A Maschil of David, composed in the cave, a Prayer. Written in a moment of utter isolation and danger, this psalm pours out complaint before Hashem alone and affirms Him as portion and refuge when every human help has failed.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Maschil of David, when he was in the cave; a Prayer.
verse value 1705
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "of·David" (לְדָוִ֑ד, 4 letters) and the longest is "when·he·was" (בִּֽהְיוֹת֖וֹ, 6 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "when·he·was" (root היה, 97x in Psalms); "of·David" (root דוד, 89x in Psalms); "prayer" (root תפלה, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'of·David', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: מַשְׂכִּ֥יל [Maskil] (400) + לְדָוִ֑ד [of·David] (44) + בִּֽהְיוֹת֖וֹ [when·he·was] (429) + בַמְּעָרָ֣ה [in·the·cave] (317) + תְפִלָּֽה [prayer] (515) = 1705.
Rashi
"in the cave" — where he severed the skirt of Saul’s robe.
Ibn Ezra
'Maskil of David' — [used] for the beauty of a poetic composition whose opening word is 'maskil.'
Radak
'A Prayer' — when Saul went to seek him at the rocks of the wild goats, and David hid in the cave from him, as it is written, 'and David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave' (I Samuel 24:4) — and there, in the cave, he composed this prayer.
Metzudat David
"When he was in the cave" — When he cut off the corner of Saul's [garment], and then he prayed this prayer.
With my voice I cry to Hashem; With my voice I make supplication to Hashem.
verse value 1093
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "my·voice" (ק֭וֹלִי, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·Hashem" (אֶל־יְהֹוָ֣ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 146: my·voice, my·voice. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "I·cry" (אֶזְעָ֑ק). The root קול appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "my·voice" (root קול, 55x in Psalms); "I·make·supplication" (root חנן, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·cry', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: ק֭וֹלִי [my·voice] (146) + אֶל־יְהֹוָ֣ה [to·Hashem] (57) + אֶזְעָ֑ק [I·cry] (178) + ק֝וֹלִ֗י [my·voice] (146) + אֶל־יְהֹוָ֥ה [to·Hashem] (57) + אֶתְחַנָּֽן [I·make·supplication] (509) = 1093.
Ibn Ezra
'My voice' — this is: my voice with which I cry out to Hashem.
Metzudat David
"With my voice" — With my voice I cry out to Hashem.
Malbim
"With my voice I cry to Hashem" — while he was in the cave, he was afraid to cry out loudly, lest the enemies hear him; but "to Hashem I can cry out with my voice," and I am not afraid. Second: I would not be able to supplicate at length, even without raising my voice, because through an abundance of words it would become known that there is a man in the cave; but "to Hashem I make supplication," and even "with my voice," and I am not afraid.
I pour out my complaint before Him, I declare before Him my trouble;
verse value 1799
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. Notable word values: "I·declare" (אַגִּֽיד) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "I·pour·out" (אֶשְׁפֹּ֣ךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "before·Him" (לְפָנָ֣יו, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 176: before·Him, before·Him. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "I·pour·out" (אֶשְׁפֹּ֣ךְ). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before·Him" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "I·declare" (root נגד, 55x in Psalms); "my·complaint" (root שיח, 24x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·complaint', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֶשְׁפֹּ֣ךְ [I·pour·out] (401) + לְפָנָ֣יו [before·Him] (176) + שִׂיחִ֑י [my·complaint] (328) + צָ֝רָתִ֗י [my·trouble] (700) + לְפָנָ֥יו [before·Him] (176) + אַגִּֽיד [I·declare] (18) = 1799.
Ibn Ezra
'I pour out' — because the voice is in the open, my meditation will be in secret.
Radak
He says, 'I pour out' — 'my complaint' means my prayer. 'I declare my trouble' — Even though it is known to Him, I will declare it before Him in my prayer.
Metzudat David
"I pour out" — That is, I recount at length the troubles that come upon me.
Metzudat Zion
"My complaint" [שיחי] — an expression of recounting hardships.
Malbim
"I pour out" — In the cave I cannot pour out speech, for such speech is conveyed through signs and gestures, by which one's weakness and distress become known, and this is impossible in the cave, in the darkness; but "before Him I pour out my complaint." "My trouble" — In the cave there is no one to whom I can declare my outward trouble, for there is no man to save; but "before Him I declare my trouble."
