing', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יֶעֱרַ֣ב [let·it·be·pleasing] (282) + עָלָ֣יו [upon·Him] (116) + שִׂיחִ֑י [my·musing] (328) + אָ֝נֹכִ֗י [I] (81) + אֶשְׂמַ֥ח [I·will·rejoice] (349) + בַּיהֹוָֽה [in·Hashem] (28) = 1184.
Ibn Ezra
"Let it be sweet" — let it be good. "I will rejoice in Hashem" — corresponding to "let Hashem rejoice in His works." And the sense is: that his soul will endure and will become like the universal [order].
Radak
"Let them be consumed" — then sinners will be consumed, as we have explained, and no others will arise after them. This is what is meant by "and the wicked will be no more." Therefore he says to his own soul, "Bless Hashem, O my soul," and likewise, all peoples [say], "Halleluyah." And we have already written in the introduction to the book that "Halleluyah" is the greatest [praise] of all, for it includes song and praise together at once; and "Yah" is half of the divine Name, and for the sake of brevity they joined it to "hallelu" ("praise") to form the [complete] word.
Metzudat David
"Let it be sweet" — May my prayer be made sweet to Him, to be accepted with favor, and I will rejoice in His salvation.
Metzudat Zion
“Be sweet” — a term for sweetness, as in “and the offering shall be pleasing to Hashem” (Malachi 3). “My musing” — my words, as in “speak to the earth” (Job 12).
Malbim
(34-35) 'Let my meditation be sweet to Him' — meaning, the song will be about my life and my continuance, not about the destruction of the wicked, for such a song would not be sweet to Hashem, as it is said, 'The works of My hands are drowning in the sea, and you sing songs?' Therefore I will sing only of my deliverance, and such a song will be sweet to Hashem. And nevertheless, 'I,' individually, 'will rejoice in Hashem' in that 'sinners will cease from the earth,' as it is said, 'There is joy to the righteous in doing justice.' Therefore I will rejoice in my heart over the ending of sins, for through this, 'and the wicked will be no more' — that from now on there will no longer be found wicked people who act wickedly with malice. For although there will still be found sinners who sin out of desire and inclination, there will not be found people who act wickedly with malicious intent, for they will recognize the judgments of Hashem and will fear to act wickedly. And through this, 'Bless Hashem, O my soul.' And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: he saw the downfall of the wicked and said a song.
Let sinners cease out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless Hashem, O my soul. Hallelujah.
verse value 2902
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "praise·Hashem" (הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "still" (ע֤וֹד, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·the·earth" (מִן־הָאָ֡רֶץ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·wicked" (וּרְשָׁעִ֤ים), "they·are·not" (אֵינָ֗ם). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "from·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms). Full calculation: יִתַּ֤מּוּ [let·them·cease] (456) + חַטָּאִ֨ים [sinners] (68) + מִן־הָאָ֡רֶץ [from·the·earth] (386) + וּרְשָׁעִ֤ים [and·wicked] (626) + ע֤וֹד [still] (80) + אֵינָ֗ם [they·are·not] (101) + בָּרְכִ֣י [bless] (232) + נַ֭פְשִׁי [my·soul] (440) + אֶת־יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (427) + הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ [praise·Hashem] (86) = 2902.
Rashi
"Sinners will be destroyed" — Heb. חטאים, sinners [rather than sins, but see Tal. Ber. 10a].
Ibn Ezra
"Let them be consumed" — the prophet's prayer, because they do not acknowledge Hashem and do not understand His deeds; or he mentioned this because he had said "I will rejoice in Hashem," but not so the sinners, for they will be consumed and perish. "They are no more" — the sense is doubled [for emphasis]. "Bless Hashem, O my soul" — concerning the destruction of the wicked; and he concluded, for those who understand, saying: "Hallelujah."
Metzudat David
"Let them cease" — My prayer is that sins shall cease, that is, that people shall overcome their [evil] inclination and not commit sins, and so there will no longer be wicked people in the world. "Bless" — When this comes to be, my soul shall bless Hashem, and you too, all of you, praise Hashem [Halleluyah] for this.
Metzudat Zion
“Cease” — from the term for completion and conclusion. “Be no more” — meaning, they have nothing [remaining].
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Malbim