When my spirit faints within me— You know my path— In the way where I walk they have hidden a snare for me.
verse value 3181
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "bird-trap" (פַ֣ח, 2 letters) and the longest is "when·faints" (בְּהִתְעַטֵּ֬ף, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 224: my·spirit, in·the·way·that. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "when·faints" (בְּהִתְעַטֵּ֬ף), "my·path" (נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י), "in·the·way·that" (בְּאֹֽרַח־ז֥וּ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "and·You" (root אתה, 115x in Psalms); "You·know" (root ידע, 95x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·walk', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּהִתְעַטֵּ֬ף [when·faints] (566) + עָלַ֨י [upon·me] (110) + רוּחִ֗י [my·spirit] (224) + וְאַתָּה֮ [and·You] (412) + יָדַ֢עְתָּ [You·know] (484) + נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י [my·path] (872) + בְּאֹֽרַח־ז֥וּ [in·the·way·that] (224) + אֲהַלֵּ֑ךְ [I·walk] (56) + טָמְנ֖וּ [they·have·hidden] (105) + פַ֣ח [bird-trap] (88) + לִֽי [for·me] (40) = 3181.
Rashi
"and You know my path" — how many snares are in it.
Ibn Ezra
'When it faints' — like: 'a prayer of the afflicted, when he faints.' 'When it faints' — [the thought of the soul], one part folding upon its other part; and You knew the path I wished to walk in. And Rabbi Moshe HaKohen said: '[the sense of] my path is that it is straight before You'; and he did not mention those who hid [the snare] — as in [the phrase] 'who bore her,' [where the subject is likewise left unnamed].
Radak
'When my spirit faints within me' — like 'their soul fainted within them.' This is because of the greatness of the distress: one is crushed and bowed down, as if part of him became wrapped around another part, and so too the spirit within the body. 'You know my path' — for I do not walk in an evil way as they do, for there is no iniquity in me and I have not sinned against them, yet they pursue me. 'In the way where I walk' — whatever way I go, they spy after me and have hidden a snare for me in every place I go.
Metzudat David
"When [my spirit] faints" — At the time my spirit faints because of the multitude of troubles, You surely know my path which I walk in at that time, for I do not go to do any harm to any of them; and nevertheless, on this path which I walk, bent and afflicted, they have hidden a trap for me to catch me, even though I did not go to harm them.
Metzudat Zion
"When [my spirit] enwraps [itself]" [בהתעטף] — when a person is in distress, he is afflicted and bent over, as if part of his body is wrapped within another part; and his spirit within him, too, is as if it enwraps itself. "My path" [נתיבתי] — an expression of "path" (שביל) and "road" (מסילה).
Malbim
"When it faints" — And although "my spirit faints within me," like one who has reached the utmost weakness, whose spirit is wrapped up within the body and whose powers gather inward to the heart, so too there is no one to bring me out of here, for no one knows the path by which I could conceal myself from my pursuers so that they would not recognize me; but "You know my path." And he explains that the enemies surrounded him on every side: "in the way where I would walk" — for he wanted to go toward the east, but in that way "they have hidden a snare for me."
Look on my right hand, and see, For there is no man who knows me; I have no way to flee; No man cares for my soul.
verse value 2069
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "look" (הַבֵּ֤יט) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "has·perished" (אָבַ֣ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·there·is·none·to·me" (וְאֵֽין־לִ֢י, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·there·is·none·to·me" (וְאֵֽין־לִ֢י), "who·recognizes" (מַ֫כִּ֥יר), "flight" (מָנ֣וֹס). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "and·see" (root ראה, 100x in Psalms); "and·there·is·none·to·me" (root אין, 67x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַבֵּ֤יט [look] (26) + יָמִ֨ין [right] (110) + וּרְאֵה֮ [and·see] (212) + וְאֵֽין־לִ֢י [and·there·is·none·to·me] (107) + מַ֫כִּ֥יר [who·recognizes] (270) + אָבַ֣ד [has·perished] (7) + מָנ֣וֹס [flight] (156) + מִמֶּ֑נִּי [from·me] (140) + אֵ֖ין [there·is·none] (61) + דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ [who·cares] (510) + לְנַפְשִֽׁי [for·my·soul] (470) = 2069.
Rashi
"no one recognizes me" — Among all of Saul’s servants, there is no one who protests against him.
Ibn Ezra
'Look' — Rabbi Moshe said: that these are in the imperative form. But in my opinion, 'habet' is an infinitive, like 'and you shall surely deliver'; and 're'eh' (see) — this too is an infinitive, on the pattern of 'so that it may have a flash.'
Radak
'Look on my right hand, and see' — both 'look' and 'see' are infinitives, not imperatives; that is to say, when I look to the right and to the left, there is no one who recognizes me or has pity on me and on my wandering. 'I have no way to flee' — for when I think, 'I will go to this place, where Saul will not know of me and will not pursue me,' [I find that] I have no place to flee to, for wherever I go he seeks me. And it mentions 'right' but not 'left,' using a concise style as is the custom of Scripture, for from the one the other is understood. 'No man cares for my soul' — of all my redeemers and relatives, there is none who cares for my soul, since Saul seeks to kill me; for one will not find a redeemer from the hand of a king, unless You redeem me. Therefore...
Metzudat David
"Look" — When I look right and left, and see whether I have anyone who recognizes me; but I have no one who knows me, to think well of me before Saul. "There is no way to flee" — I have no one to flee to for help.
Metzudat Zion
"Look on the right" [הבט ימין] — [to be understood] as "look right and left," for from the one the other is understood, and [Scripture] took the concise way.
Malbim
"Look on the right hand" — and if I go toward the south, there too "there is no man who knows me"; and if I flee backward, toward the west, "flight has perished from me," for the enemies are behind him. (And he pictures that on one side, to the north, is the mountain containing the cave, which blocks him from going that way, while the other three sides are surrounded by enemies.) So too I cannot hope for any help from outside, from a friend or a savior, "for no man cares for my soul."
I have cried to You, O Hashem; I have said: 'You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.'
verse value 2363
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 38 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֫הֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "You" (אַתָּ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·have·cried" (זָעַ֥קְתִּי, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "I·have·cried" (זָעַ֥קְתִּי). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "in·the·land·of" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "You" (root אתה, 115x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·refuge', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: זָעַ֥קְתִּי [I·have·cried] (587) + אֵלֶ֗יךָ [to·You] (61) + יְ֫הֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + אָ֭מַרְתִּי [I·have·said] (651) + אַתָּ֣ה [You] (406) + מַחְסִ֑י [my·refuge] (118) + חֶ֝לְקִ֗י [my·portion] (148) + בְּאֶ֣רֶץ [in·the·land·of] (293) + הַחַיִּֽים [the·living] (73) = 2363.
Ibn Ezra
'I have cried' — as one who has fallen ill cries out. And the sense of 'my portion in the land of the living' is: that I do not hope that any man from the land of the living will heal me; rather, You are my portion.
Radak
'I have cried to You, Hashem' ... 'in the land of the living' — [meaning] my portion is still in the Land of Israel, from which I am fleeing. And it explains 'my portion' — like 'Hashem is the portion of my portion and my cup.' And at the verse 'in the lands of the living,' we explained the reason why the Land of Israel is called 'the land of the living.'
Metzudat David
"In the land of the living" — That is, I will not die by the hand of Saul, and my portion will be among those who dwell in the land of the living, in this world.
Malbim
"I have cried" — Therefore "I have cried to You, Hashem," and this corresponds to what he said, "with my voice I cry to Hashem"; and corresponding to what he said, "with my voice I make supplication to Hashem," he explains the supplications: "I have said, You are my refuge" — for supplication is a request for a free gift, not on the basis of merit, and he brings arguments. First: because You are always my refuge, and it is fitting that You help me now as well, for You do not change. Second: because "You are my portion in the land of the living" — since You have given me my portion in life, it is fitting that You preserve my life. And corresponding to what he said, "before Him I pour out my complaint," he says:
Attend to my cry; For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors; For they are too strong for me.
verse value 2474
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·I·am·brought·low" (כִּֽי־דַלּ֢וֹתִ֫י, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "to·my·cry" (אֶֽל־רִנָּתִי֮), "for·I·am·brought·low" (כִּֽי־דַלּ֢וֹתִ֫י), "from·my·pursuers" (מֵרֹדְפַ֑י). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 216x in Psalms); "than·me" (root מן, 59x in Psalms); "deliver·me" (root נצל, 44x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·my·pursuers', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה [attend] (422) + אֶֽל־רִנָּתִי֮ [to·my·cry] (691) + כִּֽי־דַלּ֢וֹתִ֫י [for·I·am·brought·low] (480) + מְאֹ֥ד [very] (45) + הַצִּילֵ֥נִי [deliver·me] (195) + מֵרֹדְפַ֑י [from·my·pursuers] (334) + כִּ֖י [for] (30) + אָמְצ֣וּ [they·are·strong] (137) + מִמֶּֽנִּי [than·me] (140) = 2474.
Ibn Ezra
'Attend' — corresponds to 'my voice, to Hashem,' for 'I am brought very low.' '[Attend] within, in secret' corresponds to 'my cry.'
Radak
'Attend to my cry' — to my outcry, like 'and the cry passed through the camp.' 'For they are too strong for me' — I am unable [to prevail] against the king and his people, who pursue me.
Metzudat David
"For I am brought very low" — I have become poor and subdued. "For they are too strong for me" — And I have no strength to stand against them, unless You save me.
Metzudat Zion
"They are strong" [אמצו] — "they are mighty" (חזקו).
Malbim
"Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low" — this is an account of the affliction and oppression of the man himself; and corresponding to "I declare before Him my trouble," which is the trouble from without, he says, "deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me."
Bring my soul out of prison, That I may give thanks to Your name; The righteous shall crown themselves because of me; For You will deal bountifully with me.
verse value 3627
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. Verse gematria: 3627 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "in·me" (בִּ֭י, 2 letters) and the longest is "bring·out" (ה֘וֹצִ֤יאָה, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "bring·out" (ה֘וֹצִ֤יאָה), "from·prison" (מִמַּסְגֵּ֨ר), "shall·crown·themselves" (יַכְתִּ֣רוּ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 216x in Psalms); "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "with·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'righteous', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: ה֘וֹצִ֤יאָה [bring·out] (117) + מִמַּסְגֵּ֨ר [from·prison] (343) + נַפְשִׁי֮ [my·soul] (440) + לְהוֹד֢וֹת [to·give·thanks] (451) + אֶת־שְׁ֫מֶ֥ךָ [Your·name] (761) + בִּ֭י [in·me] (12) + יַכְתִּ֣רוּ [shall·crown·themselves] (636) + צַדִּיקִ֑ים [righteous] (254) + כִּ֖י [for] (30) + תִגְמֹ֣ל [You·will·deal·bountifully] (473) + עָלָֽי [with·me] (110) = 3627.
Rashi
"because of me the righteous will crown You" — Because of me, the righteous will crown You and give thanks to Your name, for You support those who fear You.
Ibn Ezra
'Bring out' — the sense of 'from prison' is on account of his being in the cave. And I have already mentioned that nouns can carry the force of verbs; thus it means: 'through me the righteous will crown themselves with a crown.' The sense: that they will glory, as though a royal crown were upon their heads.
Radak
'Bring my soul out of prison' — because he was shut up in a cave. 'That I may give thanks to Your name' — for You alone saved me. 'The righteous shall crown themselves because of me, for You will deal bountifully with me' — that is, You will save me, and the righteous will glory in me and make me a crown for their heads, for they will say: 'Is this not David — because he trusted in God alone, He saved him' — and he will then live, with but a few people, safe from the king and his army.
Metzudat David
"Bring out from prison" — From the place of my hiding, where I am concealed and shut in. "That I may give thanks" — So that I may give thanks to Your name. "The righteous shall crown themselves because of me," etc. — when You deal bountifully with me, then the righteous will take pride in me and place me as a crown upon their heads; but now, while I am still afflicted and pursued, who will turn to me, and who will regard me?
Metzudat Zion
"Shall crown themselves" [יכתירו] — from the language of "crown" (כתר).
Malbim
"Bring out" — And after recounting the trouble of the body, he petitions concerning what pertains to the soul, which is shut up in confinement in the cave and unable to serve Hashem; therefore he says, "bring my soul out of prison," so that I may "give thanks to Your name." And he says that through this his divine soul will gain in two ways. First: by giving thanks himself. Second: by the fact that through him others will also give thanks, for "because of me," and through him, "the righteous shall crown [Him]" — they will give Hashem the crown of thanksgiving and praise — through "Your dealing bountifully" with him, for such bountiful dealing comes about on account of love.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David